Networking for over 20 years!

By Colette Bratton, co-founder of Small Business Vibes networking and founder of Small Business Equaliser

I still remember my first networking event.  It was a Thursday morning in April 2004, and I was stood outside a pub in Lichfield at 6.30am, wondering what on earth I was doing.

I’d never been business networking before, so had no idea what to expect. I’d left my job only a few days before, so I was having a very exciting first week being a self-employed entrepreneur.

It was dark outside as I nervously pushed open the door to enter the pub. Once inside, I was instantly greeted by a friendly face, and I could see lots of other faces chatting in the room.  I was navigated towards a table and poured a cuppa, then introduced to people. I remember trying to take it all in, as it was such a strange, albeit friendly experience. I was being introduced to so many people, but was conscious there was no way that I’d be able to remember anyone’s name!

After sitting down for breakfast, the 60 second networking introductions began. I can’t remember what I said, but I probably muttered something about starting my own marketing business. There was another visitor there that day who did marketing. He was an older gentleman, and was much more confident about his business than I was – I guess he’d been running it a bit longer than 3 days! When the meeting was almost finished, and the visitors were asked to sum up their experience of the networking meeting, this guy said he was definitely going to be joining the group.  As the group had a one-seat policy, I knew that if he joined, I wouldn’t be able to.

At the time, not being able to join was both a blessing and a curse.  I could see how this networking thing could help bring me in some important new clients, but I’d seen how much it cost to join, and being so very new in my business there was no way that was an option for me – especially as there was VAT on top of the price, as I wasn’t VAT-registered so wouldn’t be able to claim any of that back!

I left the meeting, thinking I wouldn’t be able to return.  Back in 2004, there weren’t many networking meetings, so I just parked networking and concentrated on using other marketing tools to bring in new clients.  

About 3 weeks later I got a call from one of the networking people inviting me to attend the meeting again. It turned out the guy who’d said he was definitely going to join didn’t – possibly had no intention to, but didn’t want me to either! That was my first experience of understanding that not all business people have your back, and in fact, there are some who want you to stay exactly where you are, and some that actually want you to fail!

I went back to the meeting, but as a substitute for someone. And actually, that was the last time that meeting actually existed. After that, that group stopped being part of the franchise group it was in and went independent. My marketing skills would be very useful for a new independent networking group starting up, so I was invited to stay and help them get the group off the ground.  Working with the committee, the graphic and website designer and the photographer, we formed Business 1^st, a networking group that I’ve been proud to be a member of for the last 20 years. I’ve known some of the members that long that I’ve been to their weddings, am Godmother to some of their children and many of them are more than business colleagues now, and are actually true lifelong friends.

Through networking, my business has grown tremendously. I’ve joined other networking groups too over the years, but never stayed in them as long as my first group!

And now I’m very proud to be the co-founder of Small Business Vibes.