Our challenge had been to get 50 people in a room for 90 minutes. We beat that! We are delighted to tell you that last nights event with 61 people (thanks too to BNI Yeats Chapter) demonstrates the level of enthusiasm in Sligo for getting out there to meet people, as a great way to build your business.

Thanks to you all for taking the time to make new connections. Remember it's the follow up that will create the real value from all that noisy work.

If you want a reminder of just how noisy it was - click here for a 17" sound blast.

Thanks to Ruth Daly of Sort It for her commanding facilitation and timely use of a whistle...

Old Fashioned Networking Sept 27th, with Ruth Daly of Sort it

Why come and network with us? Social media marketing has been a 'game changer' for networking. Suddenly we can network instantly, delightfully and globally, in the comfort of our homes. Networking face to face can seem hard work by comparison. But the question is, can you afford to discount it? Who can underestimate the impact of a warm handshake, a genuine smile, a good listening ear? This is how we start real relationships and being honest, this is how we chose who we want to do business with. Yes, the internet has propelled us forward but at SWIBN, it doesn't replace good old fashioned networking. The SWIBN Challenge: 50 people in one room for 90 mins This is an open invitation: We're inviting anyone who's got/or planning to set up a business in the region. How widely can you cast your net? If you talk to just 10 people (you might know them but you'll have something new to communicate/remind them about) and they share your information with 3 people they know, that's potentially 30 contacts you can follow up right away. Not bad for the cost, which is just 2 hours of your time. This is a FREE event, thanks to the County Enterprise Board. What you need to do: Just come and enjoy yourself. Ruth Daly of Sort it will be running the session, so you're in professional hands. Bring a business card and ideally a friend or colleague (that's your networking already started) Oh, and if you have a premises, we'd love you to put out our flyer and feel free to enthuse others.

National Women's Enterprise Day - first 10 to book go FREE

Sligo County Enterprise Board supports NWED Conference fee National Women’s Enterprise Day is now open for bookings.

Sligo County Enterprise Board will subsidise the €100 conference fee for the first 10 booking forms it receives from entrepreneurs wishing to attend the event which takes place the 16th and 17th November in Portlaoise Heritage Hotel.

Applicants must be members of SWIBN (Sligo Women in Business Network). Booking forms can be downloaded by following the link below and clicking on ‘booking form’.

Forms can be either e-mailed to info@sligoenterprise.ie or submitted by hand to Sligo County Enterprise Board, Sligo Development Centre, Cleveragh Road, Sligo. http://www.nwed.ie/home/booking-information

BPW National Conference - The Family in Ireland 2011; Challenge or Opportunity

Business and Professional Women's Association announce the launch of their National Conference on 22nd September 2011, in Galway, at the Meyrick Hotel. BPW Ireland will hold a Conference that explores the Family in Ireland 2011; Challenge or Opportunity.

The line up includes six excellent speakers and the Conference will be opened and MC'd by Mrs Fionnuala Kenny. The Conference will be of interest to parents, older people, families under financial and other strain, immigrant families and professionals engaged with any of these groups. In Sligo we have had an excellent and long relationship with the voluntary work of BPW. We would encourage SWIBN members to support the day, enjoy the opportunity to network with colleagues in Galway and meet new people from all the counties of Ireland.

Great offer of Free advertising in Irish Tatler magazine

Every month IT run a feature called the Irish Tatler exchange from a chosen county (this month they've picked us in Sligo) in order to support women in business. It's free advertising and national exposure for your business!

All you need to do is send Eleanor Hutch on EHutch@harmonia.ie three things by email:

Your business logo (if you have one)

Your contact details (phone, email, web)

A 20 – 40 word paragraph about your business

Deadline for info by Wednesday 24th August

All types of businesses including accountants, boutiques, beauty salons, florists, food producers are welcome and bigger profiles will go to 4 women who stand out from the crowd.

What are you waiting for?!

Julie Cobbe StyleFish.ie Entrepreneur Event Speaker

Want to know more about what to wear when you need to impress?
And just how to get yourself on The Dragon's Den?
Should you be thinking about franchising your business? First on our billing on Tuesday 26th July is Julie Cobbe of Style Fish.ie.

Style Fish as featured in Irish Tatler this month. “The Dragons Den answer to Gok Wan!”

Glasshouse Hotel

7.30pm

Bring your business cards.

Members FREE

Social Media business marketing course

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Following on the from the success of the May SWIBN Social Media workshop, Sligo Enterprise have offered to run two further series of three half day sessions for the Sligo Women in Business Network.

One of our members, Debbie Woodward from Logis Media is delivering the training course - http://logis.ie/

In our first session, we explored how to use LinkedIn more effectively and also how to setup a YouTube Channel and upload videos for our business. We're looking forward to next week where we will be finding out all about Facebook and Twitter

Members' Night - tell us about your business

Thanks to all our presenters for making last night a great success. Feedback has been very positive so we will repeat this event.

