At EMIN, we believe that the chances of succeeding in business are dramatically improved by surrounding yourself with a network of quality contacts.
Networking helps you to develop your business, increase sales, reduce costs and learn from other people's mistakes. It also helps you to keep an open mind.
As a small business, you will typically agonise over spending time away from the office & even question the value of engaging with business networks. But the real question you should be asking yourself is this: can you afford not to network?
Below is a list of business networks currently active in the East Midlands (feel free to comment if I've missed any), each of which represents a potential opportunity to your business - if you can't find one network here that's suitable for you, I'll eat my hat!
Business Exchange (Biz Ex) Networking Group
Nottingham
The Biz Ex provides a forum for micro business owner/managers to exchange ideas, generate new business and develop personal and business knowledge. For info please contact NBV on 0115 970 5550, email enquiries@nbv.co.uk or visit www.nbv.co.uk for more information.
BNI
National
Weekly breakfast meetings with clubs around the world. Visit www.bni-europe.com/uk to find your local club.
Business Networking Clubs
Leicestershire
Cost-effective breakfast networking in Leicestershire.
Visit www.businessnetworkingclubs.co.uk or call 08453 736874 for more information.
Cafe Creatif
Leicester
Café Creatif provides creative people with a regular opportunity to connect in the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the LCB Depot's café. Meet new people & businesses, or catch up with others with the aim of encouraging business between you. Join the Facebook group Café Créatif to keep informed about future dates, meet other businesses and keep in touch.
CIN
Derbyshire
CIN is a membership organisation which helps creative businesses build relationships in Derby & Derbyshire. Run by the industry for the industry, CIN provides a broad range of services including regular events, a resource website, a programme of training and support, an industry newsletter & an online showcase of creative services provided by its members.
CreativeCoffee Club
Leicester
CreativeCoffee Club is a social network where people meet regularly to share news, ideas, meet other people & set up new collaborations.The CreativeCoffee Club is supported by a group on Facebook, which makes it very easy to organise events, and to add yourself to the guestlist. You can also follow CreativeCoffee Club Leicester on twitter (http://twitter.com/CCCLeicester).
Creative LeicesterShire
Leicestershire & Rutland
Developing small arts, media & design businesses. They give business advice, run networking events, seminars & a development bursary scheme.
Design Factory
East Midlands
The leading design agency in the East Midlands, promoting & supporting the very best designer/makers & manufacturers from the region. Design Factory delivers a programme of market & business development support including exhibition showcases, collective national marketing & PR, networking & training events, seminar programmes & business mentoring.
Ecademy
National
Meets monthly in the evening for networking & business support. Groups around the country. For details of the Leicester group visit www.ecademy.com or contact Pauline Graham on 01530 245181.
EMTEX
East Midlands
EMTEX assists the region’s clothing & textiles businesses to face the challenges of a rapidly changing industry. EMTEX helps generate new business for the region & assists companies to introduce new technologies & working practices. Currently they have around 700+ members that they support through: projects, Designer Forum, education, recruitment, business services & discounted offers.
Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)
National
Runs regular networking events around the region. Contact your local branch to find out what's going on though. Visit www.fsb.org.uk & click on 'events' to find your local branch contacts & events.
Leading Advanced Technology & Innovation (LATI)
Leicestershire
Networking & support organisation for technology & knowledge based organisations. Membership includes local companies, business support organisations & University depts. Open to all organisations in the East Midlands. Keeps members in touch with scientific, research & technology activities at Leicestershire's Universities, opening up opportunities for partnerships.
Lincolnshire Enterprise Network
Lincolnshire
A group of business owner managers who benefit each month from the sharing of ideas & information & from the input of visiting speakers.
Loughborough Creative Cafe
Ongoing informal networking events for creative businesses in the Loughborough area, co-ordinated by Creative Leicestershire.
Loughborough Enterprise Club (LEC)
Loughborough
LEC is a free networking & support organisation aimed at encouraging innovation & growth in the region. With free monthly events, they provide a regular forum to meet & exchange ideas with other companies & individuals. Members include individual entrepreneurs & innovators, start-up companies, university spin-outs, established businesses and other professionals.
Smart Women
Nottingham & East Midlands
Smart Women is an exciting networking site for business women in Nottingham & throughout the East Midlands; a hub where women can contact each other, promote themselves & network.
http://www.womengetsmart.co.uk
The Biz Club
Rutland & Leicestershire
Promotes the interests of small and medium sized businesses with decision makers and people in power. Regular events for discussion and networking in Leicestershire & Rutland.
The Greenhouse
North Nottinghamshire and North Derbyshire
The Greenhouse is a creative industries network for people in North Nottinghamshire and North Derbyshire. The Greenhouse offers a lot of its services through its website: details of the latest news and events, funding & skills development opportunities, an online resource library with useful links & downloads, an opportunity to profile your company in their business directory & showcase feature, as well as detail the latest job and tender opportunites.
To Be Creative
Leicester
To Be Creative is Leicester’s Premier Club for creatives. A quarterly event, offering an early evening deadline distraction! TBC also run a monthly seminar event aimed at Creative Businesses in Leicester.
Total Networking
Grantham
Whatever business you’re in, whether you're self-employed or work for a company, industrial estate based or retail outlet, getting new customers is always a high priority. This is why joining Total Networking would become a valuable part of your customer development strategy.
United Kingdom I.T. Association (UKITA)
National
If you are an ICT company or an organisation supplying to the ICT industry JOIN NOW! UKita membership provides genuine benefits including access to the members area to view tenders, reseller, collabotation & marketing opportunities.
University of Northampton Enterprise Club
Northampton
The University of Northampton Enterprise Club exists to inspire enterprise and provide a forum for people to meet, gain more business knowledge & access a large range of associated benefits. Whether you have an idea or have already started your business, the Enterprise Club will provide you with the extra help you need for development.
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