So say Hills residents Cindy Steele and Natalie Moutia, who founded the Hills Women's Network on International Women's Day 2008 to help women operating small businesses by holding monthly networking lunches.

It was so successful that almost immediately women from around Sydney were clamouring to join and they changed the name to Sydney Women's Network.

There are now 250 members from as far afield as the central and south coasts.

Meetings are held across Sydney, with the group continuing to gather at the Castle Hill Country Club on the last Friday of each month.

Mrs Moutia said women owned 585,000 of Australia's 1.9 million businesses with 137,400 female business owners in north-west Sydney.

``Women setting up businesses from home is the fastest-growing sector of the Australian economy,'' she said.

``And women are achieving this while continuing to have children and run a household. It's a challenge, but women in small business are beating the odds and achieving phenomenal results.''

The network holds business development workshops, retreats and expos (the next is on July 28 at Castle Hill RSL).

Network sponsors include the News, Westpac, Telstra Carlingford, Action Coach and Heartland Motor Group.

Details: 0419687846 or sydneywomensnetwork.com.au.