Odilon Hunt from AVA has offered to do a spot next month with tips for making the most of a '5 minute' opportunity to present your business. Thanks Odilon
Esther Hoad /Ireland West Learning Centre
Nuala McLoughlin / The National Learning Network
Beatrice McDonald/ Caringangels
Lily Murphy/ Blue Heron Coaching
Caroline Clancy /www.facebook.com/pages/Pink-Lime-Video-Productions/195697414178?ref=ts
Teresa Cawley/ Life and Business Coaching
Janine Boyd/Cakewalk
Deirdre McCaffrey/ Integrated Financial Services

Longford WIB - networking event 21st June

Longford WIB are hosting an enterprise 1/2 day for women in business covering Longford, Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Cavan.

There will be a number of women in the Longford area who are new to start-up and they are keen to build their contacts.

You may feel that this is an opportunity to extend your own network and in our experience, events like these are friendly and fun and make building new relationships very easy.

Tickets are 10euros and there is an opportunity to take a stand if you want to up your visibility on the day.

For further information contact Paula Hynes on PaulaHynes @longfordwomenslink.org

Banishing the mystic around Social Media marketing for Business

FREE workshop for all SWIBN members. Just bring your laptop and get stuck in. Wifi access at The Glasshouse Hotel. See you Tues 31st May at 7.30pm

Thanks to our experts for their tutoring and support on the night
Debbie Woodward - Logis.ie
Susan Monahan Bourke - Flatiron Distribution
Aoife Porter - Bua Marketing
Carolin Collins - Intandem Web Design
Lisa Lomax - Format.ie

Sligo Champion publicises the network

Sligo Champion publicises the network in an 11 page feature http://www.sligochampion.ie/news/sligo-women-in-business-11page-feature-2659015.html

Meet our networking neighbour in Mayo

We look forward to introducing our guest speaker, Olwen Dawe, President of Network Mayo and owner of Irish Business Intelligence at our next event, Tuesday 26th April at The Glasshouse Hotel.

This is another free event from Sligo County Enterprise and is open to all working women in the region.

If you are new to Sligo and would like to attend this event, you can contact amandaswibn@sligoenterprise.ie for more information. Or just show up - we'd love to meet you and find out more about your business.

SWIBN showcase a member premises- Sligo Office Supplies

In 2011 we promised to host a SWIBN event at a member's premises, as a means of profiling and promoting their business. In 2009, Martina Henry invited us into Koko Latte, and in 2010, Brid Torrades hosted us at Tobergal Lane. On March 29th, Joan Ward will welcome us to her new, Sligo Office Supplies premises.

Joan will talk to us about how she (and husband Ronnie) have grown, developed and adapted their business over the years.

Joan's daughter, a physiotherapist will show us why sitting properly on a chair, is important. If you want a seat, she will be looking for volunteers on the night for her demonstration!

The evening will include a lively mix of mega-networking, facilitated by Oonagh - where longer term members will have a chance to meet our new members and vice verser. So don't forget your business cards and expect it to be noisy!

SWIBN set sail for 2011 - creating goals that work/shop

Goal setting is a proven way to help achieve success, so why is it that 80% of small business owners say that they don't use goal setting to drive their business forward?

We know just how hard it is running your own business. January starts with wishful hopes to add, reduce and change but the 'phone is ringing and it's your clients on the line. Before you know it, you are back responding, delivering and working hard just to catch up.

Well it's not too late, it is still January (just!) so why not take the time right now to make 2011 the year you went in the direction you wanted.

SWIBN's top 10 things a goal needs, to stand the best chance:

1. Be written down

2. Be visible

3. Have a means of measuring progress

4. Have a clearly defined destination

5. Have a target date by which it/they will be achieved

6. Be set without limits

7. Expressed in the present tense

8. Have a tangible reward for achievement

9. Have a defined support infrastructure

10. Most importantly, your goal must be valued/wanted/worth it!

Goals are nothing without a BIG reason why - so we've added two more criteria for building your commitment:

1. What strength do you already have that will help you achieve your goal?

2. What will be cost to you/pain of not achieving your goal?

And to help you to accomplish your goal, like it or not, accountability is key. Here are some of the promises we made to ourselves at our recent workshop:

• Find a buddy and ask them to support you
• Use monthly business network meetings to give an update
• Open a new discussion on our SWIBN Linkedin group to post updates
• Set aside a time every week to review progress ( 1/2 hour should be enough)
• Read your goals aloud every day (being visible really helps)
• Share thoughts from the great writers on the subject - Stephen Covey and Fiona Harrold/Be your own Life Coach

Perhaps you are an old hand at this and we could learn from you. If so, send us a post- we'd be delighted to have all the help we can get.

It starts with goals - your goals. See you on Tues 25th Jan

Happy New Business Year!

Welcome once again to SWIBN, the network designed to help support you, in your business in 2011.

In January it starts with goals - your goals. And how to get more success from creating them.

Perhaps you've decided to widen your client base, to explore a new market or to increase your online sales?

Our workshop will show you how to turn a desire/aim/want into a well formed goal - where the action and the steps become clear and manifest. On the night you will have the opportunity to work together and if you chose, to share your goals with the group.

Our promise? You will come away with something useful!

We look forward to seeing you on Tues Jan 25th to start sharply at 7.30pm.

Amanda and Oonagh