Chamber Networking

We had a great start to our first Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce – Chamber Networking event for 2012 in the Bean and Leaf at 9.30am on Thursday, 12th April. There was an excellent turnout from a very wide cross section of Chamber businesses and a really positive feel to the event. Thanks to Mark and Teresa and their team at the Bean and Leaf for giving us a great welcome.

I met a number of people I had never met before and saw many faces that were new to me that I did not get the opportunity to meet personally in the large crowd. We have also had a new member of the Chamber from the event.

One of the things people ask from time to time is what exactly does the Chamber do and how does it benefit my business? Well apart from the excellent events that the Chamber organises and facilitates (of which more below), for me one of the biggest benefits of Chamber membership is the network of other businesses that it provides both in Clonakilty and further afield. But you only really realise this benefit of Chamber membership if you connect to this network and get involved.

For instance, yesterday I met a vintage clothes business owner for the first time along with a long standing shoe retail business owners. You may wonder what benefit a vintage clothes business and a shoe business would get from a networking event. The shoes I was standing in at the event were purchased in the shoe shop concerned and I learned of the existence of the vintage clothes shop for the first time at the event.  

Now I don’t wish this to go any further than this post, but I want to share something with you… it has come to my attention that many of our Chamber members actually wear clothes and shoes… indeed, I believe that some of our female members in particular are known to have more than one pair of shoes and will even consider buying new clothes when their old clothes are still perfectly good and haven’t even worn out yet.  Some of our members sit on furniture, others eat in restaurants and some even drink in pubs.  Yes, mad I know, but true and widespread here in our little community I am reliably informed.

But these local potential customers may well go on-line or elsewhere to buy their clothes and shoes if they aren’t shown a good reason that makes it better for them to do it locally. An existing relationship with a local business or a trusted referral to a local business is one very good reason.

When we met at our event, one member told me he needed to do a small building job and he didn’t know who to use. He didn’t know any builders previously but he got to know one through the Chamber who came and did an excellent job.  One satisfied Chamber customer providing business to another Chamber member, both benefited significantly.

But don’t come to networking events to sell your wares, come to develop relationships with people, make them aware of what you do and take an interest in what they do. Benefits from networking won’t come overnight but when opportunities to arise the strength of a good referral from a trusted source is very powerful and will benefit your business directly.

I mentioned a couple of business networking books at the start of the event that I strongly recommend. They were:

The Financial Times Guide to Business Networking by Heather Townsend and

Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi

Trish Kerr of Kerr’s Bookshop in Ashe Street, who was at our networking event, has very kindly offered to get these books in stock for Chamber members.

Stephen Smith of Edge Architecture in Astna Street, who I introduced to everyone present yesterday, will head up our regular networking events. We intend to have a separate dedicated e-mail follow up list for those who attend the networking events and anyone who signed in with their e-mail at the event will be hearing from Stephen shortly. 

Stephen will also be in touch with all members with details of future networking events and if you couldn’t make yesterday, I strongly urge you to come along to the next one.  If you aren’t already a member of our Chamber, please join and get involved.

CLON’TREPRENEUR is an excellent event happening on 24th May 2012. If you know of any budding entrepreneurs who would be interested becoming Clon’trepeneurs and winning €20,000 to get their business off the ground make sure to get them to enter before the deadline of 11th May. And make sure you get your tickets for the final on 24th May hosted by George Hook.  Full details are here. 

Clon’trepreneur was launched by Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney on 2nd April last. At the launch the Minster met one of our innovative local food entrepreneurs and invited him to travel with him on a trade delegation to China. Imagine what opportunities might flow for that business or our local area from that encounter at a Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce networking event.

And The Elephants are Coming! Jungle City is another extremely exciting project we have planned for Clonakilty for the coming season. We had been keeping it under wraps until we were sure everything was in place but the big launch and information evening will happen next Monday night, 16th April at the Quality Hotel at 8pm. Please come along, it is a really big and important project for Clonakilty and it will of course be another excellent networking opportunity. Full details are here.

So from bookshops to builders to business in China, ask not what Clon Chamber can do for you, ask what your business can do for Clon Chamber members; get involved and get networking!

-- by Flor McCarthy