is anybody a member of any networking clubs? like a lunch club?

[overthemill]

what are they like? is it fun/ghastly/worth it
etc
etc

come on, anybody?

not yet - but am hoping to be. Have signed up to the UK Business Forums, and they seem to have a fair amount of people in my area who all run their own small business, so once I have hovered for a bit, I might dive in an join in with one of the lunches.

I know it might sound silly but I am slightly more nervous about joining in a lunch with a bunch of men who do high tech computer type businesses, cause I dont think I'd understand their language, than a group of women who I'd probably have more in common with, but then maybe I should just take the plunge and find out.

Sorry bit of a ramble there. Are you a member of any such clubs, or are you looking for a good one?

i am interested. i am a member of WiRe and went to one fab networking 'tea' and am going to another one next month. i did find it really intimdating to start with - what is speednetworking??? i didnt have business cards done as well.

but i too would like to join a networking group pref for women. someone i know said she'd invite me to join a womens dining club which sounds ok but it is in london and the evenings are hard (kids) and i'd worry about what to wear!!!!

although i am probably being daft i did wonder about starting one (i really do have far too many things to do but ...)

where are you?

Near Glasgow so wrong end of the country, but if I heard of somebody running one for women in this area, I'd definitely go along - hey maybe I should start one too.

Business cards is definitely a school boy (or girl) error - I went to a trade show in February and met loads of great contacts, but hadnt thought to get business cards printed in time. Will make sure I remember them at the next one in September.

No I'm not, but I probably should be so I'd like to hear everyone else's experiences and which ones are good.

a quick google found these people

there may be one in your area. WiRE is good but ofetn a bit tough - my work isnt so much a business as freelancing.

Ooh that's helpful overthemill, apparently that first link are launching in my area in October, v handy, will be contacting them I think.

Looks like WiRE have a monthly meeting in my town. How do you mean it's tough?

Also, what is '1 minute micro networking' when it's at home??

tough as in, the women (I found) are really hrad headed business women who dominate the networking! That is just not me I'm afraid to say.

and i think micronetworking may well be like speednetworking when you have 15 mins or so to introduce yourself to all the women on your table. i was intimidated by that - how to pitch etc.

but later on over coffee/tea i found it much less pressured and made some useful contacts and met some nice women.

btw i think these networking groups (not WiRE) are possibly businesses in themselves!!

anyone else?

In Preston there is a great womens networking group which meets at lunch time once a month and is run by some colleagues of mine from work. Haven't joined them for a while but thinking of going again as I am about to leave work to work for myself. It was very popular locally and usually had an interested speaker at each meeting.

A-M

I joined WiRE a couple of months ago but haven't been to any networking lunches yet. I've been to a couple organised by the local Chamber of Commerce that were pretty interesting and I've joined quite a few online business forums to try and promote my website.

I would thoroughly recommend networking. I like a lot of you was very nervous and felt sick at the thought of going and 'Selling myself' to whoever else was there. After weeding out the pressured and downright expensive groups I now regularly attend several in and around my area and can honestly say I would not be where I am now without them.

The ones I have found best are ladies only as I find the men at these things tend to intimidate a little.

There are several sites you can find info about your local groups on:
www.findnetworkingevents.com
www.wireuk.org - Ladies only
www.networkwithstyle.com -Shropshire/Staffs area-Ladies Only

If you haven't yet I would check when your next event is and book it into your diary. You'll always find someone else who is there for the first time and within minutes you'll wonder why you have left it so long!

found these people too

do you think these networking events may work better for people who offer a service (especially a b2b service) though?

I sell (mainly wholesale) my own products, so I'd be looking to network with, eg card/gift/baby shops, and it strikes me that I'd have to be v. lucky to go to a local networking event attended by these people!

To those who have attended networking events:- what sort of people/businesses attend these events? Are they all high-flying-power-suited people?

the only one i've been to was a real mix. loads of people who have small businesses like selling diet stuff, photographers etc right through to huge set ups

thanks for that, overthemill, it may be worth giving a local networking group a go then.

i'm a member of athena which is for women only - www.theathenanetwork.com

it's very supportive and most of the women there have kids and a juggling work with school runs. mostly small businesses, which can be good or bad depending on your work.

in london there's women's only aurora - www.auroravoice.com - but not sure if they're still running the networking events. it has a more corporate feel.

i think that networking is worth it and good at building confidence.

I signed up to Smart Women which is Nottingham-based but I don't get chance to do anything they offer.

I've just spotted that the Smart Women site www.womengetsmart.co.uk has been referenced on this forum - thanks for the mention.

Whilst we only run occasional networking events ourselves, you can find details of all kinds of business women-oriented events on our calendar, including a number of Nottingham and East Midlands based networks.

Sorry if anyone hasn't managed to get along to any events yet, but do look out for me and say "hello" if you do.