There was a recurring theme with the presentations at April’s meeting of TBN Bournemouth back at the Hallmark Hotel. Three of the presenters talked about wearing different hats and how networking has led to collaboration.
We welcomed 90+ guests and visitors for a fine breakfast and were so pleased to have Mr. Jay Ratchet back in charge with his gavel to keep us running to time. Actually, this is a good time for a polite request. If you have registered to attend a breakfast meeting but find at the last minute, you are unable to make it, do please let Jacqui know via text 07824 388247. This will save us holding the meeting up while we wait for people that aren’t actually going to appear! Many thanks.
Sue Benoke was the first speaker to mention hats. Most of us know Sue from her business as Smarter Business Consultancy but she was wearing a different hat for this TBN meeting. Her presentation was to share her experiences of the power of networking leading to some exciting news about working alongside Kevin Sheldrake from Boardroom Advisory, where she will be supporting him chairing the monthly boards. For those unfamiliar with the work of Boardroom Advisory, it is for business people, particularly those working on their own, to share experience and get support, and to take their business to the next level. They offer free taster sessions with the next one being on 25th April. Sue closed by saying that you never know where networking might take you, it could be to the next exciting venture! www.theboardroomuk.com
Our next speaker was wearing a rebranded hat. Aaron Whiffin from Webbed Feet UK, website designers based in Salisbury, happily reported that due to the business growing so successfully, they have created a new logo, losing the original duck, and used a new colour scheme but they have also changed the way they work and act, especially their customer service. Their office has also been refurbished with the inclusion of a Pool table, which Aaron reckoned he was the champion of! The large 5ft 6ins (152 centimetres) Duck has been donated to Naomi’s House to be auctioned to raise funds for the charity. Aaron also explained that Webbed Feet are now Google Adwords partners and, to add to the success, they have just won an award for designing a client’s website which was described as ‘exceptional’!
Our final speakers came as a pair and literally were wearing different hats! Nicky Matthews from Media Box Marketing and Liz Gordon from Brilliant Fish PR & Marketing were visually demonstrating the fact that we all come to networking meetings for our own reasons, whether that be to try and find new clients or build on the connections we already have. Nicky and Liz met at a TBN meeting in November and, despite ‘eyeing each other suspiciously’ initially as they come from the same ‘trade’, they hit it off, got talking and brainstorming, and developed The Marketing Menu, which is a free podcast service for business that provides easy-to-understand, jargon-free marketing support, and advice. The podcasts are published every fortnight on a Wednesday and are proving very popular. Their final comment reiterated what Sue Benoke said earlier in that we need to come to networking meetings with an open mind because we never know what might happen! www.themarketingmenu.com
Jay closed the meeting (as always on time) and reminded us all of the upcoming events:
The next TBN Solent Meeting is on Friday 21st April and TBN Bournemouth is back at the Hallmark Hotel on Thursday 4th May.