In Focus: Talking shop
In the good old days, business deals were concluded over a pint and a handshake down the pub or over lunch at a swanky restaurant.
But thanks to the invention of email and teleconferencing, the need for face-to-face meetings has become less pressing. Technology continues to be a great enabler of communication but it has made business relationships less personal.
A fascinating offshoot of the economic downturn has been the emergence of networking groups – like-minded business individuals joining forces to share ideas and contacts.
The Yorkshire Mafia, started by Leeds-based recruiter Geoff Shepherd, started life as LinkedIn group, but extended into networking evenings and this year held its debut conference for more than 1,000 people.
In South Yorkshire, Lyons’ Den is emerging as a favourite get-together for businesses and professional firms. The group, founded by Alan Lyons of Creative Sheffield, holds informal gatherings at bars and restaurants and has now spawned a ‘Next Generation’ sub-group.
Lyons’ Den is also hosted and administered on LinkedIn - further evidence that social networking is enabling individuals to make contacts, identify new opportunities and then take these relationships into the real world.
The region’s Chambers of Commerce also do excellent work that enables businesses to get together at events, share experiences and collectively lobby for a better deal.
The reason such groups are thriving can be put down to the siege mentality that has pervaded businesses in these tough economic times. Strength in numbers. Groups help participants to realise that they are not the only one facing stiff challenges; there is a therapeutic element to these work/social hybrid occasions.
Indeed, working together is emerging as a key theme of what will be a slow and staggering economic recovery. In business, we call it collaboration.
The single biggest challenge for Yorkshire’s key city regions, if they want to stay competitive, is the degree to which they can encourage public-private collaboration. This is the issue focusing minds at the early meetings of Yorkshire’s local enterprise partnerships.
The Leeds City Region LEP board held its inaugural meeting this week, following the debut of Sheffield’s LEP late last year. Both bodies must reach out to engage local businesses to avoid accusations that they are little more than talking shops.
They could do a lot worse than tap into the emergence and growth of Yorkshire’s numerous business networks and groups. Building these relationships is essential to the future health of our regional economy.
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