“Feeling Welcome from the Moment You Walk In”- Successful Rural Start Up Networking Events

At the end of February, we hosted the first of our Rural Start-up Networking Events.  The events were focused on social media for small businesses with guest speakers from Adventure Cal and the Coastal Custodian.  Between the two locations of Wark and Amble we welcomed over 20 attendees into a warm and informal networking environment.  Connections and collaborations were made, and it was wonderful to bring together rural small business owners with each other to share stories, successes and struggles. 

The event included a workshop to help small business owners develop a social media plan as efficiently and easily as possible.  Attendees left with a handbook of completed tasks and an action plan to make effective and positive change.  And as always, the knowledge that support is always available from your trusted rural start-up advisers.

Key take-aways – if you wait to be fully ready, you might never get started!  When it comes to social media for small businesses, consistency is key.  People can’t find you if you are not visible, and a slow and steady level of valued and engaged followers is better than a million strangers. 

We had a great time bringing our clients together and felt the events were a great success! But don’t just take our word for it, see what an attendee had to say below.

There’s something powerful about walking into a room and immediately feeling welcome.  That was my experience last night at the Rural Start Up Networking Event at Battlesteads Hotel & Restaurant, organised by the Rural Design Centre.  Charlotte and Simon - thank you for the warmth, the thoughtfulness and the genuinely supportive tone - it set the evening up beautifully. And such leadership matters more than we sometimes realise.  – Jane Fisher, Fresh Perspectives

We are looking forward to developing more events like these in the future.  We welcome all feedback and suggestions so if there is anything you would like to see then please reach out and let us know! Charlotte.hope@ruraldesigncentre.com