What drives you?

On a lovely Spring day just over five years ago a group of people attended a very unusual and lively meeting that became the start of something special. They were all interested in building their own business that would allow them to enjoy living a good life. They all had dreams and ambitions.

Some of them decided to keep meeting and helping each other and some of them drifted off into other things.

Five years later and many of the people who continued to meet, and those who joined them since, are happy, smiling, and enjoying the sort of life that gives them the balance they need without constantly hustling and selling their souls. ?However, others have given up or are working hard, still trying to figure things out for themselves.

They all still have the same dreams and ambitions but there’s a difference. Many of those that decided to keep meeting and helping each other have built a community that is really quite astonishing. As well as helping each other build the sort of business they dreamt of and enjoying the sort of life that they wanted to live, they love belonging to a group of talented people they genuinely like, respect and admire.

What Made The Difference

Only about half of small businesses survive passed the five-year mark according to Forbes / CB Insights.

Have you ever wondered, as I have, what makes this kind of difference in people’s lives? It isn’t always just about being smart or talented or hard working. It isn’t that one person wants success and the other doesn’t.

The difference is in what each person knows and how they make use of that knowledge.

That’s why I’m writing about this very special network of people, because the whole purpose of the network is to help people share knowledge – knowledge that they can use in business to help each other not only survive but thrive.

The name of the network comes from Dan Pink’s fascinating book “Drive” in which he examines the motivation of people in business. He says “People who choose to do the work they really want to do have an inner DRIVE to be good at what they do, to be self-directed and connected” and he talks about three driving motivations – AUTONOMY, MASTERY, and PURPOSE.

A network unlike any other

You see, Drive, the Network, is a unique organisation. It's the only business network where members pursue autonomy, mastery and purpose while actively being connected to others doing the same, and sharing knowledge for no reason other than they can. They don’t expect any rewards, kickbacks, quid pro quo or karma. There are no strings attached.

Each day, members share their expertise, experience, knowledge and talent.

Each day, their businesses grow stronger because they support each other. Our members are talented and smart with a huge variety of skills and experience and in the fast-moving world of business they’re always learning but never on their own.

Knowledge Is Power

Right now, I’m looking at one member who is approaching a million pound turnover in their first year and another who started a business during furlough who has a very different set of skills, knowledge and experience. They both have things to share and things to learn from each other.

As well as the usual business topics of bookkeeping, pricing, sales, marketing, profitability, and time management, I see discussions on neurodiversity, sustainability, ethics, and boundaries and the all-important topic of well-being, physical and mental health and having a good life outside of business.

And in our Learning Hub there are articles and workshops on every aspect of running a business filled with fascinating and significant information that's useful to you. Our members share insights into how people manage the unique challenges of managing small businesses so that you can move faster and easier as you make your own progress.

If you’ve never experienced this unique style of networking it’s hard to imagine how useful it can be to you.

How do you access all this knowledge and support

We have a LinkedIn Group with 900+ members for sharing news, making connections and building relationships without the spam or sales pitches that ruin so many groups.

There are weekly Zoom meetings for Subtle Networking, business brainstorming and ?problem solving.

A private Slack Group, available 24/7, is where specific questions are answered and a lot of learning and support takes place. There are no stupid questions.

Workshops, articles, and business programmes are available in the Learning Hub.

Peer group mentoring, accountability and support are available by arrangement.

A Trusting Subscription

Unlike many business networks we don’t ask you to subscribe for a year at a time. We are so confident that you will like what we offer that we allow you to control your own subscription one month at a time. Put our statements to the test by subscribing for one month at ￡29.95 and if you don’t think you’re getting good value simply cancel at any time with no obligation.

It’s a perfect way to get acquainted with our members.

Simply go to www.drivethenetwork.com click on “Join Now” and fill in your details and we will start supporting you immediately.

About those two sets of people I mention at the beginning of this message: they were all in much the same situation five years ago. So what made their lives in business different?

Knowledge. Useful knowledge. And its application.

An Investment In Success

I can’t promise you that success will be instantly yours if you become a member of Drive. But I can guarantee that you will find your business life easier, more interesting, exciting, and fun. ?And a lot less lonely and anxious.

P.S. It's important to note that your membership subscription is tax deductible. It’s a business expense and an investment in your future.

Ask your tax advisor :)