Business Networking Blog Tuesday 16th Sept

Chairman’s Business Networking Blog Tuesday 16th September 2014

Attendance slightly up on last week, 11 members present but not enough apologies for absence.

For further reference if you cannot make the meeting please make your emailed apology to Richard Willis. This will mean that it is not broadly disseminated before the meeting and if you make your apology late, Richard is always equipped with tablet or other device to put it to the meeting whenever it is received.

May I make a plea in this Blog specifically for a good attendance for next week and the week after? Next week is the penultimate week before the Visitors Open Day. Teams have got to be prepared to give details of potential numbers of visitors so that the Golf Club can be notified in good time before the following week. Please make every effort this week to make contact with your team, make approaches at the very least to your designated occupations.

The aforementioned 3 line whip is not just because of the impending visitors breakfast which “must” be a success but also…if you don’t turn up you can neither pass not receive referrals, we might even forget who you are.

Please now regard my whinge as being officially over.

Please also note that, now I am back from my summer holiday, I am willing to entertain the “C” word and recognise Christmas as a genuine possibility in the future.
So what of the meeting? Well Christmases is abounded, and Hugo must be congratulated on the Blog he produced last week in my absence, I read it and it was Double Dutch to me…

So what of the 60 second round.

Our spirits were lifted at the outset by Nige Kirby declaring that it is “GAS SAFE WEEK”.

Dr Deb also raised our spirits by explaining that her company is expanding into Poland. I think it’s a sort of payback for them coming over here and picking our vegetables. Dr Deb goes over to Poland in search of Vegans.

Stuart, not content with Christmas also wants to know if anyone whose business is focused around Halloween and Firework Night.

Ian Nicholson explained the importance of pensions even though, apparently as you get older, you don’t need as much money for your day to day needs. You will however want to go out on the odd excursion. Ian himself is rather successfully cutting down on his expenditure by confining his diet to healthy bars of something or other, consequently losing weight. Slightly overwhelmed first by Nige Kirby’s efforts and now Ian’s, I limited myself to 2 sausages. Only 1 next week and so on…

Chris Vernon mentioned Christmas with more the sort of Christmas spirit that I like to see. Basically don’t sent people to him that want their kitchens installed before Christmas “bar humbug”.

Adam Hotson was looking beyond Christmas, well done Adam it was feeling like spring already. Self Assessments have to be in for the self employed by the 31st January 2015. Get people to him quickly with all of their paper work so that he has some work to do over Christmas.

Who knows what CBT is? Brian Painter told us, it is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. It’s useless, partly because it takes you months to get an appointment on the National Health and then, it does you no good anyway. People with panic attacks are better going to see out Pilgrim who will put them right. So there you have it one fewer reason, to get a panic attack.

Richard Willis won the Oscar by talking about “Brand overhaul”. Apparently Ryan Air achieved this by serving drinks on the flight and not separately charging you for the glass.

All in all, despite our relatively low numbers, the round was both lively and informative.

Before the 10 minute slot we had a quick round up of visitor’s invitations and how teams were progressing hence my comments at the beginning of this Blog. Once again this gives me an opportunity of advertising the importance of getting out there amongst them with your team, spread the invitations and report positively next week to the meeting. Remember the invitation on the website.

So what about the 10 minute slot – well it was Hugo’s turn and he never fails to stimulate. He gave us a quick resume of why or how he was standing there in front of us. His alliterative call to arms was “Live, Love, Learn and Leave a Legacy”, as to the later I can do a Will that will deal with this. A great 10 minutes, Hugo is someone we should really feel overconfident in referring fellow business men and women to.

Finally Richard Willis is dutifully discharging his duties as Membership Secretary and Entertainments Officer. He will be sending out details of the Christmas dinner at the Golf Club. Please respond promptly to him at least by the end of the week.

I am looking forward to a full turnout next week.