Five Great Reasons to Business Network with

I must admit to initially being somewhat sceptical about getting involved in business networking. The prospect of feeling pressured to recommend people from a limited group, does not sit easily with me. Having to stand up and speak about myself and my business was daunting.

Five great benefits from Business Networking:

1. Strengthen your network of business connections...

Strong business relationships are vital in any community, if you run a small to medium business in Worthing, you’ll know how important it is to make the right contacts to help your business grow. For smart contacts and useful referrals, networking really is the way forward.

2. Tap into your network for ideas and knowledge...

Individually, we have a fair amount of knowledge and creativity. Collectively, we have pretty much everything we need. Sharing learning and entrepreneurial flair within the network is akin to access to expert business consultancy.

3. Raise your professional profile… You will learn how to be persuasive and influential, presenting both your personal and your business brand. Developing skills and confidence in a safe environment whilst supporting others to do the same.

4. Career opportunities… Get access to job opportunities, career advice and support.

5. Increased revenue… Business networking develops personal referral and advocacy as one of the most effective lead generators for you and your business.

Worthing Business Circle has been established in the town for over 17 years, meeting every Wednesday at Worthing Golf Club, from 7am. If you would like to come and see what it’s all about, contact us via our website or by email (see below). You will be invited to come along for networking and tea or coffee until 7.15am – then join us for breakfast. Worthing Golf Club is an ideal venue that’s close to the town and next to the A27, so members can get to work easily after the meeting. There’s plenty of free parking for everyone, too.

Contact us: https://worthingbusinesscircle.co.uk/contact-us/ admin@worthingbusinesscircle.co.uk

Even the expectation of having to turn up every week at stupid o’clock seemed like an unreasonable obligation. It has been refreshing to find that not all Business Networking groups are the same.

I am now into my third year with Worthing Business Circle We meet in a relaxed and friendly environment, with no pressure and no hard sell. Building relationships and trust between members is vital. Over the years I’ve created a network of trusted business contacts I can recommend with confidence.

The policy of one member per business category, ensures that there is no clash of interest. Nonmembers and visitors can attend one complimentary meeting with breakfast. Visitors can visit twice before they are asked to join.

At each meeting, there’s a chance for you to give a profile of your business. This is followed by a 10 minute presentation by a different member each week, giving more detail about the business, and what an ideal referral looks like.

The more entertaining, the better we like it!

The meeting finishes officially by 8.45am, allowing you plenty of time to get to work.

So we’re gonna clean the whole house, yeah? Like, top to bottom, right through?

Think so - it really needs it. I’ll go get the stuff.

Great.

We’re not gonna get the electric floor washer out though, eh?

God no, too much hassle. We’ll just use the little mop.

Yeah.

Gadgets! Allegedly time-saving, improving quality-of-life, but actually often heavy, awkward, and time-sucking. A pain to get out and set up and more pain to dismantle, clean and put away. And then you need space to store all those things. Cupboards, porches, ‘spare’ rooms.

I’ve lived in houses where a floor clean was done like this: sweep with a broom; grab a cloth and a bowl, dip and wring the cloth, plop it on the floor and use the broom to push it around and dig into the dirt. Keep rinsing, wringing and pushing. Now, we own more tech: we have both a cheap, simple mop - and a pointless floor washer.

Growth of the economy means more stuff. The invention and production of more stuff. An endless push towards more. New versions of existing things, and new things.

And then people who can afford to buy that stuff. So, people with jobs, wages to spend. People who work hard so they can buy all that stuff.

Growth and jobs - sounded great in the early 20th century. Sounded good up until quite recently. These days, sounding less good.

Kirk Hall addressed Worthing’s Transition town group back in 2021, with these words about a division:-

… those who think environmental damage can be “decoupled” from economic growth (it can’t) and those who don’t … a massive group in the middle who realise that infinite growth on a finite planet is impossible, but if they haven’t heard of Degrowth tend to gravitate towards “solutions” … like renewables, rewilding, regenerative agriculture, recycling, reducing inequality, and much more … all part of Degrowth, but if the economy is growing, none of those things (or even all of them) will be enough to save the biosphere.

8 scientists recently published in the prestigious science journal Nature, outlining what Degrowth looks like and what kinds of policies support steps towards it. Degrowth would mean less stuff - and less work. Green jobs, lower hours.

We sit down to admire our clean house. That was hard work, and the morning is gone. We could have been in the park. Do we need this much space? And stuff?

Uk government statistics tell us that in 1957, a household spent 33% of its income on food. Today, it’s just 16%. All that other stuff we’re buying makes an endless squeeze on household budgets.

Wonder how Terry and Jan are getting on?

Probably back in Portugal by now.