Using your network to create business development opportunities

Anna Stubbs • July 25, 2024

People buy from people. It’s an obvious observation beloved of salespeople, but it’s also why networking is such a powerful tool for creating business development opportunities.

 

Networking helps build relationships with other professionals, share ideas and learn from each other. By connecting and partnering with the right people, you can create meaningful business relationships – relationships that may lead to new and innovative business opportunities.

Networking as your blueprint for success

 

Building a successful business network is essential. But how do you start developing these relationships with customers, suppliers and other business owners? And how does connecting with your peers help you broaden the scope of your opportunities?

 

Building up your network and connecting with people helps you:

 

  • Find potential customers and expand the reach of your brand – attending trade conferences and industry workshops gets you in front of your target audience. It’s a chance to chat, find out customer pain points and understand your audience.
  • Meet new business partners – networking at the right trade events also helps you meet other business owners in your sector, and in other complimentary industries. It’s an opportunity to forge new partnerships and create co-branded opportunities
  • Get referrals from trusted members of your network – when you have trusted relationships in your network, these people are far more likely to recommend your business to their own network. Word-of-mouth promotion is the best kind, after all.
  • Locate the perfect mentor – we all have something to learn from more experienced members of our network. This is a golden opportunity to seek out a mentor who can give you advice, share their experience and improve your management skills.



By taking the time to nurture your network and build relationships with the right people, you can open up a world of possibilities for your business. As a business adviser working across multiple sectors, we can introduce you to new people, connections and opportunities.

 

If you’re looking for an introduction to a new network, come and talk to us.

Business credit: using loans to grow your business

By Anna Stubbs • August 21, 2025
Whatever stage you’re at in the business journey, having an injection of additional working capital is always welcome. Being able to borrow money and take on managed debt in the business is what allows you to fund the next stage in your growth. But how does your credit profile affect your ability to borrow as a business? And what types of debt financing will help you expand, grow and scale up the company? Let’s explore the impact of your risk rating and the types of finance that may be available  Your credit profile: and how it impacts your ability to borrow Your credit profile is a measurement of your risk as a borrower. It’s how banks and specialist business lenders assess whether you’re a good business to lend to. Lenders want to know you have the revenue and cashflow needed to repay a loan. This will generally be assessed based on your business credit score and your overall financial health and forecasted business performance. With a good business credit score, your application for a loan is more likely to be accepted. With a poor credit profile, those doors to potential lending are more likely to be closed.

5 ways to get in control of your business finances

By Anna Stubbs • August 21, 2025
Having proper control of your business finances is a big advantage. It helps you make well-informed business decisions and keeps your organisation profitable. With so many digital tools for managing your bookkeeping, accounting and management reporting, it's never been easier to manage, track and forecast your financial position. But what are the main tools you need? And how do you set up your financial systems, apps, processes and reporting to put yourself back in the finance driving seat?

Protecting you and your business: using trusts

By Anna Stubbs • August 21, 2025
Have you ever wondered about the best ways to protect you and your business? In this series, we’ll look at the key ways to use trusts, insurance and risk-management techniques to protect both your personal assets and the future of the company. In this article, we’ll look at how you can use a trust to shelter your assets.