Blog

Networking is an essential element of business development, a crucial skill and even a profession for some. In this context, it has nothing to do with IT and everything to do with people and relationships. We define it as the creation, development and maintenance of intricate systems of inter-personal relations with current and prospective friends, […]

Resignation is practically ‘de rigueur’ right now – not sure I even risk using a French phrase given EU antics, British political meltdown and even the English football fiasco. Setting aside politics (for fear of writing a book, not a blog), the last fortnight has not just evoked questions for the future of small business […]

Guest blog from Rosalind Henshell of Big Thinking Online, speaker at our May 2016 event on Online Marketing Essentials – Brand Building and Reputation Management (for further event info, click here).   Do Customers Really Trust Your Business? I’m sure your gut reaction says that yes, they do, but how can you prove it? Let’s […]

Colony’s next business event is a collaborative one with a large number of other support groups. I was asked recently why I would collaborate and openly promote other business support and networking groups when I run my own networking group and wish to attract future attendees. My answer is simple: The focus of a networking […]

Guest blog from Alex Platt of Swift Virtual Assistant, speaker at our March 2016 event on Social Media Scheduling (for further event info, click here). So, what exactly is a Social Media Strategy? Well to put it simply, a social media strategy is the plan for how you are going to use social media in […]

Everyone networks in a different way, and at a different pace, which explains why there are so many successful networking events offered by varying groups with differing styles and objectives and each with their own merits. The networking terrain in some locations is a busy one and so for networkers experienced or new, selection criteria need to include […]

You’re great at what you do, you set up in business and suddenly you start wearing all the business support function hats at once – multi-tasking like crazy for fear of losing managerial or financial control if you opted to outsource or employ instead. As a small business owner, you often become the sales and […]

If you’re a small business and growing then you may need to outsource – if you don’t already.  If you already outsource and are still growing, then at some point you’ll need to re-assess the pro’s and con’s of outsourcing and consider taking a leap of faith into the world of employment. So, what is […]