Networking Queen

Networking is very much like a support community for business people, the beauty is that often there is someone who has experienced whatever we are going through at any one time. Often people don’t like to ask for help for fear of being perceived as a failure. Business is tough, Brad Burton once said the beauty of working for yourself is you choose which 140 hours a week you work –when we first set up in business, that is nearer to the truth than we realise! I think it is important to note that we all go through struggles, they may be personal impacting on business or business impacting on personal stuff – remember you are never alone, but you do need to reach out. Over the last ten years I am happy to admit that I have faced struggles, sometimes a bit of friend

Many people go into networking just looking for new business, but there is so much more to it. The network can be the main place you go to for suppliers, support, friendship, advice, For me, one of my networks, in particular, has helped me through a lot over the last few months.

Networking is all about supporting each other and this month we are mainly focusing on getting outdoors – so where’s the link? It’s simple really, whilst you are out and about, taking time out for you, walking the dog, geocaching or just out with the family – I want to ask you a favour! There are so many small businesses out there who rely on us to walk through their doors, so do it! Take a look at your local butcher next time you are having a barbeque. I recently bought meat for 36 from our local butcher Garbett Butchers (www.garbettbutchers.co.uk) it is all locally produced and the burgers were steak burgers, the sausages were all gluten free, there were marinated pork steaks and chicken kebabs, plus all the bacon and sausages for breakfast – a fabulous feast! Cost from

When I started out as a Virtual Assistant back in 2007, I had no idea how I was going to get clients, then someone recommended that I should try business networking – and ten years later, it’s about the only consistent marketing I have done! There are many tricks to making business networking work for the small and micro businesses and I would like to share a few. Firstly I believe you need to work on the assumption that no-one in the room wants to buy from you. Once you start to think like this, you stop selling to the room and appearing desperate! Just help people, get to know them, like them and trust them – they need to do the same with you. It’s all about building relationships. Secondly, I believe you need to make a list of the connections you want to make – at least ten o

Who Networks On Holiday? Business networking is just for business – isn’t it? Nooooo! I have so many stories surrounding networking and holidays, BNI colleagues who were helped home during the 2010 Ash Cloud disaster, 4N members who use their “4N Passport” the other side of the world in Australia. BoB Club members who use their network across the world to find out the best places to go. Networking is so much more than meeting for a meal or drinks to try and drum up a bit of business, it is all about building relationships and these can be business and social. 4 Networking advertises that it’s network is 50% business and 50% social – and it works! Over the years I have been networking I have visited so many different networking groups whilst I have been away…

Well having told you all about our new offices, I would like to let you in to a secret as to how we managed to pull it all together so quickly once we had the completion date – networking! Completion was all executed by Andrew Wynne of FBC Manby Bowdler the solicitors represented in my 4Networking group We knew what we needed to do following the incredibly detailed survey by Integrity Surveying – David Powell is in my BoB Club Peter Hepwood of the Window Store replaced all the windows, Andy Grove and his team from Brookside Builders constructed all the partitioning, whilst Sean Tarling of Tarlink Installations – all connections through BNI John McAleer of Redpoint Fire Safety carried out the fire safety for the building and got everything up to scratch, Mark Wilkins of D&am