New Year, New Events!

Date: 17-02-09

The Sheffield Business Club kicked off its new year events programme with a busy breakfast session at SUFC’s Legends of the Lane venue. 30 representatives from all sectors of the business community attended and enjoyed a hearty cooked “full English” and amongst the networking discussed top tips on how to trade through the recession:



Marketing expert Tracy Viner advised her table that it was more important than ever to maintain contact with clients. The time invested calling customers and understanding their issues during these tougher times is time well spent as clients tend to remember those suppliers and advisors that were more flexible and hadn’t forgotten about them.



Peter Rawlinson, Partner at Wake Smith & Tofields, said it was vital that businesses ensured their terms and conditions were up-to-date. Customers who fail to pay or pursue a defensive or litigious approach to avoiding payment are more easily defeated if businesses have robust terms and conditions which provide certainty. It’s easier to collect and enforce debts if you have proper terms in place.



Networking was an important aspect of marketing and maintaining contacts – it takes 12 “touches” to capture a new client so make sure you’re working hard to promote your business. The Sheffield Business Club being just the right environment to develop those networking skills.



Kevin Elliot, director at Yorkshire Bank, said that reviewing “slow payers” was even more crucial as cash flow will be restricted. Kevin provided some very useful forecasting information about how the bank views the economic outlook.



Paul Chapel, from Costco, and first time visitor to the Club (hopefully he’ll be joining!!) commented that it was important to keep refreshing product offers and ideas. His store are offering a wide range of innovative price incentives and he offered to host an event in the future.



We’d like more ideas from members to help business survive and thrive this difficult period. Newly appointed chair, Kevin Elliot underlined the Club’s principal objective was to help businesses in South Yorkshire and members should support local businesses when considering their next purchase. The Sheffield Business Club is here to support such activities and develop the local economy.