NETWORKING

from Business Connect Magazine - October/November 2021

DIGITAL MARKETING

The Business Graham Shiers has built a solid reputation for encouraging entrepreneurial values, emergent talent and stimulating business development and growth Catalyst Club alongside funding services, with particular focus on the Northern network of business contacts by business community, acting as facilitating new commercial and a trusted source of introduction professional introductions whilst between new and existing business providing an effective platform contacts. for a small number of companies With a background in retail, seeking growth capital to showcase manufacturing and the legal their proposals to our members sector, Graham also has over 20 and guests – many of whom are years’ experience of organising private or institutional investors and delivering effective and and lenders. aspirational corporate networking “However, it’s not always about events. the money, but knowing how “We originally launched the to work smartly - taking advice, Business Catalyst Club in Leeds making the right contacts and and following a large number of using their experience to help grow requests from our North West your business - and one way the contacts, we have also launched Business Catalyst Club facilitates into Manchester. this is via the BCC Virtual Advisory “The Business Catalyst Club Board which we launched in June. enhances business relationships by “The BCC Virtual Advisory Board bringing together entrepreneurs, comprises talented experts from investors and decision makers to amongst our membership offering share new and exciting business no-nonsense practical advice and opportunities. perspectives covering a truly wide range of issues and situations.“Our quarterly invitation-only Business Catalyst Club Lunch events in both Leeds and Manchester are designed to deliver added value to our extensive “I personally spend a large proportion of my time connecting people and making strategic introductions - the more we understand about our member’s businesses, the type of people they want to do business with, and where they are going with the business, brings so many new and varied opportunities across my desk, including business sales and acquisitions, Buy Ins, Buy Outs and off-market property and land deals to list but a few. “We aren’t sector specific. Any and all businesses are represented at The Business Catalyst Club, with both SME and professional decision-maker members from everything from law, finance and marketing to manufacturing, construction and Fork Lift Trucks! Graham Shiers, Catalyst Club Director And because we keep attendance at that decision-maker level, the amount of business that goes on both in and out of our Lunches is simply incredible. “Charity plays a big part of my life, and so at each Lunch we feature a voluntary charity draw. We simply ask each guest to make a donation and rather than pick a charity of our own, on each occasion the winner of the draw nominates a charity of their choice to receive the money. On occasion we also highlight local charities to our members and guests that may need more than simply money, be it volunteers, advice or services.” Business Catalyst Club Membership is available to decision makers from all walks of business life including entrepreneurs, MDs, directors, business partners and owner managers. Membership includes four Lunches over the year plus members can invite a decisionmaker guest on each occasion at no extra cost.