{"id":865,"date":"2011-02-23T16:00:18","date_gmt":"2011-02-23T16:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/andyparkes.co.uk\/blog\/?p=865"},"modified":"2011-02-23T16:09:43","modified_gmt":"2011-02-23T16:09:43","slug":"networking-events-why-bother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/andyparkes.co.uk\/blog\/index.php\/2011\/02\/23\/networking-events-why-bother\/","title":{"rendered":"Networking Events? Why Bother?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve tried to write this post three or four times and given up as I wasn\u2019t really sure if I was getting my point across, thought I\u2019d have another go at it!<\/p>\n

Vaughan Shayler<\/a> from Accredit UK<\/a> posted this on Twitter a while back<\/p>\n

\n

Interested in comments on Alan Sugar’s opinion of networking – http:\/\/on.fb.me\/fyfNDz<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The article is titled \u201cMy Message to Small Businesses for 2011<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n

I think the specific part Vaughan is referring to is,<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cConsider why you started your business. I assume it was that you have some experience or expertise in your field, and that is the big point \u2013 don\u2019t rely upon anyone else. It\u2019s going to be you who defines the way forward. I am sick and tired of hearing people asking what to do, going to networking meetings and seminars expecting to glean some gems of wisdom. These events are money-making exercises and benefit one party and one party only: the organiser.<\/p>\n

They have become an escape for people to justify sitting around wasting a day bullshitting with each other while they should be working. You will learn nothing other than that there are another load of people in the same boat as you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

From (http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/notes\/lord-sugar\/my-message-to-small-businesses-for-2011\/179399492080555<\/a>)<\/p>\n

As a rallying call to a new business owner or an existing business owner who is losing momentum I can go along with it. It\u2019s very easy to spend time and money on networking events that would be better spent in your business. <\/p>\n

But as a generalisation<\/u> on networking events I disagree.<\/p>\n

While I can understand the point of view that there are networking events like this it isn\u2019t true of all of them. Not all networking events are there as money making exercises and not all of them are there for the benefit of the organiser. <\/p>\n

I\u2019m able to speak from experience since I\u2019m involved in running AMITPRO<\/a>. If we\u2019re talking about cold hard cash every month I receive the princely sum of zero pounds, zero pence. <\/p>\n

If you wanted to look at it from a business perspective I actually lose money because I spend a chunk of time every month organising speakers, liaising with the venue, sending meeting invites, updating the website, etc which is time I could be charging to my customers. <\/p>\n

At the last meeting<\/a> I donated a book to give away at the group. Now while the book wasn\u2019t worth a vast sum of money it still came out of my pocket. Not the business or AMITPRO. <\/p>\n

Why? Because I felt like it would be a good thing to do <\/p>\n

Which is exactly how AMITPRO and tons of similar networking events run every week. Because it benefits everyone involved.<\/p>\n

So what prompted me to finally finish a post I\u2019ve been trying to write since January?<\/p>\n

Two reasons<\/p>\n

Firstly, at the last AMITPRO meeting Matt Barton<\/a> was stood in front of the room relating his experiences around marketing his business (he drove up from Exmouth by the way and other than a plate of sandwiches and a cup of tea he received nothing in return for doing this, but he did it because, you know  – it benefited the group!)<\/p>\n

As Matt finished his presentation and was taking questions there was lots of lively discussions going on around the room with people sharing their own experiences. <\/p>\n

The meeting wrapped up and while I was packing up the projector I noticed the room was still full of people having conversations and swapping ideas and it reminded me exactly why I and countless others help put together these events. <\/p>\n

This was also a room full of people I know I can rely on if I needed help with my business. <\/p>\n

Secondly, I\u2019m a bit grumpy. I\u2019ve been up since 5am as I was filling in for someone at BNI<\/a>. Givers Gain and all that \"Winking<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve tried to write this post three or four times and given up as I wasn\u2019t really sure if I was getting my point across, thought I\u2019d have another go at it! Vaughan Shayler from Accredit UK posted this on Twitter a while back Interested in comments on Alan Sugar’s opinion of networking – http:\/\/on.fb.me\/fyfNDz<\/p>\n

<\/span>Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rants"],"yoast_head":"\nNetworking Events? 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