WiRE Blog

• If you are expecting to walk a room full of ‘suited’ business women and feeling out of place- think again! It’s very informal.
• If you think you are going to get business at your first meeting – think again! It’s about building trusting relationships.

Members of wheldrake WiRE Network

“We meet at the King’s which is a lovely old hotel. We usually have a speaker, on something of interest, we have had a ‘Show & Tell’ where everyone has 5 minutes to sell themselves or ask for what they need. We have held ’clinics’ for example on marketing, business literature and public speaking. Every few meetings we do ‘WiRE on Location’ where we visit a member’s business, and members are able to offer constructive feedback and another point of view- which works really well, in the summer we even did a treasure hunt.  There is nothing like this around here – it’s business but not Suity” Emma Heathcote-James, Network Leader, North Cotswold WiRE Network.

“It’s intriguing to see all the different types of businesses. The atmosphere is really friendly, we have a good laugh, it’s business but not serious and stayed”, Anne Hardesty, South Norfolk WiRE Network.

” We have introductions and networking, then a presentation from either a member or an external speaker, followed by a sort of show and tell where a member gives a more in depth talk about her business.  We are very flexible and listen to what members want, so the meetings differ from month to month. The group are very supportive of each other and very friendly to new members. There’s nothing like it in the Selby area, the group is more informal and less daunting than some other networking groups and the reasonable cost makes it accessible to everyone.” Kirsty Harvey, Network Leader Selby & District WiRE Network.

“Members are extremely supportive and help each other out whenever they can. They are friendly and non-judgmental and there is no feeling of competition within the group”. Kate Pratt, Network Leader Chiltern & Dacorum WiRE Network.

“We always get new people at each meeting and there is a really good mixture of businesses and a real diversity of experience. The members are just fantastic, everyone is keen to help each other. There is a really good balance of social and constructive business.” Victoria Crompton, Oswestry & Welsh Borders WiRE Network.

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Recently we caught up with Jen Tiller of Reality Quest, our Hitchin WiRE Network Leader.  Like all our Network Leaders Jen is a volunteer, she runs the network group alongside her business and she is a WiRE member.  Jen was the second network leader the group had had when she took over from Julie Foster last year.  We only expect our network leaders to be in post for a year but they often stay longer because they enjoy it and there is more they want to do.

Jen recently organised a Visitors Day for the network group with the added lure of a dessert buffet.  Money raised from the evening went to a charity. “We ended up with 27 women and there was a tremendous buzz in the room,” The evening was such a success that Jen is planning to hold another visitors evening which will support a different charity in a few months time.

“Being with people in the same boat, with people you can rely on and ask any question,” is what works well at the Hitchin WiRE Network, believes Jen, “it’s nuturing, while also being of real value to experienced business women.”

We love talking to our Network Leaders, each WiRE network is as unique as the businesses within them, but their enthusiasm and committment to supporting rural business women is the same.