It’s Bank Holiday Monday, it’s snowing, I’m looking back on a confusing, frustrating and worrying year only slightly mollified by as good a Christmas as we could manage.

And I’m faced with writing about the future for businesses across the Stroud District in 2021.

As chair of one of the longest-established and most supportive local groups, the Stroud Businesswomen’s Network, I cannot speak for every one of our hard-working Members and Friends.

But what I am very happy to celebrate is their determination to make the most of their talent, skills, judgement, knowledge and business chutzpah to face the challenges ahead.

We have carried on our bi-monthly meetings throughout lockdowns, easings and more tiers than a wedding cake, via Zoom. Each meeting, despite everything, has had a strong thread of resilience and good humour running through it.

Stroud Businesswomen’s Network prides itself on being an inspirational and supportive place for women in business to learn from each other, building confidence - and customers - while networking. As such, we have been able to honestly discuss the many challenges faced by members, most of whom are sole traders, self-employed or micro businesses - while sharing ways to develop new ways of doing business. It is this sense of truly being ‘in it together’ which makes us a successful group.

We have also cheerfully celebrated members whose businesses have grown throughout the pandemic, while helping others with online training sessions in making more effective use of social media and video conferencing.

Some of us have taken on the challenges of making videos and adding ‘shops’ to our websites (things we’ve always known we should be doing but somehow never got round to before). And we’ve helped spread the word about financial help available to businesses through this difficult year.

Many have found video conferencing to be a lifeline for their businesses, and a completely new way of running their business - attracting new clients from all over the UK as there are no geographical boundaries, and building their customer base.

Whatever the future holds, these online ways of doing business will continue and grow.

Everyone who attends an SBN meeting for the first time (whether in ‘real life’ or virtual) will tell you how amazed they are at the sheer range of businesses represented.

From solicitors, counsellors and therapists to HR specialists, web designers, accountants and artists; from photographers to professional chefs and from coppice workers to yoga instructors, between us we have a myriad of experiences and expertise. 2021 will broaden those experiences even further, no doubt.

As one SBN member said on our What’s App group today: “Looking forward with hope for next year. Also hope the online stuff continues. More convenient, more affordable, often more accessible and let's not forget - greener.”

www.stroudbusinesswomen.org.uk