Chairman’s Blog. Meeting  Thursday 1st March 2012

When I arrived this morning – just after Paul Booth – there was light in the sky.   With the prospect of spring bird song and our visitor, Andy Smith, beating us both;  all seemed at one with the world.

Attendance was good if not outstanding – 26 members plus our aforementioned guest.

As if to reinforce the early light in the sky and as if to demonstrate the complete alignment of the planets the scrambled egg turned out to be as edible as the rest of our excellent breakfast.

Last week Anita Reynolds was inducted:  this week Joan Jaggernauth.   Welcome to Essex Business Forum Joan.   Equally uplifting regarding the growth of the meeting is that Andy Smith put in an application for membership at the end of the meeting.

Paul Booth was the runaway networker of the month – congratulations Paul.   Let him be an example to us all:  he gets in early, he won the Oscar last week, he is the runaway winner in the EBF performance league.   I understand he also eats up all of his greens.

The 60 second round was disappointing in that Richard Reed did not seem to have any special offers on Italian cruises.    Michael Adelezzzi, probably inspired by sitting near to Graham Thurston, produced as a prop a rather vivid orange form of underlay which appeared to be a piece of kit which would automatically be covered up and therefore presumably be all the more saleable for this reason.   Neil Lewer managed to spend most of the 60 seconds bragging about the size of his storage units or was it wardrobes?   Hugh Nicholas seemed to surprise himself by opening his 60 seconds with a declaration that he was a photographer and took photographs.   Who said the standard wasn’t improving!!

The 10 minute session was to be divided between a short presentation from Anita Reynolds followed by a Q & A session with her and everyone else. It was perhaps more interesting to hear what her Company couldn’t store rather than what it could.   It looks like I’ll have to find sheltered accommodation for my ageing relatives after all.    Her short presentation, however, prompted several questions which helped develop in all of our minds the full nature of her business and is perhaps a lesson to all of us to limit the material that we produce in our 10 minute sessions and encourage questions that can help clarify any members misunderstandings as to precisely what we do.

However, the highlight of the Q & A session was Joans explanation as to how she tied up her Clients and how the older ones fell asleep.   It did not help that she was answering questions posed by Neil Lewer who had already spent 60 seconds explaining that size wasn’t everything, clearly age isn’t either.   I find it rather disturbing that from a business point of view Joan appears to have synergies with Brian.   Nothing good will come of this.   I think Joan and Brian could probably combine very effectively to help Anita help her Husband to give up smoking – even though he doesn’t want to!! – I really can’t wait for next week.

On an equally serious note:  the referral round was good quality if not spectacular and similarly with the figures for the recorded business for the month of February at £50,000.00 which represents good progress.

Was it because Spring is in the air?   The meeting was one of the most lively, amusing and enjoyable meetings that we have had for some weeks and I really am looking forward to seeing you all next week – honest.

Posted by Aidan Squire