Networking Meetings – ‘What a load of rubbish’.
When you start your own business it seems that everyone suddenly wants a piece of you. Almost every person you speak to has a nephew that builds websites. Papers and magazines are desperately interested in you advertising through them. Charities want your products or time. Business card companies email you six times a day. And then there are those Networking groups that you must join…and it all costs money you don’t have. Networking meetings were about as high on my list of priorities as planned root canal surgery, after all it’s basically paying to have a chat isn't it? Well, Miss Smarty Pants, that’s where you were wrong. It took me about two years to join a local business club and now I’m kicking myself that it wasn’t earlier. I got chatting to a local Gym owner at Christmas dinner and he explained how the support had helped him through his early years of business. It really opened my eyes to how much I had been struggling with various aspects of self-employment alone and suddenly somebody understood. We shared geography and customers and those are the keys to really understanding pricing and local attitudes to start-up businesses. I recently suffered a set-back that threw my confidence out of the window completely. My plan was to honour the bookings that I had and make plans to shut down. I’d had a good go, but ultimately I just had to realise I just wasn’t any good at working for myself. Then came another one of those networking meetings…. This time with a speaker so inspirational I realised that actually we all feel like that every now and again. We all work for nothing sometimes. We all have a completely empty bank account sometimes. We all miss important time with our families. But, we all have the seed of an idea that can work, it really can, you just have to dig deep and go for it. So I've started digging - and it’s thanks to CAP Business Clubs that I am. There will be clubs along similar lines in your area. Have a look around. You WILL get work from it. You WILL help other people with your knowledge and contacts and you WILL suddenly have a team of people on your side, helping through the rough days. Networking turns out not to be so rubbish after all.
6 Comments
So Chuffed! So much success already!
It’s been great to hear so many good news stories at CAP Business Clubs recently regarding our new website, especially considering it’s only officially six weeks old. The traffic is rising weekly which is awesome in itself, mainly due to members taking advantage of our blogging facility. The articles have been covering a range of topics from business to wild boar encounters, from advice to observations. Yes we really are acquiring a good mix of reading for everyone. I guess that’s the power of networking....so much expertise combined can achieve many multiples of one alone. Even better, our members are getting found by potential clients who may not have known about their services before, and we know this will escalate going forward as we are still very much in the early stages. Social Media is of course the key. Building a huge audience takes time, but we have made a good start and continue to grow weekly, and I have to say it’s nothing short of a pleasure discovering new businesses out there excelling in their respective industries. We are looking for some help with our “Likes” on face book if you feel kind enough.....and of course we will always return the favour........just mail your link to paul@main-place.org.uk . Here’s ours https://www.facebook.com/CAPBusinessClubs One of the great things about belonging to a business club, networking group or whatever you prefer to call it, is the diverse range of businesses and the reasons for attending.
We find some members; especially sole traders join to get a feel of belonging, finding it really useful to meet with other professionals on a regular basis. It’s a great way of gaining access to experience and knowledge they might have to pay for elsewhere, and of course from someone you know and trust. Members have also expressed they have a more enthusiastic approach to their business after attending the meetings, triggering new ideas and implementing changes to make improvements. Getting fired up ready for the day is so important and is easier when you have just had an excellent meeting with twenty or so positive people. Another great reason for joining a club – You have an event, you need to get it out there, you have facebook twitter etc......and now you have twenty five fellow members sharing, liking, tweeting etc...it’s just s great way to amplify your viral capability’s. Help with posters, flyers etc can be useful too. Then of course there’s business leads from fellow members. Maybe this could be at the top of the list?....after all, at the end of the day we are all looking for more business, but I have chosen to talk about this last because Business leads come naturally once you achieve the above! It’s as simple as that, it’s all about giving, belonging, trusting, advising and being positive......the leads follow as a natural progression. There are many networking groups in the Forest of Dean, all are a little bit different in content and structure, but the same rules apply. I have been a well seasoned networker over the past few years and would recommend trying at least two or three groups to get a measure for the one that suits you best, but do yourself a favour at least give it a go. Most groups offer a free trial and at worst it might cost say a tenner or so.....what have you really got to lose. CAP Business Clubs run every Monday and Thursday morning from 8am – 9am, come along and visit for free! (subject to availability in your industry)....just mail paul@main-place.org.uk Also happy to recommend other groups, see http://www.capbusinessclubs.co.uk/links.html In 2007 I reluctantly attended my first network meeting, not really believing they actually worked....doh wake up Paul! Six years on and many many meetings later it's difficult to believe the preconceptions I had even existed in my mind. What I actually found was, working with others as a team, sharing ideas and giving and receiving advice was staggeringly beneficial.
I have been involved with several clubs, most of which have been excellent in terms of both generating business and making useful contacts, so when the Coleford Area Partnership gave me the opportunity to create a club last August (2012) I jumped at the chance. So a brand new group formed with meetings every Monday morning, before long (Feb 2013) a second group was launched meeting every Thursday morning and now bonding well. I have to say I have been astounded with the quality of the businesses we have attracted and the shear amount of business generated. Both clubs have so much to offer and are beginning to interact with each other, booking cross talks across groups. I feel so proud to be a part of this fantastic team. Currently we have a total of 42 members and will be looking to expand to 50 over the next few weeks. As from June 2013 (tomorrow) the Coleford Area Partnership are handing me ownership of the CAP Clubs of which I am extremely grateful, and will be taking the responsibility very seriously........well with a few larfs along the way, yes networking is also fun. |
Categories
All
CAP BUSINESS CLUBS BLOG
Archives
December 2018
Visit us on Facebook - We always appreciate any "Likes"
Contact us
T: 01594 723120 M: 07811 981929 Email: Here Office 3 The Main Place Old Station Way Coleford, Glos GL16 8RH |