Inspirational business women shared their secrets to success at a forum opened today by Women’s Interests Minister Liza Harvey.

Presented by the Department of Local Government and Communities and the Small Business Development Corporation, the forum aimed to provide women with the tools to transform business ideas into successful enterprises.

“The proportion of Western Australian businesses owned by women continues to increase and workshops such as this play an important role in providing female small business aspirants and owners with the information and skills to begin or grow their business,” Mrs Harvey said.

“The forum is a unique opportunity for Western Australian women to hear from entrepreneurs from a range of professional disciplines and sectors including retail, marketing and government.”

An initiative of the State Government to advance the priority area of women’s economic independence, the second Aspiring Entrepreneurship Forum focused on e-commerce, social media and small business.

Following the forum, a workshop provided information about setting up an online business and administering and maintaining a website, including online shopping and payment capabilities.

“In an increasingly digital age, an online business presence has never been so important,” the Minister said.

“In WA, two out of three small businesses have a corporate website, while one out of three small businesses has a social media presence.”

Mrs Harvey said it was hoped the forum would encourage the entrepreneurial aspirations of women who had taken time out of the workforce to care for children or who were interested in starting a business that could be operated alongside carer responsibilities.

The Minister said today’s event was in addition to the Liberal National Government’s series of Women’s Consultative Forums which brought together the State’s industry leaders who could influence policy in their organisations and the community.