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If you haven’t yet connected with Siobhan Fitzpatrick, I urge you to do so now. Keep reading and I’ll share out her contact details, as today we dive into The Networking Hub – A Network Overview.
The Journey So Far
Many of Ireland’s networking fraternity will be familiar with Siobhan’s trojan work in developing networking and women’s networks in Ireland. She is a former franchisee of WIBN, or Women in Business Network, in Ireland.
She brought the network to Ireland, having been a member in the UK for some time. When she emigrated back to our Emerald Isle she realised she didn’t have a network and needed to start building one…and therein lay the start of her journey.
Siobhan was no newbie to moving countries or starting to develop her network, as she had previously done it both in the US and the UK. You can read more on Siobhan’s career and trajectory here.
Under Siobhan’s steerage, WIBN accounted for 13 networking groups around the country from Dublin, Cork, Galway, Wexford and Kilkenny, amassing a noteworthy 150 members.
The Covid Impact
All was going well…and then that #Covid19 thing hit the decks and all did not go according to plan. Her members struggled, alongside the whole business community, as doors shut, income dried up and before Siobhan knew it, WIBN was on its knees.
As with many dark clouds, however, there came a silver lining. She was able to cut her franchise contract short and start working on a plan for a new network, one fashioned out of her vision and experience.
The Networking Summit
So I’m going to skip back in time a little, to 2018. Siobhan had the brainchild and idea to set up a summit to bring speakers and delegates together with a view to amplifying the knowledge out there about networking.
The Networking Summit was formed and was successfully held in 2018 and 2019. You can read about the synopsis of outcomes in the two blogs that I’ve linked here. 2020 had already been put on hold and, all going to plan, Siobhan will host the next Networking Summit in February 2021. I’ll be the first to sign up!
To The Present Day
I have a reason for telling you Siobhan’s journey…and this takes me to her logo. You’ll notice the three circles and symbols which portray her current path. They stand for:
- The Networking Hub
- The Networking Academy
- The Networking Summit
So let’s break it down and tell you more about how it all works.
The Networking Hub
The Networking Hub is a professional development platform which provides key resources to help amplify your business and career as a Micro or SME business owner, leader and professional. Whether new or experienced at networking, The Networking Hub and its community will support you through:
The Network itself is a membership of likeminded business professionals, business owners and leaders who meet regularly to engage in compelling conversation, big thinking and lively facilitated structured meetings on topics that matter.
With a strong focus on developing and building relationships where the possibilities are infinite. Sharing knowledge, experience and connections to support one another in what we do.
Types of Business
The Networking Hub is a gender neutral networking space for businesses in the business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) markets. There is an open seat policy, i.e. more than one business from any sector or category can attend, e.g. if you are a web designer in Cork, you can network and learn alongside a web designer in Dublin and so on.
Attending
You don’t have to be a member to attend the meetings*, educational courses or TheNetworkingSummit.
*you can attend up to 4 before making a decision on membership
Location
You do not have to be based in any particular place as they conduct the meetings via Zoom. Businesses are welcomed from across the country (and beyond).
The Networking Academy
The Networking Academy is a professional development portal, educating individuals and organisations in the skills, resources and mindsets to achieve greater success for businesses and careers through networking.
The Networking Summit
This is an annual event built on the four foundation pillars that make successful networkers – Personal Brand | Performance | Communication | Networking.
Who Should Attend
The Networking Hub is for individuals and business owners who are in a business development role or a marketing role and who are:
- Driven and self-motivated
- Hungry to learn and grow professionally
- Have the ability to fail and learn from the experience
- Supportive to others
- Genuine, authentic and relatable
- Giving of their time and experience to support the growth of others
- Professional
- Respectful
- Value their reputation and network
Benefits of Membership
Siobhan has an expanding and developing range of benefits for members, including:
- A monthly attendance at one of the online networking meetings.
- Access to one free training session through The Networking Academy
- 40% discount of The Networking Summit tickets.
- But ultimately it’s all about the network. It’s about access to a supportive community of business owners who together to thrive and to lift each other up.
How to Join In
You can find Siobhan Fitzpatrick on Linkedin here and on Twitter.
If you’d like to book into any of The Networking Hub events, you can save your place through Eventbrite here.
To attend a meeting, the cost is €25 per meeting. As mentioned above, you are welcome to attend 4 meetings before becoming a part of the full network, to reap the benefits of all three strands of The Networking Hub.
Why not book a visit today or connect with Siobhan directly to disccuss how it will benefit your business?
My Contacts
If you have other ideas and suggestions, I’d love to hear them. You can reach out to me at hello@networkingjean.ie.
Getting Social
And do connect in with me on Linkedin and Instagram. (I’m also on Twitter and Pinterest)
Let’s keep the #networking conversation going!
Mailing List
You can join my mailing list too and I’d love to have you on board.
If you like the article, please do share it on to help someone else who might benefit from this message and knowledge.
Jean Evans great article and content as always!! Hopefully catch up soon!