MEETING REPORT

Our SBC January 2007 Meeting

Once again we availed ourselves of the legendary hospitality of Cuddington Golf Club at Banstead for our meeting this month. We were secretly hoping for a sit down feast, just like last time, and guess what – it happened again!

Cuddington somehow contrives to stretch our budget to provide a substantial supper complete with dessert and coffee - and we’re certainly not complaining! For a tenner a month, where else would you get this sort of value in food alone, not to mention all the other benefits of SBC Membership? Actually, that was the subject of our initial structured networking session, which was extended a little to allow for those present to have an informed and prolonged discussion on how the Club can provide even more value for money for Members.

It became clear that some of our newer Members were unaware of the full range of benefits of belonging to SBC – for example, the option to advertise their business on our highly visible web directory, free of charge!

As a result, we have decided to devote the February meeting at The Atrium Business Centre in Dorking to a Website Walkabout, hosted by Club webmaster and Vice-Chairman Deryck Svensson of Webskills UK. We’ll also hold a short workshop session on writing your entry for the directory – a free advertising opportunity members should definitely not miss!

Our speaker for the evening, Dave Rutter, a skilled and experienced networker himself, took part enthusiastically in our deliberations – and his input was insightful, and very positive too. He particularly liked the fact that SBC is a not for profit club – so nobody is lining their pockets at Members’ expense!

After the main course (while we were waiting for the sumptuous desserts!) Dave gave us an illuminating presentation on the finer points of business financing, particularly factoring and invoice discounting. This sort of ‘inside information’, delivered in an informal atmosphere in which the speaker can be more candid than in a public arena, means the SBC Members really do get privileged insights into how business works from the experts who are out their doing it. Our thanks then to Dave for entertaining and informing us at the same time – the classic SBC formula!

After the presentation we adjourned to the Club Members bar for a quiet pint, and a bit of social networking. Fortunately for the rest of us, Committee Member Richard Jones had put his credit card behind the bar – a rash move, but one for which we thank him profusely. Our round next time, Richard!

Click for slideshow