Business Networking in Newbury

I was up bright and early, well initially it was just early but I soon brightened at the welcome I received from the members of the BNI Jack O'Newbury chapter at their breakfast networking meeting.

Admittedly I did know a good few of the members and was ribbed by Anne Thomson, of Mindset Hypnotherapy and Diets Make You Fat fame, when she discovered I was substituting for Lucy Venables of Red Prosper Marketing. Anne has been asking me to go for many many months and I have just never been able to fit it in!

I've been to BNI Jack O'Newbury, which meets every Friday at the Newbury and Crookham Golf Club, once before to write a piece when they received an award and I have also guested at the BNI Kennet chapter, which meets on Thursday mornings at Donnington Grove Country Club.

So I gave Lucy's one minute presentation - which she had diligently sent me - and then got to give my own, which I used to talk about the www.floodadvice.org website we set up for Easton Bevins in the wake of the recent floods.

BNI is more formal than many of the groups that have followed in its successful wake and that suits many, but not all - which is presumably why so many other networking groups have also flourished in West Berkshire and beyond.