Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

Anyone been to a networking meeting?

Chris33

Well-known member
Messages
1,929
Location
Fife
Signed up for one local to me.

This i am hoping will generate commercial leads for me.

30 plus business people go each week to this one.

Any experience lads?

 
Yeah, I got started with a loan from the Prince's Trust and they got me to go to a local one.

While I was very inexperienced at the time, I didn't find it particularly helpful. It revolves around recommending each other to each other and one's customers.

The membership costs were prohibitive - I'd invest it in advertising personally.

However a couple of friend's have done it and found it useful in the architecture and IT sectors but I think as cleaning jobs tend to be lower value/higher volume work it's less advantageous.

 
@Hawke I hear ya man. I guess it's all in the luck of the draw..of whom actually is there on the day and IF they have work going
Yeah I felt a little out of place but I was a newbie.

Didn't have a problem speaking in public and standing up and saying a bit about the business but it was quite corporate and I was just starting out as a young windie rather than viewing it as a business.

Let us know how you get on and be ready to sex up your job description and be prepared with a catchy tag line! /emoticons/wink.png

 
@Hawke I have the gift of the gab my son lol its whether there is any work there is guess.

I'm gona put my ten quid down,get my free breckie and take another gamble..although small in comparison this time

 
In a previous existence I've actually chaired a networking group for one of the national organisations and been a member of a couple of others. My experience was mixed. The points I would make:

(1) Most tend to be breakfast meetings and only allow one person from each trade

(2) The better ones are weekly not monthly - regular attendance and continuity are everything

(3) Membership can be quite costly - ok you get a breakfast and it means the people there are committed to the group

(4) A lot of groups encourage members to refer business to other members - some organisations make it compulsory and will threaten to expel those who don't make enough referrals

(5) Point 4 should play into your hands as a window clean is relatively low cost and most members looking for an easy referral could use you. In one group we had a florist who would regularly take orders for bouquets when people needed a referral .

(6) Most groups will let you visit as a guest a couple of times - I would suggest you try before you buy.

Hope this helps

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 
@Cambride Cleaner thanks for that detailed information. Yes it's an invitation as a guest on this occasion.

They seemed keen for me to attend and this may well have something to do with joining fees I guess. I'll suss it out on Tuesday

 
Back
Top