Have You Heard The Buzz? I Certainly Have!

At the moment there is a lot of talk of how Business Buzz is shaking up the networking world. They are accessible for all in Business, innovative in their thinking & the people who walk through their doors or join us online really matter. Business Buzz offers probably the best networking experience.

I am proud to be part of the Business Buzz Family & so, I am going to share my story to success with you.

When I started my business in January 2017, I made a very conscious decision that my primary marketing tool was to get out from behind my desk & to go networking. At the time I owned & operated the Buddha Travel brand. Experience told me that many travel consultants take the perceived easy route of using friends & family to create initial pipeline & then try to do everything online & to hide behind emails. That is not my style. I like interacting with people face-to-face.

Early into my self-employed journey I discovered Business Buzz. Although, I tried many other networking formats I returned time & time again to Buzz. It has been an anchor in business & my path to success.

You may ask why? That is easy to answer! There is no membership pressure, the format is relaxed, there is no time wasting on elevator pitches, seminars or speeches that most people never listen too or enjoy, conversation is king to which most of the time is dedicated. Each event is run by an independent business owner who actual cares about your visit to their event so it is always welcoming & friendly. The People running the events know all of their visitors, they are on hand to make introductions & there are no egos. Finally, Buzz is not in competition with anyone else. Business Buzz is the best at what they do. Really, what is not to like?

I started my Business Buzz journey as an attendee, where I made some amazing connections & saw my business grow. As I mentioned before I liked the social conversation-based format, which is the Business Buzz trademark. I like Buzz so much that I wanted to become more involved. So, when a Buzz event opened a monthly event in my local town; Bicester, it seemed a no-brainer to grasp the opportunity & so I came onboard as the Ambassador for Bicester Buzz. Being in this role allowed me meet everyone that walked through the door, to become a well-known face & to allow the Host to manage the room, without the worry about the meet & greet process. It also allowed me to gain an insight into how to maximize my time at Buzz. It showed me the potential positive impact becoming a Buzz Host could have on my travel business. After a few months I reached out to Buzz Co-Founder: Katrina Sargent & we discussed the option of me becoming a Buzz host! 

Who would have known that I was going to be so great at this? In October 2018 I launched Business Buzz's 16th monthly event in Thame, South Oxfordshire.

For me, shifting up a gear to become a Buzz Host saw a dramatic change in the awareness of my business & personal profiles. I went from simply being an attendee in the melee of the networking room to becoming a super-well connected, “go-to” person for the local business community. I became the person other business people wanted to connect with & to spend time with. I saw a significant uplift in quotes & conversions. Being part of a trusted networking brand certainly made the difference & the support I received from the team at Buzz gave me to confidence to make Thame Buzz a success.

Being a Buzz host has allowed me to hone some on my natural skill-set. I have an initiative 360-degree approach, which enables me to build a loyal group of like-minded key businesses people to whom I can make genuine & valued referrals. This in turn enhances the visitor experienced of coming to Buzz. My social media skills have come to the fore in marketing my Buzz events. I am now a confident user of Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook. I would never have considered social media as a space I felt comfortable in before. Just look at what I can do now!

Ultimately, I made my Business Buzz space welcoming, vibrant & a place where people want to come to meet others & connect. Part of this success is finding the time to have 121 conversation with as many people as I can, separate to the Buzz meeting. An hour spent finding out about another business owners' products, services, or their journey means they become invested in myself, my brand & Business Buzz. Have a genuine & honest 121 conversation is always is a mutually beneficial exercise & is where the real power of networking lies.

From a standing start I built a Business Buzz event for Thame that was one of the best attending in the Buzz monthly calendar. A not to be missed networking event. In running this event I set my own goals high & through hard work I exceeded my own expectations.

However, my Business Buzz journey did not stop there. The next phase is kind of straightforward & logical step. To become a Business Buzz Regional Lead!

Now, in addition to running my own events, I can support others business owners to become successful Buzz Hosts in their own right, to become part of the Business Buzz family & to support them in the personally & professionally growth. I currently manage a region that includes Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull & the ceremonial county of Warwickshire.

I am not saying that I did not have concerns in taking this next step. New pressures & seeing Buzz from a different angle took me out of my comfort zone (but that is healthy & innovation is the key to success).

I left my travel business behind, re-branded & re-focused to become a full-time professional super-connector, networker & event manager. My new brand contains vestiges of the old, but with the encouragement of my Thame connections Buddha Connect was born.

The really powerful thing is that at a regional level Business Buzz offers a model that can deliver a healthy incoming year on year. It is exciting to be part of a brand that is growing, & to be a crucial part of that growth moving forward.

Since making this decision to become a Regional Lead, I have overseen the arrival of four new events to the Buzz portfolio for Warwick, Rugby, Coventry & Birmingham with on-going conversation with potential new hosts for other towns in my region. It has been hard work to get to where we are right now, but hugely rewarding.

My team of Hosts, Ambassadors, Venue Partners & Event Sponsors are an amazing group of people & local businesses. The arrival of Coronavirus has presented challenges for everyone. Business Buzz took a measured & thoughtful approach on how to continue. Because we didn't rush to bring Buzz to virtual world, this meant they we found the right solution that replicates our face-to-face events really closely. The Remo platform has been a game changer for Buzz & has made us one the market leaders in the virtual networking world.

I’m going to be honest & say that my journey of self-employment hasn’t been the straightest or the easiest of routes. I suffer from high levels of anxiety, but Business Buzz has allowed me to develop, enhance & to discover new skills that I did not know I had in a safe & supportive environment. Their inclusive approach helps mitigate much of my own fears, worries & anxiety. Thanks to Business Buzz I am more confident in my own abilities & know I am on the road to long term success & prosperity.

Are you interested in becoming part of the Business Buzz Family? To find-out more simply email the team at Buzz HQ on [email protected] to start the conversation. You have so much to gain!