Chairmans blog Thursday 1st June 2023

It’s the first of the month and the new month dawned with 18 members ready willing and able to network.

The Performance League

The winner for the month of May was Jane Malyon followed by Terry Maylin and Toby Acton. Congratulations to all three.

Education Presentation

Nick Cooke had initially intended to make suggestions as to how to extract money from recalcitrant debtors of a business but decided on the slightly lighter subject of celebrated business quotations (That’s not an ‘estimate’ but ‘well known phrases and sayings’ about businesses accumulated over the years). An enjoyable diversion to kick off the month.

New Member Induction & Existing Member Renewal

It is always nice to welcome a new member. Paul Rodgers is our new commercial lending member. He has successfully completed the membership formalities and has been accepted. His induction will follow. He was welcomed by all members and we look forward to getting to know him better.

The 60 Second Round

Brian Painter, the current holder of the Oscar award was first up. This week he told of a fractious 10 year old daughter who terrorised both her 7 year old brother and mother. Brian is assisting the mother in tempering her responses to her irritating daughter. Don’t meet shouting with shouting. Respond in a calm and civilised fashion. I think we all sympathised with the mother. Brian is in the process of civilising the relationship.

Fran Brabham Neil is looking to expand the management side of her business by acquiring other business says portfolios and we ought to look out for this. Mike Skinner by contrast is looking to expand his business by getting referrals for him to help refresh websites. Toby Acton by contrast was explaining the importance of recognising when you cannot work with a client not to continue struggling with them.

By way of confirmation as to how well the EBF network works, Matt Barry has a new client on board who is an ex member. Maintaining contact with old members has its benefits for our ongoing businesses, keeping in touch can yield results. Ex members continue to provide business opportunities for us that can be legitimately recorded as money  received.

One of the highlights of the round was Vincent Goode with a stylized Q&A set up with the ever willing Paul Booth.

Nick Cook revealed that when he surveys properties that are empty, perhaps by virtue of a probate sale, the presence of a piano on the premises often inspires him to tinkle the ivories. It would appear that we have own Thelonious Monk.

Paul Rogers was given 120 seconds in recognition of his having just joined us. It was useful to get a bit more information from him at his first meeting as a member but it won’t happen again!

Insight of the week came from John Hammond who, in relation to his clients, always gave them what they required but not necessarily what they thought they needed. Jane Malyon and specifically told us what we needed  to do if we were trying to make our own cream teas. With reference to the recipe for the scone, remember that the dough must be firm, when rolled out not flat and cleanly cut. Don’t wiggle the mould whilst you are doing it.

Pride of place and the winner of the Oscar however, quite rightly, went to Mike Hickson delivering a metaphor that had Toby Acton positively drooling. He likened the fitting of a front door to houses in a street all with the same keys to the access that we have to our computers that are sold to us and which therefore need to have their metaphorical keys tailoring to avoid the dreaded hack in.

A really good round!!

Questions & Answers round

In the absence of a 10 minute speaker this week we had the welcome diversion of a Q&A. As always we ran out of time for the ever willing questioners. Highlight for me was a question from Matt Barry to Leann Reason regarding this year’s trends; dark colours are preferred and pink is the new grey.

Referrals and Testimonials

Because of the good figures for monies received and referrals given it was a very positive round

A note for your diary, Saturday 29th July at 12 noon will be a food induced get together at Jane’s place. Make a note in your diary now and make sure you respond to Brian’s e-mail that will be due shortly. Let’s have a really good turn out!