We can attribute the success and growth of women and minority-owned businesses to their owners’ hard work and dedication. But, at the same time, we can’t discount the impact technology has had on helping women and minority-owned businesses thrive.

Web conferencing and minority-owned businesses

Specifically, video conferencing tech is helping minority-owned businesses and women-owned businesses become much more agile in an ever-changing economic climate. It also contributes to their flourishing internal teams and external relationships.

Let’s look at how video conferencing is aiding minority and women-owned businesses in a bit more detail.

Support remote workforces

Women and minority-owned businesses were already on the rise. The recent swing toward remote work has opened up even more opportunities for these businesses to grow their workforces.

That said, remote work isn’t practical without advanced technology and workers willing to learn the ins and outs of that technology. Additionally, when a team can come together on the best ways to use technology to support a remote workforce, it inspires excellence.

Video conferencing has changed the scope of remote business trends. For example, it’s allowed women and minority business owners to work from anywhere. In addition, it’s enabled their internal teams to function without having to be in an actual office space.

Furthermore, remote work has shed light on the importance of employee mental health. Statistics on mental health reveal that more than 1 in 5 women lives with a mental health challenge. Further research states that minority groups are most likely to experience the risk factors that prompt mental health challenges. In addition, remote work has been known to exacerbate mental health conditions, contribute to isolation, and cause burnout.

However, when a remote team uses video conferencing to its advantage, it can foster a sense of community, culture, and connection that help ease the adverse effects remote work has on employee mental health.

Ultimately, video conferences help improve the entire remote work support structure in place. As a result, your employees have the utmost confidence, motivation, holistic health, and wellness. But, of course, all that helps to boost productivity.

Video conferencing has also opened up more educational opportunities for women and minority-owned businesses.

Expand educational opportunities

We’re long past the days of education being solely taught in a physical classroom. And thank goodness because, at one point, women and members of the LGBTQ+ community weren’t allowed in those classrooms. But, we’re long past those days as well. And we continue to make strides in ensuring everyone has equal access to and opportunity regarding education.

Minority and women business owners have absolutely taken full advantage of technological advancements that move education forward. Video conferencing, in particular, has opened up remote learning opportunities, traditional or otherwise.

For instance, minority and women business owners can obtain a degree from a traditional university by taking classes online. Or they can grow their entrepreneurial skills through webinars, courses, and other forms of self-education.

Furthermore, owners can offer their employees upskilling, training, and professional development opportunities more often because they can be completed remotely with video conferencing tech.

Video conferencing also enables better collaboration among the internal teams in women and minority-owned businesses.

Better collaboration among internal teams

Like any other business, women and minority-owned companies rely on consistent collaboration, efficient workflows, and effective communication among their internal teams. Your operation won’t be cohesive, let alone productive, without these things.

Video-conferencing tools empower better collaboration among internal teams. Even when you all can’t be in the office together, you can still feel like you are and work together like you are with video conferencing.

Also, in learning how to leverage video conferencing for better collaboration, your employees can become more motivated to improve additional tech skills.

For instance, let’s say one of your workers wasn’t picking up video conferencing as fast as the others, but they finally do after additional training. In that case, it can be such an accomplishment for them that they feel compelled to master other technology. This inspiration can lead to your workers developing STEM skills needed to excel in today’s workforce.

Lastly, through video conferencing, minority and women-owned businesses enjoy expanded business partnerships and other professional relationships.

Expand professional networks

You’re probably familiar with some of the barriers women and members of the LGBTQ+ community face when starting their own companies, including lack of funding, resources, and support from other groups of people in business.

But just like you can use video conferencing to strengthen internal teams, you can also use it to grow business partnerships and other professional relationships. For example, video conferencing plays a significant role in helping minority and women-owned businesses expand their professional networks to garner the funding, resources, and support they need to succeed.

To explain further, it’s challenging to get other business owners, suppliers, stakeholders, and the like in the same room. That’s where video conferencing comes in handy. With a link, mobile device, or computer, you can come together with colleagues who may end up being long-term partners or friends.

As a result, they’ll turn you on to opportunities that help scale your business, like becoming a certified women-owned business. Your colleagues can walk you through the process themselves if they’ve already been through the steps to get certified. Or they can refer you to the specialist who helped them. Both of which you can quickly execute thanks to video conferencing technology remotely.

Conclusion

Video conferencing is aiding minority and women-owned businesses in ways other than those stated above. All in all, technology has been influential for women and minority business owners that turned their entrepreneurial dreams into their realities.

If you’re hoping to implement video conferencing in your business, start with ample research on all the available video conferencing tools. Also, consult your team and really dive into what functions and features a video conferencing platform must have to ensure a seamless workflow, consistent collaboration, and effective communication.

Then, narrow down your research to your top two to three choices. Then, after more research and a consultation with a rep from each tool, choose the one you’d like to implement. Next, ensure everyone on your team has access to the support and training they need to use the tool effectively. And lastly, give yourself and your team time to adapt to video conferencing.