CORBY Business Network had reason to celebrate recently when it held a special birthday meeting.
Marking one year since the group launched, 25 people attended the meeting at the Core Theatre at Corby Cube and joined in a party game which saw attendees answer quiz questions and those who answered correctly donned hats to give 60-second pitches to the room.
They also enjoyed slices of chocolate cake and sang a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’.
Corby Business Network was launched by group leader Debi Noone with support from Emma Speirs in March 2017 after they attended the neighbouring Kettering Business Network group and thought the format – which sees the monthly meetings move around the town to showcase a different venue each time – could work in Corby. Since then the group has held 13 meetings across 10 different venues, attracting 489 people in total.
Debi, who also runs her own business support company called Outsourced Virtual Office, said: “Since day one we have heard people tell us that ‘networking doesn’t work in Corby’. We have not found that to be the case. Businesses have welcomed the chance to get together and meet with other local companies based on their doorstep in an informal setting. We have seen this lead to valuable relationships being created and business being done as a result, which has boosted our local economy as we are keeping business in our town that may have been done elsewhere.
“Over the last 12 months we have run 13 events – 14 including our birthday meeting – that have consistently pulled in 20+ people a time. We are proud to disprove the ‘networking doesn’t work in Corby’ theory and see Corby Business Network continue to thrive.”
Corby Business Network meets on the fourth Thursday of every month from 9.30am to 11am. No membership is required and £4 is payable on the door. For more information, visit www.corbybusinessnetwork.co.uk
PHOTO: Robyn Allen, Emma Speirs and Debi Noone celebrate the Corby Business Network turning one.