Western Isles Women in Business group celebrates first meeting

When Uist business owners Lindsay Robertson and Sharon MacRury worked together this summer, it planted the seed for a new network supporting local women.

At the time they didn’t realize what their meeting would lead to. Ms Robertson, of Long Island Retreats, was hosting influencers to help promote her business, and invited other local businesses to collaborate.

One of them was Ms MacRury’s party planning business Island Dreams.

‘Let’s just put it out there’

“We both sat down after the visitors had left,” Ms Robertson recalls, “and talked about the opportunity there was to do a lot more, in terms of collaborating.”

After working together again a month later, the two decided to “just put it out there” and see if there was interest in wider cooperation between businesswomen in the islands.

The result was a group of women representing everyone from “hoteliers to yoga instructors to photographers and confectioners” getting together in the Dark Island Hotel in Benbecula.

It was the Western Isles – Women in Business group’s first official meeting.

The group aims to share experiences and expertise to combat some of the problems that come with running a business on the small, scattered islands of the Outer Hebrides.

The first meeting included a talk from Joanna Peteranna, Highlands and Islands enterprise area manager for the Outer Hebrides.

She said it was “really fantastic to spend time discussing business with such a talented and enthusiastic group of women.”

‘You don’t have that network around you’

With the businesses so dispersed, Ms Robertson says that “there’s not necessarily the same opportunities to come together as there is on the mainland.”

Additionally, she says, many of the businesses on the islands are “microbusinesses”, often being run by women by themselves.

“You don’t have that network around you,” she says.

So it’s no surprise that interest in the Western Isles – Women in Business group has spread quickly since its launch just over two weeks ago.

‘Can we join virtually?’

Ms Robertson and Ms MacRury are both based in Uist, but there’s been interest from across the islands.

“I’ve had people contact us from Lewis and Harris to say, ‘can we join virtually?'”

In the future, the group hopes to host online sessions that anyone can join, as well as events across the islands.

It will provide an important social hub for local businesswomen, but will also have practical benefits.

The founders say working as a team to share business skills and advice is more important than ever.

Between recovering from Covid and heading into a cost-of-living crisis, businesses everywhere are struggling.

But Ms MacRury pointed out that the remoteness of the Hebrides has led to unique challenges.

“We’re dependent on ferries,” she said, noting that the ongoing disruption has been a huge problem for local business owners.

“CalMac’s put a big question mark (over local business),” she says.

“A lot of challenges lie ahead for island businesses.”

‘Pressing the reset button’

For Ms MacRury, the group is about “pressing the reset button” after a tough summer “and being able to look ahead.”

“Our main aim is that people see that working together and collaborating puts them in a stronger position,” she says, with the group providing a place to share support, advice, and ideas.

And she hopes that the initial meeting will be the start of something bigger.

One of the aims of the meeting was to gather ideas for future meetings, ranging from hosting speakers from across Scotland to gin tastings and a Christmas party.

“It’s very much a starting point,” Ms Robertson says.

“We just want to get people around the table. I think the numbers and enthusiasm will grow with each meeting.”

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