Graham Shiers has built a solid reputation for encouraging entrepreneurial values, emergent talent and stimulating business development and growth alongside funding services, with particular focus on the Northern business community, acting as a trusted source of introduction between new and existing business contacts. With a background in retail, manufacturing and the legal sector, Graham also has over 20 years’ experience of organising and delivering effective and aspirational corporate networking events.
“We originally launched the Business Catalyst Club in Leeds and following a large number of requests from our North West contacts, we have also launched into Manchester. The Business Catalyst Club enhances business relationships by bringing together entrepreneurs, investors and decision makers to share new and exciting business opportunities. Our quarterly invitation-only Business Catalyst Club Lunch events in both Leeds and Manchester are designed to deliver added value to our extensive network of business contacts by facilitating new commercial and professional introductions whilst providing an effective platform for a small number of companies seeking growth capital to showcase their proposals to our members and guests – many of whom are private or institutional investors and lenders.
“However, it’s not always about the money, but knowing how to work smartly – taking advice, making the right contacts and using their experience to help grow your business – and one way the Business Catalyst Club facilitates this is via the BCC Virtual Advisory Board which we launched in June. The BCC Virtual Advisory Board comprises talented experts from amongst our membership offering no-nonsense practical advice and perspectives covering a truly wide range of issues and situations.
“I personally spend a large proportion of my time connecting people and making strategic introductions – the more we understand about our member’s businesses, the type of people they want to do business with, and where they are going with the business, brings so many new and varied opportunities across my desk, including business sales and acquisitions, Buy Ins, Buy Outs and off-market property and land deals to list but a few. We aren’t sector specific. Any and all businesses are represented at The Business Catalyst Club, with both SME and professional decision-maker members from everything from law, finance and marketing to manufacturing, construction and Fork Lift Trucks! And because we keep attendance at that decision-maker level, the amount of business that goes on both in and out of our Lunches is simply incredible.
“Charity plays a big part of my life, and so at each Lunch we feature a voluntary charity draw. We simply ask each guest to make a donation and rather than pick a charity of our own, on each occasion the winner of the draw nominates a charity of their choice to receive the money. On occasion we also highlight local charities to our members and guests that may need more than simply money, be it volunteers, advice or services.”
Business Catalyst Club Membership is available to decision makers from all walks of business life including entrepreneurs, MDs, directors, business partners and owner managers. Membership includes four Lunches over the year plus members can invite a decision-maker guest on each occasion at no extra cost.
Don’t miss the next Manchester Business Catalyst Club Lunch – Thursday 14 October, followed by the Leeds Lunch on Thursday 25 November 2021
For more information or to arrange a guest invitation please contact Graham Shiers at
graham@BusinessCatalystClub.co.uk
or visit www.BusinessCatalystClub.co.uk
