CAP Business Clubs help business start-ups
One of the great things about running a business club is that you get to spend time with positive, busy people who get things done and still find time to create new ideas. We actively encourage members to meet outside of the club, and often find an hour our time over a cup of coffee can be very fruitful. Chatting with Alison Ball from Lemon Photography last week proved to be one of those light bulb moments. Alison suggested both clubs take on a business start-up, offering 6 months free membership to the club. This would give the selected applicants a chance to gain valuable networking experience and at the same time receive help and advice from the group, plus of course the usual lead generation. In addition to this they would receive five vouchers for one2one mentoring from members of their choice. Now why didn't I think of that??!! I then shared this with both groups who unanimously backed the idea without hesitation. Miranda Jenkins from Skills to go, being an expert in business start-ups helped with the hows and whens and now we are ready to roll it out, with an actual start time of mid January. A page has been set up on this website with details and application forms (you can apply now!) http://www.capbusinessclubs.co.uk/apprentice.html If you or someone you know is starting out in business and would benefit from this offer then contact us to apply. the two lucky selected businesses will be announced on January the 10th It's a fantastic opportunity and I'm proud to be associated with both CAP groups who lead the way in networking here in the Forest of Dean.
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5 More Networking Benefits
1: Inspiration – Members feel inspired after meetings and claim some of their best ideas come directly after attending a networking club. 2: Contacts – Often we find the contacts we need through others. Networking provides an excellent platform for this. 3: Trust – Your club is full of members you know and trust, making your daily business decisions easier! 4: Good advice - Guest speakers who are experts in their fields offer professional advice. 5: Giving – networking isn’t all about receiving, it feels good to give! What Image? If you are a small business and like to blog, statistics have shown that readers are far more likely to notice your blog if you have an image with it. However it is not easy for some businesses to use images if they don’t have a product but provide a service. I found an article on Inc.com in which a group of people can help each other in solving problems. I recently chaired a meeting of the CAP Business and as a group we did some brain writing. Brain writing I hear you say in puzzlement! The theory goes that if you have a group of people in a room only a small percentage of those people will speak, there are always the quiet contemplators, the shy that think that they have nothing of interest to say. Brain writing helps everyone to express his or her ideas. How does it work? Everyone is supplied with small pieces of paper; anything will do, small index cards, Stickies etc. In our case we were trying to get ideas of images that people could use with their blogs. I went round the table one member at a time and everyone in the room had to write down one object that they would associate with that type of business, at the end of the activity each member goes away with a pile of ideas from all of their colleagues. A simple but effective way to help each other solve problems. Why not give it a try? If you go down to the woods today For many of us, when we go about our daily duties, visiting or greeting customers, we are on our own. This can make some people nervous, especially when visiting a new prospect that we want to impress, and may even prove to be too daunting – so we fluff it up, or just don’t bother. The idea of collaborative working is not new, but for many, it is still an experience we have never had. After all, you want to concentrate on delivering your service or offering your product – you don’t need the distraction of someone else trying to pitch in do you? In my experience, the opportunity to bring complimentary services or distributors together can be very powerful, and surprisingly well received by clients. It demonstrates that you have adopted an holistic approach to a particular requirement of theirs, and not just restricted your efforts to a narrow brief. An example of this might be when a customer tells you that they have plans to expand or move premises. You might be their telecoms provider, or you might supply their stationery, but this scenario opens a number of other opportunities for you to effectively use the close network that you have developed, to offer a total solution. Why not take along an accountant, a solicitor, HR specialist or even an insurance broker? Or perhaps you’ve identified that they would like to speak to a carpet supplier – you make the call. Anyway, returning to the subject of my “blog”, my point is that there really can be strength in numbers, and you don’t need to always go it alone. In the words of the nursery rhyme, if you go down to the woods today, you’d better not go alone. Top 5 Networking Benefits
1: Lead generation It’s a fact! Networking done correctly generates business leads – enough said 2: Help and advice A group of like minded people with various skills will ALWAYS find better solutions to challenges than one individual 3: Education A great way to learn new techniques, gain knowledge and improve your business skills 4: Confidence building The best way to get good at anything is to keep doing it. Networking regularly is one of the best ways to gain confidence.......everyone is on your side! 5: Companionship Business can be a lonely place, especially for small business owners. Sharing quality time with others in the same situation as you will make you feel part of a team. |
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