As usual the romford group was buzzing with enthusiasm as only a group from Romford really could, the humour was typical Essex humour and the team yet again pulled of another superb meeting.

Our 4sighter giving his very first 4Networking presentation was Mark Ball from Holgate court Accountants and during his 15 minutes he took us back to basics talking about cashflow, where our money actually goes and things to consider when the financial year ends and how to plan for that inevitable bill by the tax man. Marks experience shone through and he answered some very tricky questions confidently and efficiently proving he knows his accounting inside and out as a good accountant should.

It constantly amazes me that at each and every 4networking meeting I go to I learn something new which can and does have a positive effect on my courier business.

If you would like to come along to our next business networking meeting in Romford please feel free to contact me directly on 07816 528421 or book in via the website here

rgds

Kev

Back to our last meeting we had Larry Weller from Alarmscom giving our 4sight, his company provides solutions for the deaf and hard of hearing in relation to fire alarms, he talked about the legislation and fire safety, a topic that any business operating from an office, warehouse or shop should certainly be thinking about as the fines for not complying with fire regs are high.

The southend team again delivered a timely and efficient meeting and supported by Affinity which provided our venue and the food, all in all it was another inspiring meeting full of energy and business was done.

Look out for our next meeting at southend and if you would like to come along all you need to do is book on here or call me on 07816 528421 if you would like to find out more.

rgds

Kev

Mags Little

AloeBee

Business Owner

1 Year Trading

Business based in Wickford

mags@aloebee.co.uk

www.aloebee.co.uk

07768 767606 

In a previous life I was employed and as part of that job I undertook business networking, and actually coming into contact with lots of business owners I realised that I was more than capable of running my own business. However the only problem was that I didn’t know doing what, until I was shown the Forever Living Products Opportunity. 

With Forever I could see that I could have my own business but never be on my own, because of all the support that the Forever Business Model provides. I could also see that I could build a big income by helping other people, which is what I had been doing all my working life, and that by building a royalty income I could build a massive income which I could use as a pension in the future. 

Forever Living Products are the World’s largest grower of Aloe Vera and also the World’s largest Bee Keeper – hence the name AloeBee. I am based at home in Wickford in Essex however this does not mean I am limited to the local area and I have so far grown my business in Essex, London, and Hertfordshire, and am looking to grow an international business too. 

My business is all about helping people. Firstly helping people with our fantastic Aloe Vera and Beehive Products, which can help people be healthier, and help people suffering with all sorts of ailments and conditions, including Arthritis, IBS, Crohns, Colitis, Ezcema, Fatigue and many more. Secondly I help people build an income, whether it is £200, £500, £1,000 or £10,000 + a month. 

Basically my ideal customer would be someone who is interested in improving their health or someone looking for extra cash to help with the bills, or someone who wants to build an income and build their own business. Most people who start a business with Forever start on a part time basis, fitting it around existing commitments whether it is an existing job or family commitments. This business is totally flexible and can fit into the nooks and crannies of their lives. A full time income can be achieved on part time hours, with effort, energy and commitment. 

Business Networking forms a large part of my business activity and I am an active member of 4Networking, and being a Passport Member am a regular attendee at five 4N Meetings, and am Group Leader at 4N Basildon. 4Networking is proving successful, however it is so important to be friendly, engaging and I try hard to pass referrals to other 4N members as frequently as I can, and will go out of my way to follow up a referral for someone. 

I love having my own business, and I love doing what I do, however if I had my time again I would have pushed out of my comfort zone a lot sooner than I did. Personal development is key in this business and in order for my business to grow I needed to grow as a person too, and I do this now by reading all sorts of personal development books. 

‘You were born to be a winner, but to be a winner you must plan to win and prepare to win’ Zig Zigla

I love networking. For me, it’s about meeting new people, building relationships and eventually working together. One of my new favourites is 4networking where the meetings are relaxed enough to be fun, but structured enough to be productive.

4networking works slightly differently to other groups like BNI and BRX. Where the more formal groups only allow one member from each discipline, 4networking allows as many members from one discipline as possible.

Now, you may be saying, “What a nightmare, 4 financial advisers sitting in a room”, but for me, It has been an interesting experience, but perhaps not in the way you expect.

As you may know, a “Financial Adviser” or “Financial Planner” can come in many guises…you have fully independent whole of market financial advisers, multi tied or single tied financial advisers. You also have individuals who can only provide protection and mortgage advice compared with individuals who can provide advice across a range of different advice areas ( including retirement planning and investment planning needs ).

Let me make this clear, I’m immensely proud to be a fully independent, diploma qualified financial planner who can provide a wide range of advice in a number of areas. I also appreciate and understand that it takes all sorts, and there are individuals out there who are multi tied, protection only, or commission only.

However, what I’ve found is, and how do I put this politely, there is a degree of, erm, misrepresentation some individuals display when talking about their business.

I’ve heard advisers who are linked to a limited product range call themselves “Independent”, as well as protection only advisers call themselves “Financial Planners”. For me, as a little meerkat would say, “It’s simples”…be open, honest and transparent about how you work, and provide your clients with the full picture before you engage with them.

Now, whilst the behaviour of these individuals is no threat to my business ( I’m happy to continue to build long term sustainable relationships with clients who trust me ), it does mean that the clients of these “Advisers” are not provided with all the information they need to make an informed choice and are therefore may be put in a position where they understand that their adviser is independent, when in actual fact they recommend the same providers day in and day out.

In my opinion, this can only lead to greater distrust in a profession where there are a number of great independent financial planners who can genuinely help you manage your money more effectively. For me, that’s a huge shame!!

What do you think?

As ever Mags Little from Aloebee was at the helm and actually remembered everyone’s name this week. Charlie Brown did a great job at booking everyone in and parting them with their £10 and Chris Daems was there networking like mad.

Our 4sighter at this meeting was Chris Daems from Principal financial solutions and he gave a great and honest talk about what to look for in a Independent financial Adviser.

from my point of view the highlights were discussing what makes a financial adviser truly independent. How the new regulations are forcing people to become compliant in regards to qualifications or they can’t trade and also some questions you should be asking to make sure you are getting the serive you are looking for.

Our next 4sighter at Basildon on the 2nd September is our very own operations assistant and resident marketing genius Charlie Brown from Charlie Brown Associates and he will be talking about his 6 friends.

If you want to come along please book in directly here otherwise please feel free to email me directly. If you havent been networking before or have not been to a 4networking event don’t worry we are a friendly bunch and will make sure your experience is a positive one.

rgds

Kev