As the world awakens from the slumber of winter, spring brings with it a sense of renewal and opportunity. It’s a time when nature bursts forth with vibrant colors, and the air is filled with the promise of new beginnings. And what better way to embrace this spirit of rejuvenation than by diving headfirst into the world of business networking?

1. Expand Your Horizons:
Spring is the perfect time to break out of your comfort zone and connect with like-minded professionals from diverse industries. Business networking events offer a platform to meet new people, exchange ideas, and gain fresh perspectives that can spark innovation and propel your business forward.

2. Cultivate New Relationships:
They say that your network is your net worth, and there’s no better time than spring to cultivate meaningful connections. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, building strong relationships with fellow professionals can open doors to new opportunities, partnerships, and collaborations.

3. Stay Ahead of the Curve:
In today’s fast-paced business landscape, staying ahead of the curve is essential for success. Attending business networking events allows you to stay informed about the latest industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices, keeping you one step ahead of the competition.

4. Showcase Your Brand:
Spring is a time of growth and renewal, making it the perfect opportunity to showcase your brand to a wider audience. Business networking events provide a platform to share your expertise, promote your products or services, and establish yourself as a thought leader in your field.

5. Energize Your Business:
Just as spring brings new life to the natural world, attending business networking events can breathe new life into your business. The energy and enthusiasm of networking events can reinvigorate your passion for what you do, inspiring you to set ambitious goals and pursue them with renewed vigor.

6. Learn and Grow:
No matter how experienced you are, there’s always something new to learn. Business networking events often feature expert speakers, workshops, and panel discussions where you can gain valuable insights, learn new skills, and acquire knowledge that can drive your business forward.

7. Seize the Season of Opportunity:
Spring is a season of growth, opportunity, and transformation. By embracing the spirit of spring and actively participating in business networking events, you can position yourself for success and lay the groundwork for a prosperous future.

This spring, don’t miss out on the chance to spring into success with business networking. Whether it’s attending events, joining online communities, or simply reaching out to fellow professionals, take advantage of the season of opportunity and watch your business thrive.

See you at our next networking event!

Business Tips, Networking, News

10 reasons why you should go networking

by Alistair Gleave

August 31, 2022

So business networking, what’s it all about, and why should you go networking and go to any of the numerous well-run business networking events?

Well, I’ve been attending networking events for years and also I’ve run my own business networking events in Devon for many years and these are my top ten reasons why you should get out and go networking.

increase profile
Who knows about you, what you are, who you represent, and what you stand for? If you regularly attend networking events far more people will get to know more about you, you will by default increase your profile, people will get to know you more and that has to be a good thing doesn’t it?
deepen business connections
The thing with networking is the more people you meet the more you’ll get to widen and deepen those business connections, instead of being just a business card someone has collected, we’ve all got lots of these haven’t we? If you’re a regular networker you’ll make yourself something more, people will learn more about you and that makes it easier for anyone to refer future opportunities to you.

increase your confidence
I have spoken to so many nervous networkers who are unsure as to whether they should attend events I run, they contact me for almost a pre-brief as to what happens and what’s expected of them. So what do I do, well I try and reassure them that it’ll be fine and we’ll support them, you have no need to be nervous. The one thing I know is that attending networking helps everyone I’ve met increase their confidence.
develop you as a person
You never know who you will meet when you’re networking, I personally have met the widest variety of people you can possibly imagine, and therefore similar to point 3 you will improve as a person in more ways than you can imagine, things like your presentation skills, verbal skills, and sales skills will all benefit.
learn more, increase your knowledge
At lots of networking events, you quite often have a speaker or someone giving some kind of talk about their business or specialty so you’re bound to learn more about them and their business which in turn, of course, helps you learn more.
build your confidence
If this is your first event you’re bound to be nervous, it’s only natural. Make no doubt after you’ve been to 2 or 3 events you’ll be recognized and welcomed like a long last friend (at least you should be) and that will seriously help build your confidence.
gain mentoring
People often overlook this, but I think it’s one of the most important. So say you attend a regular monthly event, you’ve got a question in one meeting I guarantee that next month you’ll be asked about the answers you were given, ‘how did that work out for you it’s mentoring where you are supported in the group and by the group. It can even be as straightforward as being asked how your month has been, highs lows, etc, this all rolls into supporting you and your confidence.
get answers and help
I’ve seen this quite a few times when someone attends a networking event with a question or in need of help, the best way to think about this is it is like crowd sourcing an answer. I know that asking the audience may get a few different answers but you’ll get answers and the same goes for help, if you’ve built your profile and worked to deepen those connections then you’ll also find networking as a great environment to get help.
develop new business relationships
In a similar way to point 2 where you develop new personal relationships, this is where you develop new business relationships, maybe meeting a new supplier or a business who is in need of what you’re offering or knows someone that needs your help — focus on the business and those relationships will develop.
look at things in a different way
The great thing about meeting different people who work in and run different businesses is that we all look at things differently and given time you’ll being to see that as well.

Ten reasons why you need to go networking, hopefully, compelling enough for you to make that first attempt if you haven’t already and go networking. If you’re based in or near Devon then do check my business networking group out, you’d be most welcome to attend.

Business Tips, Networking

Why you need to build your network

by Alistair Gleave

August 5, 2022

It does amaze me that some people just don’t want to talk to others unless it comes with a sale guaranteed, they ask why I spend time every week speaking and meeting new people — the truth for me is that I actively make space and time every week to meet and have conversations with someone new, it’s my fuel, its what drives me on and its what has helped grow and develop the Exeter digital marketing business and the business networking group that I run.

Consequently, during the lockdown, I spoke to the widest variety of people possible, through the networking group I’ve made time to contact every member and I’ve also tried to contact all past attendees where I can, just to touch base with them. These calls have had no agenda, they’ve simply been about making contact and keeping that relationship we had when we could meet face to face alive as well as we can in the unknown Covid times we found ourselves in.

So how do I plan this you may ask? Well, I keep a schedule in an online calendar that blocks out time for me every week — clear time when I can make that effort to call a group of people one after the other. This way I know that I have time in my day blocked out for the task and if I have a list I can work as far through that in the time before I stop and move on to another business task. As for any agenda or plan, for me I try and keep this as simple as possible, really I want to have a conversation with no agenda or plan. I ideally want to learn more about who I’m calling, what’s happening with them, and also if can learn more about what makes them tick, I’m aiming to build a bond. It’s quite simple, I believe that the world runs on relationships — so I take time to build some.

Let me summarise, in easy and simple terms people buy from those they know, like, and trust so I spend some time every week on building that relationship as I know if I do this then the referrals and sales will follow…

Business Tips, Networking

Why networking is good for business

by Alistair Gleave

July 28, 2022

Growing a Small business is about building relationships and a great way to do that is by networking. The benefits you’ll gain from networking are critical to your business development overall.

Spring into Success: Why Business Networking is Your Key to Growth

10 reasons why you should go networking

Why you need to build your network

Why networking is good for business

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