Networking in Surrey News – week beginning 8 August 2011

This is supposed to be the silly season! You know the routine – no real news as such, politicians on holiday, headlines about escaping pigs, celebrity divorces, and Branson up in a balloon somewhere. Instead, we have riots and looting on the streets of London, America heading for Skid Row, and famine in the Horn of Africa. The world’s all over the place, and listening to the news is a sobering experience...

So, what are we to do? Whatever happens, we have to keep on moving positively forward with our lives and businesses with hope for the future. Along the way, we need all the friends we can get (and not just Twitter followers and Linked In connections)! Networking offers a great source of support, and a chance to share ideas and find solutions – and here at NiS we’re all about promoting face-to-face meetings with old and new contacts.

We now have over 660 Members – meet the newest arrivals here...

Use the site to plan your diary and get out and put yourself about in Networkland.  You’ll find over a hundred meetings each month in Surrey in our Regular Group Meetings pages alone – and at this time of year Visitors are more welcome than ever, so don’t be shy about contacting the group leaders and inviting yourself along.

There’s the usual selection of free meetings, like Business Biscotti at Wentworth on Monday,  Tuesday’s Business Intros Guildford, Ladies Who Latte and Young Entrepreneurs’ Network in Croydon, and some unusual ones such as Simon Strong’s Pechakucha Evening (well, check it out on the site and find out, then :o)  There’s still time to book Paulette Schwarz’s Business Acceleration Day (the Early Bird offer of  the whole day including lunch for just £30 was still available last time we checked – don’t delay!)

There’s more good news (hoorah!) – our stats keeping trending upwards, and Google Analytics tells us in July NiS had 1,578 Absolute Unique Visitors and 12,201 pageviews. Our smart advertisers are loving it, and we love them too for supporting the site as they promote their businesses...

 Jane Hardy One Stop Financial Security - helping individuals and businesses with their money worries
 John Udal  thebestof Camberley Expo - promoting and supporting local businesses, online and offline
Sarah Martin Ladies At Eleven - networking for women who are serious about their business

Christine Baron Paperwork SOS - Chris does your secretarial and administrative work, allowing you to concentrate on your business

Howard Nichols Surrey Copywriters - words that sell for you websites, brochures, sales leters, newsletters

Diary of a Networker...
I’ve been networking a little more lightheartedly even than usual over the last couple of weeks, enjoying the social side of things, but still managing to make some great contacts. I was at the Ecademy evening in Weybridge to hear David Shaw’s  presentation on CRM systems and find out a bit about Derek Williamson’s latest business venture and meet his new partners Joe Wanoni and Maku Pankhania.

I made it to 4Networking Cobham and Weybridge on consecutive mornings to meet up with several NiS Members including Leonie Wright,  Sam Millard, Philip Waite, Tom Lennie, John Edward, Charlotte Grant, Rowan Johnson and Mike Loughton. I attended Tessa Hood’s excellent Video Marketing Masterclass with Nicola Bonfanti and saw Tessa again at Biscotti Cobham on the sunny terrace of the NY Bar & Grill, along with Max Wright, Sally Burrough, Sandra Collins, Martin Wallman, Tess Smith and Michael Eve. That same evening I heartily enjoyed the Surrey Business Club Garden Party BBQ on the croquet lawn at Peter Searight’s fab country pad near Haslemere with Ian Hamilton, Deryck Svensson, and Ian Kent.  Can't be bad...
Happy Networking!