Network Luton News

Network Luton meets every week to provide Members with an opportunity to network and build trusted business relationships with SMEs doing business in Luton. The not-for-profit Network meets weekly for breakfast and is becoming involved with local lobbying on behalf of it's Members. From time-to-time seminars and events are held to promote Members' companies and also develop Members' personal and business knowledge.

Network Luton is becoming known as the most friendly and flexible Network in & around and this news page reflects the continued growth and development.

21st July 2010 - 200 Strong and Growing Fast!
Network Luton, the leading business network in Luton, announced another milestone as the not-for-profit business network welcomed its 200th active Member to breakfast.

In an email to Members, Steve Whiting the Network's Founder, commented "To all of you that have supported and continue to support the Network over the past 4 years a very big thank you! In the coming months we'll be rolling-out more in the way of opportunities for the personal development of all our Members - which I'm genuinely excited about and I look forward to sharing more about this with you in the next week or so :-)"

26th May 2010 - So You Think Your Avatar is OK?
Most of us will have an avatar that we use online to depict an image of ourselves in business or in our lives outside work but what does your avatar actually say about you?

Today, John Larkin threw open the doors of his Luton Photographic Studio for a discounted portrait session exclusively for Members of Network Luton. The results clearly speak for themselves as this avatar before and after [PDF Download] created by Carl Richardson plainly illustrates. At a time when social media is receiving so much attention it's now clear to all that so many overlook the damage that a poor personal image will do. So, let's ask the question again: "So You Think Your Avatar is OK?"

9th November 2009 - Network Luton Finds A New Home!
Network Luton, the leading platform for business networking is delighted to announce that, from 18th November 2009, breakfast networking meetings will be held at the Couture Cafe & Restaurant, at Stockwood Discovery Centre, Luton. "I'm absolutely delighted to have been able to rehome Network Luton" commented Founder, Steve Whiting. "Couture is not only a fabulous venue that's well geographically placed but Couture's focus on sourcing and using locally produced, quality food fits very well indeed with our ethos."

"With the Network's continued growth finding a new venue, one that had the precise mix of factors that's made NL , become imperative. With ample parking, a wonderful menu, a beautiful outlook and with the room for Network Luton to grow, Couture is a perfect business networking venue that is just minutes from Junction 10a of the M1 and the East Luton Corridor."
[Find Couture with Google Maps] - [Download a Discovery Centre Siteplan]

23rd September 2009 - Network Luton's New Platform
Network Luton, the platform for business networking announces its first sister platform Network Leighton Buzzard, spearheaded by long-serving Member Dale Rockell and supported by local Cllr Adam Fahn. "Network Luton has over the past 3 years become an extremely popular and respected business network" commented Founder, Steve Whiting "and we're now seeking to create similar networking opportunities further afield based upon our own success model."

Dale Rockell, Founder of Stress Free explained "Despite there being a huge number of small businesses in the town the driver behind the growth of the NL Networking Model was my move to Leighton Buzzard in Febuary 2009 and the rapid realisation that, having spent so long with Network Luton, there wasn't a network in Leighton Buzzard that came close to offering such a comprehensive and supportive networking model as Network Luton. Given the ongoing dialogue about how business can survive in Leighton Buzzard I firmly believe the NL model will support the town's SMEs and hence our Luton-based Network has been invited by local Cllr and NL Member, Adam Fahn, to visit the town with a view to introducing a weekly networking meeting "NLB" and, in so doing, creating the first sister platform to Network Luton."
Learn more about the event on LinkedIn

2nd September 2009 - "Why breakfast is an important meal"
Business Monthly the business supplement of the Luton News [website] today ran the first in a series of articles by Network Luton. The first article, written by Founder, Steve Whiting, introduces the Network to readers across Luton and Dunstable outlining the elements that have made Network Luton such a popular and respected business network and hints at future expansion.
Download the article [JPG - 612k] © Premier Newspapers Ltd

20th May 2009 - Network Luton Member, Steve Windsor of Consultek, devised and delivered for Members of Network Luton a breakfast training session on the business networking website LinkedIn. In line with the Network's efforts to drive collaborative working between SME Members of fellow networking groups, 10 Members of Business for Breakfast attended and boosted the number of event delegates to 60.

18th May 2009 - Follow Network Luton on Twitter!
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21st January 2009 - Network Luton scores it's first century as Members welcomed their 100th Member along to the meeting. "I'm absolutely delighted to have reached this key milestone in our development" commented Steve Whiting, Founder of Network Luton. "When I first began planning the weekly business networking meetings almost 3 years ago I figured I'd need to create a base of 45 Members but, as time has gone on and the membership base has evolved and churned, it became clear that somewhere nearer 100 would create the sustainability we were seeking to achieve."

Network Luton now confidently secures its place in Luton as the most popular and successful business networking organisation and attributes its success to the not for profit approach which allows its Members to network in Luton as and when their business pressures permit them.

