Small Business, Big Network

Austen Hempstead is a sales trainer who has the strapline ' Selling is a Skill'. He shares his thoughts on networking with us which include the fact that it should never be about you and that networking and prospecting are two very different things.

Louise Brogan works with entrepreneurs, SME’s and professionals who want to raise their profile through LinkedIn in a genuine and valuable way.    Louise is an international speaker, writes for Social Media Examiner and hosts the LinkedIn with Louise Podcast. She lives at home with her husband, three children and an energetic spaniel called Bruce.  In 2019, Louise was...

This week's guest on the 'Small Business Big Network' podcast is Connor Docherty at Bell4Business. Bell4Business specialise in outsourced office support so have many connections working with small businesses over the years. When the first lockdown happened they took the opportunity to use those connections and set up a network of their own. Almost a year later, their ever growing networking g...

William Warren is the founder of The Sketch Effect - a company that supplies artists to capture business events. He has also set up an initiative called The Conquering Creative which is all about helping creative entrepreneurs to navigate the business world effectively. He has some thoughts about why creative people shy away from business networking events, which he shares here. Find him online at...

David O'Brien is a Business Doctor based in Lincolnshire. He helps business owners who sometimes feel they “can’t see the wood for the trees”. Running a business can make people so busy on a day-to-day basis, that it can be difficult to keep sight of the bigger picture. David helps people to regain clarity on where they are headed and how they will get there. Since the lockdown of March 2020 David...

Matthew Priest is an accountant who likes to help save client’s money through effective tax planning and increase their profits by helping them to understand their figures.   He began training at the Scunthorpe office in 2004 and achieved his AAT qualification and went on to qualify as a Chartered Certified Accountant in February 2009. He prides himself on service and is involved with a...

David Perez is a podcast producer who helps health and wellness coaches build their audiences, grow their online presence and find their voice through podcasts. He’s also the podcast host for Audience Coach, a show focused on helping coaches start and run their own podcast shows. He has accompanied podcasters through the production and release of over a thousand podcast episodes.  David has b...

Lu Camish is a video marketing specialist at Jellyfielder Studios. Jellyfielders develop bespoke content marketing strategies for clients across the UK with their unique Ice Cream Model. Lu loves sharing her skills, leading the weekly Marketing Monday 4networking event and regularly running DIY video workshops teaching businesses to film and edit their own content.

Robyn’s career in financial services began at the age of 17 when she got her first ‘grown up’ job with the Halifax. Following in her fathers footsteps she undertook a variety of roles with the business but really found her passion when she began her role as a Financial Consultant, this role focused on helping customers protect their futures.  Following redundancy in late 2014, and plenty of s...

Stephen Finn is a photographer and LinkedIn devotee who not only runs a business, but also networking groups, and an online course on how to get the best out of LinkedIn. Find him on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-finn/ And check out his course here: https://www.lostonlinkedin.co.uk

Sudha Mani inspires, empowers and invigorates her clients with the combined expertise of business, computer science and sheer enthusiasm to innovate solutions to become the market leaders to Thrive in any Economy. Sudha started as Tech Entrepreneur after finishing computer science degree.  She has two degrees one in Computer Science and the other in Business Administration.  Su...

Almost 100% of clients will arrive at Ben's studio feeling some level of apprehension. “You won’t get a good picture of me!” – “I always blink!” – “I hate having my picture taken!” That’s why Ben prides himself on the ability to make his clients feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera. Ben has been using networking to grow his business and has even been able to keep moving forward du...

Following a successful Sales and Marketing career Dave established Koi Sports CIC, and now draws on his vast experience of building active and profitable business networks to drive commercial investment into the Grassroots Sports Sector, and as a result delivers positive social change within local communities using Sport as the vehicle for change.  Koi Sports CIC is a Community Interest...

Daryl Woodhouse is a speaker, scale up entrepreneur and executive performance coach. With 20+ awards, 7-figure business success, prior Top 10 FTSE leadership career, and first-hand experience of burnout, Daryl equips leaders and entrepreneurs with all they need to achieve more, work less and avoid burnout. Daryl loves helping kind, heart-centred people who realise there’s more to life than busines...

Sheena Whyatt is the founder of the KAPOW! Coaching Programme, which she set up in 2016, and runs as part of her training consultancy business, Lightning Training. Sheena has over 18 years experience in the L&D industry, and speaks regularly to groups of small business owners on a range of topics from networking skills to public speaking.   She has been keynote speaker for the Charte...

Making your business stand out at a networking meeting is crucial, and Julian Bright is a master at making himself memorable. In this episode you'll learn how a trumpet and the catch phrase 'WHUNGAW' leave lasting impressions on those he meets... Julian Bright is the owner of Bright Insight Ltd, whose products include Wills, Family Trusts, Powers of Attorney, and Funeral Plans. Julian set his busi...

Jon Lindsey, owner of Lindsey Lettings met his business partner at a networking event. It was a happy accident that they just happened to be at the same meeting at the same time, as Jon explains in this interview.

Lee Randall-Pybus is co-owner and director of Your Partnerships Ltd. Your Partnerships is a business networking platform that has grown from just two UK counties, to being a global networking organisation. After spending 25 years as an entertainer Lee is a true people’s person and works hard to make sure that connections are made between businesses and also helps those businesses re...

Trevor Wood has been working in IT for over 40 years. He's been a web developer for 25 years and in the last few years he's been working in cybersecurity as a white hat hacker and cybersecurity researcher He ran his own networking events and exhibitions for around 10 years, and he has written several blog articles that include hints and tips on successful networking. In this episode we chat about...

Drew Ellis is a serial entrepreneur and experienced business development executive. He's been invited to Buckingham Palace and Parliament in the UK to advise on matters of business and enterprise, and has been written about in the Sunday Times, Financial Times, and numerous other publications. In 1982 he designed the world-famous “Choose Life" range of slogan T-Shirts for Katharine Hamnett. He fou...

Cristina is the owner of CVG Solutions,  which is a growing GDPR consulting business that offers GDPR advice, guidance and training.  She helps up-skill business owners in Data Protection to strengthen their reputation and win new customers.   Having started her business in late 2019, the pandemic could have wiped Cristina's business out, but by making use of online n...

Creative freelancers (photographers, designers, actors, singers, voice over artists) often have a fear of networking, and feel that they don't belong in a business networking meeting. I'm holding a free webinar to dispel that myth, and to explore why creative people should be networking. Tues 16th March 2021, 7pm (UK). If you can't make it live a replay will be sent to everyone who signed up. Sign...

Anton Oliver is a business coach and founder of the Marketing Mastery programme, which teaches small business owners the marketing strategies that are used by multinational companies. He talks about why you should visit lots of different networking meetings, and why you need to be consistent with your networking if you want results. Referrals will come if you first help others. Anton also talks ab...

Nicky Thomas is a business connector, referral marketing expert and founder of The Growth Community. She loves nothing more than to see people connect and build a new relationships and/or open up new opportunities for each other. By March 2021 the community will have over 100 members with big UK expansion plans in the pipeline. In this interview Nicky admits that she had low expectations of networ...

As well as running a successful telemarking company, Felicity Francis is also the founder of Talk Networking. Talk Networking started in the real world and has now moved into the virtual space, with four different styles of networking event offered. In this episode Felicity talks about how different styles of business networking suit different people, why you should take the initiative and follow...