Ready and raring to go in 2025

posted in: Uncategorised 0

What a fantastic start we made on our first meeting of 2025. We had a full house, which included our 2 newest members, Judy and Leighton, who joined at the end of 2024, plus a visitor. There really was a buzz and a lot of energy in the room during the informal chat, the 2 minute pitches, and the great 10 minute presentation given by Rory, further explaining his business, Keystone IT Ltd which provides innovative IT solutions and services to local businesses across various industries.

Steve introduced the ‘Sock it to ’em’ award, to be given quarterly to the member who has made the biggest impact – awarding the first one to Ian Clay for his recently published book, ‘It was 40 years ago today’,  which kept a number of our members entertained over the Christmas period. Copies can be bought on Amazon for those who wish to see what they’re missing.

Ian is obviously on a roll as he also won the ‘Networker of the year’ award for 2024, presented at our Christmas dinner in Edwinstowe House. This is awarded for a combination of attendance, number of guest invites, and a members vote at the end of the year. These are all lighthearted awards, with a little gravitas at the core; networking at BIG is informal and friendly, based on building working relationships rather than a focus on how many business cards we can pass around – and it works. It may take a little time as good referrals depend on trust, but we find they are more effective than a scattergun business card approach.

2024 has been a good year for BIG, with the group growing and meetings well attended. As mentioned, we finished the year with an excellent Christmas dinner which was hosted by Edwinstowe House where we hold our meetings. The food was so plentiful that even Andy had to hold his hands up and declare he’d eaten enough.

Here’s to making 2025 a successful and profitable year.