17 Years of Business Growth Through Networking

“You know everyone!”

I’ve heard these words over and over, whether it’s my son telling me about the unexpected greeting he received at McDonald’s, a friend looking for a useful contact, or when visiting what I think will be a new group and realise how many faces I recognise. Well, in 17 years, you do get to know quite a few people.

The Power of Who You Know

This May, I’ll celebrate the anniversary of starting my career as a professional connector. Over nearly two decades, I’ve been able to connect hundreds of small business owners, become part of all those amazing business stories, and seen firsthand the power of bringing the right people together at the right time.

Back in 2008, with small children at home and a demanding career, some changes at Avon (where I worked in product development) presented me with a dilemma. As we completed our project, I had to decide whether to take what I was offered next or explore something new.

When my manager suggested, “You’re so good at getting to know people and bringing them together. Why don’t you do women’s networking?” You might be surprised to hear that my response was, “What’s networking?” Having built my career in the corporate world, I’d not come across business networking.

Lesson One: Be creative and open to new ideas when looking for the best fit for you and your skills.

Aligning Business Values

Networking was something worth investigating. My manager was right, it brought together my curiosity about people and my desire to support business success. I researched the groups available and discovered the Women In Business Network (WIBN).

Their approach resonated with me and my personal values. It was inclusive and people-focused, a non-cliquey environment focused on genuine relationships.

Networking shouldn’t just be about exchanging business cards, but creating a community where business owners can thrive. My time with WIBN was valuable and I was pleased to bring my skills to support others there too.

Lesson Two: Opportunities are out there, do your research and find the best fit for you.

Facing Challenges and Embracing Change

After over 10 years in networking, I started exploring new opportunities for the business owners I met, things I couldn’t do through the Women in Business Network. Having become more involved in the local business network, I wanted to provide a new networking format and have mixed groups; this led to the birth of Your Business Matters.

Through Your Business Matters, I set up a new group called The Connections Club – focusing on bigger businesses, decision-makers, influencers and leaders. This group didn’t lock out with only one member per profession; instead, it provided limited slots per area so members could benefit from collaboration opportunities while avoiding excessive competition. The group was popular, with members confirming that we provided a great space for business relationship building. Before long, we were seeing fantastic examples of business growth through networking.

Lesson Three: Learn from what is working for you, but don’t stop there; look for new opportunities and build what you want to see.

Reimagining In-Person Networking

Of course, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic affected businesses large and small. Running a networking business built on in-person connections, our world changed almost overnight. Perhaps surprisingly, this gave me renewed focus on the benefits of my groups – we were providing community-focused networking, bringing people together for support and collaboration.

Almost immediately, my groups were being run online, providing the ongoing and regular connections my members were used to. Of course, this wasn’t the same as meeting in person, but I know it provided a valuable space for many people. It was quite complicated running our Connections Club meetings online; they were designed to be run face-to-face, and I often found myself exhausted at the end of a day of networking, even if I hadn’t left the house.

During this time, I found the restrictions at WIBN were too great. It was time to walk away from them and develop Your Business Matters further by introducing The Business Room. While it was a risk launching a new in-person networking group during a global pandemic, I wanted to create something that would support local businesses at this difficult time – and the journey has been incredible.

Lesson Four: If you wait for the perfect time for any big change, you’ll never do anything; you can only look for the best time for you.

More Than Just Networking

What makes Your Business Matters different is our commitment to providing more than just a networking group – we really are focused on small business growth and know there are many ways to help each other. We’ve developed a system of support for every stage of your journey:

• Strategic Alliances: We aim to help members find people who offer something special, creating amazing partnerships.
• Nurturing New Members: We support all new members to help them find the right place for them and meet the right people. In new member sessions, they’ll also widen their network further.
• Clarity Calls: We offer one-on-one sessions during which members can share their business challenges and opportunities. We get to know you better so we can provide connections across the network, introducing you to members whose business and values align with yours—businesses who may become strategic partners, suppliers, or mentors.
• Regular Contact: We maintain consistent communication with our members to ensure they feel connected, supported, and valued.

This approach has helped members not just build connections but achieve genuine business growth.

Lesson Five: Do what you do as well as you can and think about how you can add value in a way that feels good to you and supports your goals.

What Comes Next?

Looking back like this has given me a lot to think about and demonstrated how much we’ve achieved. It’s also the perfect time to look to the future – we have some exciting plans ahead.

We’re developing new platforms to improve communication between groups and hope to host more events that bring multiple groups together, all to create a truly interconnected community. We’re also going to do more to support the charities in our network, organising fundraising events and developing other opportunities for them.

Creating new networking groups is certainly part of the plan, and in doing that, we offer development opportunities for members who chair these groups, making sure members receive consistent quality and support across our network.

These plans reflect our hope to evolve and improve, always with our members’ success at the heart of everything we do.

Is Your Place Here?

I’m grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey. Your trust, participation, and networking success stories have made these 17 years what they are – deeply rewarding.

If you’re looking for meaningful connection, genuine support, and business growth, we think you’ll find it here with us. Whether you’re just starting your business journey or looking to take your established enterprise to new heights, our community offers the connections and support to help you succeed.

You can learn more about our meetings here or get in touch to talk about how Your Business Matters can support your business. I’d love to hear from you.