Networking like a .... spider?

OOOh.... if I see any more chocolate, coffee or wine this week... I'll probably just guzzle it happily whilst engaging in interesting conversations with the nearest businesspeople to me. Yes, it's been a monster networking week for me, with 3 events in 3 days. Usually I manage 1 every week, and we run our No Frills Business Networking for Women evenings on the 3rd Wednesday of each month (ie this week), but last night's Make Your Mark Ambassadors Networking event at beam in Wakefield is the one that's filled me with the most ideas.

I met loads of fellow ambassadors, all dedicated to encouraging people to get involved in businesses, and sparking inspiration in areas of our community otherwise not well known for entrepreneurship. We first came across Make Your Mark when we started the No Frills nights, and decided to apply to become ambassadors because I feel very strongly that businesses need to work with schools and colleges to encourage the next generation to have ideas and confidence. We're intending to do our bit for the Global Entrepreneurship Week by inviting young business minded women to our November No Frills event which falls smack bang in the middle of it.

I ended up deep in conversation with James Clegg from Operation Hoodie. James lost a good friend to cancer at far too young an age, and his response was to start something amazing. It chimed with me, because my mate Kim's death to a brain tumour when we were 20 has so far led me to run 2 Races for Life (5k) and a Run for Life (10k) to raise money for Cancer Research Uk. We're also currently shooting a naked calendar at the studio which hopes to raise money for breast and testicular cancer charities. I hope to connect these dots and see if we can help James out. Watch this space!

So .... networking is fun, and as someone who likes to talk about anything at any given moment, and is passionate about our business, I am settling into it as a natural, but it's essential for businesses to find others who they can connect with to push their ideas forward, and I hope to report back soon with some exciting developments!