FREE Membership for ONE Year

SDBN Launch 23rd of January 2009

The launch of SDBN took place on Friday the 23rd of January 2009 at Spennymoor Town Hall. The event was well attended with 181 people from businesses across South Durham taking part. The feedback was excellent and will certianly put the network on the regional map. new members have already started to join. Many thanks for all those businesses for taking part in the event.

November 2008 - SDBN Launch 23rd of January 2009

The launch event of SDBN is now planned for Friday the 23rd of January 2009 at Spennymoor Town Hall. The event will start at 12:00 with registration, lunch and refreshments.

Event outline – Come along and join the LAUNCH of South Durham Business Network (SDBN), which has been re-branded and the value proposition enhanced. This event will put the network firmly on the regional map, but will also help showcase the strength and capability of our local businesses operating under the umbrella SDBN and the wider Business Clubs North East (BCNE).

Price:    FREE for local businesses to attend

Exhibition Price: £15 per stand

Sponsorship Rates: Contact info@sdbn.org.uk or M: 07947 409838

Keynote Address: by John Elliot MBE, founder and Chairman of Ebac

To Register: please contact Darren Race on T: 07947 409838 or email info@sdbn.org.uk

August 2008 - South Durham Business Network

Due to the forthcoming Local Government changes, the Steering Group of YOUR Business Forum have decided to re-brand in light of the fact that Sedgefield Borough will no longer exist in its current format. The group agreed to re-brand to South Durham Business Network (SBDN). The website and our whole identify and appearance will change to refelct this.

May 2008 - Steering Group Agree to Membership Fees....

As we move towards re-branding the Business Forum to South Durham Business Network (SDBN), we'll also introduce membership fees inline with the other sub-regional business clubs. The pricing structure will be as follows:

• £60 p.a. for companies up to 10 people
• £90 p.a. for 11 to 49 employees
• £120 p.a. for 50 to 99 employees
• £200 p.a. for 100+ employees

April 2008 - Exciting NEW format and style for future events and meetings

Following our recent business forum meeting on the 3^rd of April it was unanimously agreed to move toward the NEW format described in the agenda and subsequent minutes.

The purpose of the changes are to provide members with:

• Access to information and knowledge relevant to business activity presented by Business Forum Members and guest speakers/presenters
• Increase the number of people and businesses attending the meetings/events from across the region including the other 9 sub-regional Business Clubs
• We will be promoting our events on Business Clubs North East website www.bcne.org.uk where 9 other business clubs can review and access.
• Provide information and access to events at other sub-regional business clubs
• Increase the opportunity for inter-trading and sales across a wider network of businesses
• Provide an opportunity for one or two businesses to present to all delegates for 2 to 3 minutes, again creating business opportunities
• And of course, informal networking both before, during and after events
• We will also offer companies the opportunity to sponsor and exhibit at these events/meetings at a low/reasonable cost
• We will also canvass your opinions to establish what you’d like to see in future events or what you can offer the forum in the context of the above format

Finally, if you have any ideas for content of a presentation you’d like to make to the membership (NOT a direct sales pitch), but information, knowledge, tips on a particular subject then please complete and return the attached template to drace@e4learningsolutions.co.uk with your full contact details. As I’m looking to pull together a schedule of meetings/events for 2008 to 2009. I can’t guarantee that we can accommodate every suggestion but I’ll work with you to review and develop suggestions. So please get in-touch with ideas and content. I think this is an exciting change providing you with the opportunity to promote your business, skills and knowledge winning new business and networking with perspective new clients/customers.

This has to be a ‘No Brainer’ so come on get involved and get in-touch!

Launch of Sunderland Business Network - 18th March 2008

Sunderland Business Network was successfully launched on the 18th of March 2008 with over 140 businesses attending. This new network was launched with the support of Business Clubs North East (BCNE) the umberella organisation now supporting and pulling together 9 sub-regional business clubs representing over 800 individual companies.

As the sub-regional business network continues to grow this develops further opportunities for businesses to network and inter-trade across the region.

Sales & Marketing Training Jan to March 2008

The Business Forum supported and heavily subsidised the delivery of three half-day workshops on Sales and Marketing in partnership with Jackie Wade of Winning Sales  www.winningsales.co.uk to help support and develop small businesses. The course catered  for  12 businesses and the feedback has been extremely positive.

Let us know if there's any training requirements you'd like to see and we'll see how we an help.

Nov 07: Structured Networking Event

YOUR Business Forum held a structured Networking event where Helen Goodman, MP for Bishop Auckland kindly addressed the audience. The event was well attended and feedback was very positive. One of our lucky participants walked away with the STAR Prize, £200 worth of gift vouchers for the Hardwick Hall Hotel.

We are planning another event next year, however, this time we plan to co-host this with either or both Darlington and Durham Business Clubs in partnership with Buisiness Clubs North East. This should draw attendance figures of 100+ offering a good business proposition in terms of sales opportunities.

Sep 07: Register with YOUR Business Forum and add your business to the ‘Business Directory’

It’s FREE and may result in new business, plus increase your position on the Google rankings. Go on, it makes sense!

Sep 07: Your Business Forum launches its NEW website www.yourbf.org.uk

We hope this will serve as a valuable tool to the local business community and members. We aim to use the website to promote the forum and your businesses via the on-line Business Directory, notify you of events, allow you to register on events, access and use the on-line forum to raise concerns/issues, request events and provide feedback. I hope you find the website useful and encourage you to provide us with feedback on its appearance, content and user friendliness.

Sep 07: Your Business Forum joins Business Clubs North East (BCNE) in August 2007

We have joined BCNE to gain access to a regional network of seven other business clubs with over 800 member companies. The rationale for this move is to build ‘Critical Mass’ i.e. the voice of many has far more influence than one. By working in partnership with other business clubs for example Darlington Business Club and Durham Business Club, which are both on our doorstep we feel we can achieve much more with less effort, bring more value to our members, share costs and events, improve business to business sales and inter trading opportunities. Quite simply, it just makes sense! If you’re a member of YOUR Business Forum you can also advertise on BCNE Business Directory.

Sep 07: Are you interested in ‘Bulk Purchasing’ discounts?

Let us know if you’d like to see the Forum negotiate a range of discounts for you by using our collective leverage. Let us know what products/services you’d like to see savings on i.e. stationary, work-wear, insurance, energy bills etc… get in-touch with your ideas. 24 Sep O7: Seminar Successes Peninsula Employment Law Update, plus H&S Seminar on the 6th of September was a great success with over 40 members in attendance. This event was excellent and well presented. What can be a very dry and boring subject was brought to life. Some important issues emerged as a consequence of changing legislation, something you can’t really afford to ignore. An enjoyable session and one we’ll look to repeat in the future.

Sep 07: Working closely with the NEW Sedgefield Engineering Forum (SEF) www.sefor.org.uk

Sedgefield Borough now has a NEW Forum focused on the Engineering and Manufacturing sectors across South West Durham. This new forum based at the Evans Incubation Centre, Durham Way South, Newton Aycliffe is focused on adding value and supporting the engineering companies locally. Michael Burnham, Business Development Manager joined the Forum in June 2007 and is presently focusing on growing the membership base. Your Business Forum aims to work in partnership with SEF as there is synergy in what both organisations are aiming to achieve and by working together we can assist and support one another with our aims and objectives.