Business Networking Groups in Bristol
Getting your business involved with networking in Bristol is a great marketing technique to develop strategic business relationships! However with such a large number options, where do you begin?
Business Networking Groups in Bristol
Here I aim to go through the networking groups that are available to Bristol based small businesses in 2023 – it would be impossible to make a definitive list of all groups, but this is a start and should save you some of the many hours I recently spent Googling for information on different groups. Where possible, I have identified if groups are face to face or online, the day they meet and how long the meetings are.
I have also tried my best to show where a group is “one member one seat” i.e. only one person from any given occupation is allowed to join that group. This structure certainly has a “marmite” element to it – some love it some hate it. The advantage is that you are not competing against fellow members in the same industry for referrals, however when you do something like website design as I do, then the vast majority of groups already have a website designer in them so finding one can be tricky!
BNI
View the global website or the Bristol and Somerset website.
One member per category – you belong to a single group (chapter) where you will be the only person of your profession
Combination of face to face, hybrid and online only groups
Meetings usually last approx. 2 hours and are held weekly
Originally formed in the USA by Dr Ivan Misner, BNI describes itself as ‘The world’s leading business networking and referral organisation’. Each group is called a Chapter (many of the Bristol groups were named after prominent cricketers such as BNI Compton, Hadlee and Grace). Members actively look for referrals for other members, which means BNI can be a great way to grow your business – but you will also be accountable for looking for referrals for other members. To find a group which you are eligible to visit (i.e. there is nobody of your profession in the group already) then contact BNI via the Bristol and Somerset website: https://bni-bas.co.uk/en-GB/contactus.
4N
Combination of face to face and online only groups
Meetings usually last approx. 90 minutes (online) or 2 hours (face to face)
Once you are a member you can visit any group, and each meeting is held fortnightly
4 Networking (4N) describe themselves as “50% social and 50% business”. Originally setup by founder Brad Burton in Taunton, the group now spans the UK. The Bristol face to face group is help in Portishead every other Friday, but there will also be a number of online groups you are able to visit too. Your first meeting is free.
1N
One member per category – you belong to a single group (chapter) where you will be the only person of your profession
Online Only
Meetings last 90 minutes and are held weekly
1N is worth a mention as it is an off-shoot of 4N and provides an online networking option where there is only one member per seat. Whilst all the groups are national, there are some with a greater number of Bristol and South-West based businesses. Contact them through the website to find a group you are eligible to join.
FSB (Federation of Small Businesses)
Combination of face to face and online only groups (however at the time of writing there were no face to face groups in Bristol)
Meetings usually last approx. 1 hour
You can visit any group and the meetings are free for FSB members
The FSB is a not-for-profit organisation that helps and supports small businesses across the UK, including lobbying the government on their behalf. As well as networking groups FSB have other membership benefits including professional advice and financial expertise.
The FSB events calendar can be found here and include the following groups are available for Bristol based small businesses:
South-West Women in Business Virtual Networking – online 10:30 – 11:30 on the second Wednesday of the month
Gloucestershire, Bristol & Bath Virtual Networking – online 11am-12pm Fridays (they appear to be bi monthly)
Somerset and North Somerset Virtual Networking: Online 11am – 12pm on the first Thursday of every month
EVO
Hybrid groups (a combination of face to face and online) - Groups meet once every 2 weeks online and once every 2 months in-person.
Online meetings usually last 90 minutes and in person meetings are 2 hours 15 minutes.
You belong to a single group, but have the ability to visit other groups within the network.
EVO (Evolution Business Networking) was founded by Bristol based entrepreneur Jamie Breese in 2015.
The Bristol groups are Genesis and Alpha, and the Delta group is for Bath, Bristol and the surrounding areas. Additionally, there are groups based in Wales. Both Genesis and Alpha have their online meetings on a Tuesday at 8am and the face to face meeting on a Friday at 7:45am.
