Chairman’s blog Thursday 21st November 2024

Although it was too cold for brass monkeys, 21 of us turned up in sub-zero temperatures, such is the lure of the EBF networking event. Our number included Paul Dulieu, former member and member to be. Welcome back Paul. We now have 3 Pauls, B,C&D respectively which simply reflects their surnames.

The Performance League

Top 4 in reverse order are Catherine Foley, Terry Maylin, Scott Griffiths and out front on 283 points Matt Barry.

Education Presentation

This week Ben Golding rehearsed a subject that should be dear to all of our hearts, the importance of managing your time. Planning your working day and its goals should be written down in anticipation and otherwise focus on being efficient with your time management. Final warning was to stay away from negative people which could be a watchword for how we conduct our lives generally.

The 60 Second Round

Joshua Ayettey was proudly sporting the Oscar from his victory last week. And started the meeting with the observation that in the run up to Christmas people were not looking to alter their homes or make plans to do so but nonetheless, those were the clients he was looking for.

Matt Barry emphasised the brand workshop that he conducts with his clients to ensure that he gets to know more about them and is therefore better able to service their needs. There is something of a universal truth in this as to how we should approach all of our clients.

Toby Acton, about to embark upon a holiday was very much on message. Echoing Ben’s Ed slot he reported that he was getting his clients to take stock and plan their work life balance for the coming year. Holidays first, leisure time second and last although of great importance is all time spent at work in order to sustain the other plans already made.

Mike Skinner had his weather eye open and was looking for filming inside, for example corporate events of local businesses. Not slow to pick up on the theme, Ben Golding had a poem about cold weather and the way in which Utility Warehouse can help to keep you warm cheaper.

Nick Cooke talked of how he could help home owners with their extensions by ensuring and assisting in structural security and the synergy that he has with Joshua, which was something that Leann Reason also pointed out in her quest to put the Va Va Voom into your rooms. Her 60 seconds also appealed to Joshua in his adjudicational capacity as he awarded her the Oscar.

James Humphreys was pitching for the usual contractors but was, in unison with Mike Skinner, looking for indoor venues such as restaurants and pubs. Dave Roberts got to thinking about insurance when he told if an inspection condemning a fuse box and then being called out to deal with a consequential fire.

Alliteration of the week came from Auntie Jane with her ‘finger food for funerals’ and the bespoke hampers that she can create.

Blake Hammond was using the C word again, but it was a different C word. He had a display of gifts for Children (and “big kids”).

Both Howard Bullock and Scott Griffiths went technical on us. Howard is it is advising a client in relation to using pension funds to fuel life insurance to create a fund to deal with inheritance tax and Scott Griffiths was pointing out that to secure your company’s name make sure you not only get your domain name secure but make sure that you get ‘.com’ as well as ‘.co.uk. Both illustrating that our appeal as businesses must include providing the punter with something they cannot normally get either without you or with people less able than you.

A lively round.

This weeks statistics and points of note

Scott Griffiths warned us to get our requests for badges in to Paul Booth who only wants to make one order. He was also able to report on good figures for this week namely, £20,500 worth of business recorded and 18 referrals.

10-minute presentation by Catherine Foley

it was Catherine Foley’s first time. She was, as a retired teacher, equally at home In what after all was simply an older group of yobbos. And she described a frightening event in her life as being attacked by a blind sheepdog that she was singing to. They do say that if you’re blind your other senses are heightened, which perhaps explains it all. She gave a good account of her history and what brings her here. A very promising start!