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Gaining Contracts Through Good Contacts

Business networking for socially-minded businesses

Gaining Contracts Through Good Contacts was the first of a series of regular Principle Six event being hosted jointly by Co-operatives London and Hackney Co-operative Developments' Pioneering Social Enterprise in Hackney programme. 

Principle Six events are a co-operative methodology applied to business networking that help you get the best out of your network and to grow it in order to make the links your organisation needs to gain new business, develop new opportunities or effectively reach you targets.

This event was the launch of a new approach to business networking, designed to set our clients up for a year of growth, and get them networking to develop social business opportunities while giving London's co-operative and social economy a boost! More than 40 co-operatives and social enterprises attended.

The event was led by co-operative business adviser Siôn Whellens, who has worked closely with all of the Pioneering Social Enterprise in Hackney team to deliver support to a range of clients. Siôn gave a crash course in  the Principle 6 networking protocols and led the 90-minute session.

 

Over 50 business  referrals were given, meaning this was a really practical exercise in working together to understand each others’ business goals, and find the right kind of opportunities, in a concentrated and inclusive way. 

Feedback was overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Dan Stanley from The Small Axe, Communications Coop said the event was "a real breath of fresh air, focused and productive. Exactly what the movement should be doing right now!". 

Gaining Contracts Through Good Contacts was hosted at Hackney Pirates, an enterprising charity working to develop the literacy, confidence and perseverance of young people in Hackney.