Who are you spending time with? By Tina Zawila

I just re-read this quote “You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with”, and it reminded me just how important it is to surround yourself with people who you respect, admire and who want the same things in life as you do!

In Gladstone lately, we have noted an increase in the number of opportunities available to business owners to network and learn from each other.  Whether it is via established organisations such as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry or more informal groups of small business owners coming together to share and support each other.

At Sothertons we encourage this interaction, and in fact offer our own eClub as an opportunity for business owners to come together to obtain professional advice in a group setting, and as a by-product, the opportunity to network with other business owners.

Recently, Steve and I have held a couple of our eClub meetings for small groups of business owners, and we were overwhelmed with the positive feedback from attendees.  

In our current economic climate, it is more important than ever to have access to professional advice and to know that there are others out there experiencing the same challenges as you.  Utilising a group setting is an ideal way to leverage professional advice (and share the investment with others) and to network for success.

However, as always, you should also take care when taking advice from others.  At times the information shared during a casual networking function may not necessarily be absolutely correct, or applicable to your individual circumstances, especially if it relates to financial, taxation or legal matters.  For these matters we strongly recommend only taking advice from professionals in the relevant industry.   So if you are unsure about something you have been told, please seek a professional opinion before acting on any general ‘advice’.

Nevertheless, the message is clear - if you are in business, you are not alone! 

Seek out opportunities to network and improve your skills and knowledge as a business owner.   Contact the team at Sothertons on 4972 1300 to register your interest in our next eClub meeting.