Networking in Surrey News – week beginning 7 March 2011

Yippee! It’s Shrove (Pancake) Tuesday and I’ll even be missing tonight’s pub quiz to indulge with the ‘rellies’.  Bacon and maple syrup is my favourite topping, closely followed by smoked salmon and crème fraîche, with ice cream and chocolate syrup bringing up the rear. Apparently, I’m giving up beer for Lent :0(

On Monday morning we reached our milestone target of 1,000 Members in total on the three NetworkingIn sites – Berkshire, Bucks and Surrey. Fan-dabby-doozy! 'Thanks a mille' everybody for your support and encouragement to date – the next thousand should be a breeze...

Of course, there’s no point in chasing numbers just for the sake of it. We want to build a supportive community of Members who are active in the face-to-face networking world -  doing what it says on our tins, in fact! It’s been hard graft maintaining the sites as a free time-and-money-saving resource for all local businesses, but never less than great fun too – and we remain convinced that one day we’ll find a way to make it all pay :0(

NiS now has 435 Members – meet the newest ones here. But this month’s most amazing number for me came in our Google Analytics report showing there were 1,230 ‘absolute unique visitors’ to Networking in Surrey – and that’s in a short month! They spent an average of 4 minutes 52 seconds on the site viewing 5.44 pages – all of which should have our canny advertisers purring with delight, as their ads were each displayed 11,573 times. Wicked!

Here's to our March advertisers – local heroes Jane and Sarah, Louise and Sam,Tessa and Karen (hang on - that should be 'heroines'!) who keep the site free for all to use by covering our running costs, while actively promoting their products and services... check them all out here in the right hand column -> -> -> -> -> -> ->  - and on every page of the site!

Diary of a Networker...
Last week I attended the free Elmbridge in Business event at Giraffe in Weybridge sharing the generous free beer, wine and menu samplings with Sonia Duggan,  "Arnie" Fabius and Darren Allen, and the free Guildford First Friday where I met up with Nigel Parsons, Shirley Barton-Gunning, Mark Wallman and Richard Golding. And of course I couldn't miss James Webster's free Bracknell Business Expo, catching up with Sarah Giles, Steve Coburn, Nicky Rudd, Daphne Diluce, Christine Chalklin and Barbara Patrick before heading off to a NetworkingIn strategy meeting with Chris Lunn at the Coppid Beech.

Yesterday morning I was sampling the free Surrey Jelly at the elegant Foxhills Manor House, overlooking the golf course bathed in glorious sunshine, and taking tea with Lisa Parkes and Elizabeth Cairns. And tonight’s pancake fest means I’ll be missing some really fab networking opportunities, including the relaunch of Surrey Chambers’ Women in Business (with some high-powered women speakers) at glitzy Mercedes Benz World, and John Udal's Best of Camberley networking at Windlesham Golf Club, where the catering is always excellent. Book today and go if you can!
On the site later in this busy week there’s a free Tweet-up in Redhill, Sandy Scott's EWIB in Weybridge, and Nick Taimitarha's Best of Richmond bash at Twickenham Stadium – and of course the launch of Ian Morgan and Sam New-Fielding's BoB Clubs Guildford.
I’m looking forward to my interview with Sally James for Brooklands FM on Friday, and that same evening I’ll be at the Talbot, Ripley for a free champagne reception with Amethyst Wealth Management’s Oliver Barry. His trademark stunt is cutting his tie in half at networking meetings – and it may not be the only thing that’s half cut by the end of the evening :0)
Happy Networking!