19th October 2008 - Network Luton welcomed 80 delegates to "Winning Through Collaboration" on 8th October 2008 to examine first hand the issues and challenges involved with collaborative bidding for public and private sector contracts. The over-subscribed partnership event with Luton Borough Council proved itself as a hugely successful opportunity for LBC & SME engagement, the event may well be repeated for other sectors or those businesses that weren't able to attend. [press clipping] [online article]

8th September 2008 - "Winning Through Collaboration"
Network Luton announces its first 'Gateway' event entitled "Winning Through Collaboration" to be held on 8th October 2008 and be generously sponsored by Luton Borough Council.

The free breakfast seminar, that is the result of an open and ongoing development with LBC's Regeneration Department, will introduce SMEs to the concept of Collaborative/Consortia Bidding and will allow delegates to explore the issues surrounding bidding for public/private sector tenders. An experienced panel of speakers will take delegates through the complex issues surrounding tendering and bidding and examine the new opportunities that Collaborative Bidding may open-up.

30th June 2008 - It's all about Business Service!
An update to the homepage of the Network Luton website confirms the long-held belief as to what its Members have in common; companies offering business services in and around Luton. Confirmation came in the form of a Dynamic Word Cloud that analyses, sorts and counts the words of every Member's company description and, upon launch, returned Business Services as the two most frequent keyword concepts used by Members.

23rd April 2008 - Network Luton Marks its Second Anniversary
Luton-based business networking group Network Luton marks its Second Anniversary and, spurred-on by its continuing growth, sets its sights on addressing broader business challenges faced by the innovative SME business community.

The not-for-profit Network that meets weekly now boasts 60 active Members and exists as a business networking platform for Members that wish not only to network effectively but to market their businesses, stimulate referral business and share knowledge. "We operate on a genuine, informal basis and don't force upon Members a prescriptive agenda yet we are acutely aware of our independence and our ability to represent and lobby for the innovative and entrepreneurial SMEs that are doing business in and around Luton."
Download the press release [PDF - 578k]

16th January 2008
Network Luton welcomed Mal Hussain of Luton Borough Council back to introduce the work of LBC's Environment & Regeneration Department and to deliver a presentation on the Think Luton...think success, a multi-million pound programme which is driving investment into the town and communities. The special meeting was also enriched with Members of Network in Beds

Network in Beds, a business networking group based in Bedford [http://www.nibeds.co.uk] and Network Luton have developed a growing relationship having found that both groups share a common ethos to networking. "We have held three joint meetings to-date and both recognise the network-on-network opportunity that happens when like-minded organisations join forces to develop and grow." Network in Beds meets at 7:15am on Thursdays every fortnight at the award-winning White Horse Inn on Newnham Road, Bedford.

21st August 2007
Network Luton pass the half-century as the Luton-based business networking group recruits it's 50th member. "We're now hearing on a near-weekly basis", comments Steve Whiting, Founder of Network Luton, "that our informal approach to networking is what local businesses need and not to become shackled into a rigid referral mechanism. Were that not the case, we wouldn't be picking-up so many new members from local referral syndicates".

20th June 2007
Network Luton held their second annual Golf Day at Redbourn Golf Club. The format of previous year's event was mirrored with Members' four balls competing over 18 holes followed by a three course meal. Founder of Network Luton, Steve Whiting, commented "Our Annual Golf Day gives our Members an excellent opportunity to invite customers to 'their own' golf day, usually something that only large business can achieve".

29th May 2007
Network Luton fully endorse the online networking website LinkedIn that allows users to develop and share their own professional network.

"As a group that believes in freely networking, we are pleased to fully endorse LinkedIn", commented Steve Whiting. "From today our Members are now able to further enhance their own online network profile by adding a Network Luton logo to their entry."

21st March 2007
Network Luton moved to their new meeting venue The Brache. Founding member, Steve Whiting of Sub@omic Limited, explained the reason for the move "We simply outgrew our previous meeting venue and found The Brache offered a warm and professional welcome to both the group and our Members. The facilities and support we have found at The Brache will be key to the succesful growth of our Group as we evolve the level of support offered to SMEs doing business in Luton."

14th March 2007
Network Luton ran their first open networking event of 2007. Entitled Building an Effective Elevator Pitch [download the training notes] the event was designed and delivered by Siobhan Walsh of Optimise Training & Development and 'explored and began to develop an effective approach to elevator and sales pitch delivery'.

6th October 2006
Network Luton held their first Golf Day at Redbourn Golf Club, despite the driving rain! The four ball competition, sponsored by Bellevue Garage, Miles Smith, Secure Health, Sub@omic and David Holt Associates was followed by a three course meal and a Guest Speaker Helen Emms a Mental Game Coach for Golfers.

26th April 2006
Network Luton welcomed 12 Luton businesses to its inaugural networking meeting at David Lloyd Leisure, Luton. Over breakfast, guests heard from co-founders Steve Whiting and Steve Mansfield how Network Luton came to be formed and how the Group's Ethos differs from other rigidly structured business referral groups.