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nzmegs

Thanks Horace. I had a look but couldn't afford the fee at the moment. I will keep an eye out on the website though.
We have a coffee morning networking thing in my area twice a month. It is aimed at women who are self employed so i am thinking of going along to that too.
At the moment I am quite busy, but I hoping to find better paying work and hopefully this might be a way of doing that.

I feeling like I have cold coming on....no sick pay.

Horace

Megs..there is something in the air, I am feeling headachey, have vertigo again and generally feel out of sorts:rolleyes: Megs..join the online chat and network that way with 4N..that's free at least. I am not long back from another breakfast meeting this time held in a casino - I was pleasantly surprised that the casino was quite pleasant, I met some really interesting and useful people today - some of them are going to put me in touch with others so fingers crossed. I also found myself booking and paying for a christmas party with the birmingham group which is being held at the casino but we get the teaching tables which are there for fun. I even spent time talking to the manager of the casino with a view to using the venue for corporate events and stags/hens. Networking is a way of getting your name out there and into contact with people who might actually want to use your services.

I think I will go and have a coffee and a sit down - I am feeling most odd and I too cannot afford to be ill.

If ally bally puts in an appearance please can you point her in the direction of her PMs as I have sent her one - I need some help or rather someone that I know via 4N needs some help as they want to get a band signed up with a manager or publicist and I immediately thought of her.

Need a rest and then I will start on my calls.

Have a good day everybody.

Smart_Mart

I've only ever been to one networking breakfast and it worked for me...:T

My business account was with Lloyds TSB and they organised a breakfast at a local golf club. You sat at a table with seven other people on for coffee, then went for your breakfast ( a carvery type thing) and sat down at a different table with seven different people. A man then came to give a talk for 10/15 minutes about networking and you would sit at a table with another seven different people again.

It was free IIRC and you got to meet 21 people quite closely plus another 20-30 while mingling. I was a courier then and picked up a job shipping 650 Christmas hampers from Bath to Cardiff.

I charged her £350 for the job, she paid on the day and all would have been well had I not been an idiot. I miscalculated how many hampers would go in the hire van and had to hire a second van plus a driver for the day. Two vans = £100, driver £70, three trips across Severn Bridge = £40 plus about £90 in fuel costs meant I made £50 for handballing 625 hampers twice and working from 7am - 7pm....:eek:

jpwhittle

this may sound stupid but how would a breakfast medting work for a stay at home mum that makes tiaras and wedding favours? im just curious i wouldnt want to go along to something and be completly out of place, my heads telling me it would be full of proffesional office people and not people like us lol

TCM_3

Me thinks the breakfast networking is a great idea JP - its all about getting to know who is who and getting contacts as well as potential customers becoming aware of your products. Unfortunately there is none near me, but anything like that I think is good (you never know where it may lead!)

Horace

JP - there are people like me there:D In fact I have been to 3 networking meetings now where there is a chap that sells his own brand of watch, he seems to do quite well. I know that 4N are looking at women's networking groups which will take place in the evening but as yet there is nothing fixed yet - it seems like just an idea at the moment.

At todays networking meeting we had:

A classical church organist/pianist (available for weddings, corporate dinners etc)
A lady who can fix your fence (she is putting me in touch with a load of event planning people).
A lady who provides professional speakers
A chap who sells watches
A chap that sells his services re website optimisation and blogs
Another chap who was a finance person
A chap that is a business coach
A virtual secretary/PA
A book keeper
A chap that sold health insurance
Another wedding planner was due to be there but she had left her handbag in a cab (or done some other stupid thing with her handbag)
Someone from the chamber of commerce was there and also the sales/events manager for Grosvenor Casinos. Actually, just going through my bits and bats and I think the wedding person was selling chocolate for chocoholics.

I have been to other networking events where it has been mainly life coaches and accountants and solicitors.

In fact the lady who provides professional speakers was even considering buying a lovely watch from the watch man.

You might not sell to them but they will usually know someone who wants something.

I did a crazy thing today and suggested that i meet the band that someone is looking for a publicist/manager for with a view to being their manager - now how mad is that? Being a publicist isnt that much different to being a PA and I have 27 years experience of being a PA. I still need ally bally though if she is around for guidance etc....I think I had better go and lie down in a darkened room:eek:

TCM_3

Horace, you must have been sniffing the chocolate fumes again!

Horace

TCM wrote: »

Horace, you must have been sniffing the chocolate fumes again!

No chocolate fumes but I think the smell of stinky dried cod mixed with eau de stinky cigar has addled my brain (I think that's what has given me a migraine:rolleyes:) - coming home on the bus today was a nightmare as the bus seemed to be full of stinky smells:eek:

jpwhittle

thanks for that, i hadnt thought of it like that, i think i was more worried people would think im just a stupid little girl with a hobby more than a business, like i said before i have low confidence due to being badly bullied, i signed up to the free 4n and that said you can go to 3 free breakfasts so will keep an eye out for one round here

ally_bally_3

Horace wrote: »

I did a crazy thing today and suggested that i meet the band that someone is looking for a publicist/manager for with a view to being their manager - now how mad is that? Being a publicist isnt that much different to being a PA and I have 27 years experience of being a PA. I still need ally bally though if she is around for guidance etc....I think I had better go and lie down in a darkened room:eek:

Happy to help Horace - just ask away!
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