Your first meeting is free and all meetings can be booked via the clicking the Eventbrite link:
Women mean Biz
Face to face groups meet once a month for a two-hour session over lunch – you belong to a single group for face to face meetings, and multiple members of the same professional may belong to the same group
Online sessions are for 90 minutes and you can visit as many groups as you choose – each group meets one a month.
Founded by Bristol Based business owner Phillipa Constable, Women Mean Biz is a network of businesswomen and entrepreneurs from the South West - All members are also included in the WMB online business community and have access to expert-led training sessions and seminars, many of which are included in the membership fee.
There are a range of membership options including online membership and pro membership. The former includes access to all online meetings, and additionally the pro membership includes a monthly meetup over lunch with your “home” group.
The Bristol group face to face meeting is on a Thursday from 12pm – 2pm, and the Bristol and North Somerset online group meet on the first Thursday of every month from 10am – 11:30am. Details of all other groups can be found by clicking here.
We Mean Biz
Face to face groups meet once a month for a two-hour session over lunch – you belong to a single group for face to face meetings, and multiple members of the same professional may belong to the same group
Online sessions are for 90 minutes and you can visit as many groups as you choose – each group meets one a month.
We Mean Biz is an offshoot of Women Mean Biz, the difference being that men are also welcome at these groups. It describes itself as a “no-pressure, no-hassle, no-egos way to network”. As with Women Mean Biz, they also have a range of online and in-person meetings, with the same “pro membership” and “online membership” options that Women Mean Biz have (see above).
The Bristol face to face group meets Monthly on a Wednesday from 12pm – 2pm. Details of all other meetings can be found here.
Avon Business Club
The Avon Business Club is a single, face to face group
Meetings last 90 minutes and are held fortnightly
The Avon Business Club is run by members, for members and is non-profit-making. The club consists of one group who meet every other Thursday at 7:15am in Origin Workspace, Berkeley Square Bristol. Most of the members are seasoned networkers who are looking for structured networking without the pressure of brining referrals. The first two meetings are free.
IBC Bristol
IBC is a single, face to face group
Meetings last 2 hours and are held fortnightly
The Interactive Business Club (IBC) was founded in 2011, and has many similarities to the Avon Business Club in that it was formed by experiences networkers who were looking for a less regimented group than groups like BNI. Again they are not for profit, which makes this a very affordable face to face networking option. The IBC meet fortnightly on a Thursday for lunch between 12pm – 2pm, at the Future Inn in central Bristol, by Cabot Circus.
Bristol Young Professionals
Face to face group meeting one a month
Most events are free – although there are some special paid-for events e.g. Christmas
Bristol Young Professionals (BYP) is a social networking group for young people. They BYP hosts a drinks' event at approx 6pm every first Thursday of the month – this is always in Bristol, but the exact location changes for every event. The group does not set an age limit – it is just for “anyone who considers themselves young”. Sign up for their newsletter on the website to be notified of future events: https://bristolyp.co.uk/.
Sterling
One member per category – you belong to a single group where you will be the only person of your profession
Groups meet fortnightly
Face to face meetings are 1 hour 45 minutes and virtual meetings are 90 minutes
Sterling Network Groups run networking groups across Bristol, Southern and South-West England.
The Bristol face to face group is run every other Friday from 7:45am – 9:30am and is based at the Metro Bank in Broadmead. The Bristol based virtual group meets every other Wednesday from 1pm – 1:30pm. Sterling allows you to visit a group, and then discuss whether the group is a good fit. Following this you are allowed to visit a group once more before deciding if you wish to join.
Details of other groups can be found here.
Which group?
The best way to decide which group is for you is to visit it! The information above should help you find a group which is convenient for you to visit and give a rough idea of what is included. When visiting a group make sure you are able to describe what you do and the sort of referrals you are looking for in 60 seconds. If you are going to a face-to-face group, make sure you take plenty of business cards.
And finally…
The biggest bit of advice I would give – make sure you listen to other people so you can understand how to help them and DO NOT start to try and sell to other members of the group. You are there to build new relationships and deepen existing connections.
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