Note: You DO NOT have to be a member of proNet to attend this event and enjoy Terry’s presentation. The event is open to all.

Terry Hodgkinson: Photo - Roger V Moody

This is a rare opportunity to hear one of our region’s most accomplished business leaders talk about a subject that is close to his heart:

Inspired Leadership – Finding the Hero Within Yourself

When and Where?

We’re expecting this event to be well attended and is a great networking opportunity, as such places are limited and booking is required.

When? Tuesday 15th November 2011, 7.30am – 9.30am
Where? Healds Hall Hotel, Liversedge [Map]
How Much? Places are £12 per person (cash only please), payable on the door.

The Agenda

The meeting agenda will loosely follow a normal proNet breakfast meeting.

7.30am – 8.00am: Open networking & buffet Breakfast
8.00am – 8.30am:  Introductions, sharing of business cards, personal pitches
8.30am – 9.15am: Terry Hodgkinson’s presentation followed by Q&A’s.
9.30am: Meeting Close

How to Book

Simply complete the booking form below and click the SEND button.

Alternatively, you may email this event’s organiser Jamie Dobson directly using inspiration@joinpronet.com

Read more about Terry and his career to date on his own website at www.terryhodgkinson.com or scroll down past the booking form below to read his biography.

Download the Promotional Flyer for this event [PDF]

Our Speaker

Terry Hodgkinson

Terry is passionate about great design, heritage and place; he is an advocate of continuous learning and training and considers inspirational and charismatic leadership a quality that influences growth and development of people in all aspects of their lives.

Terry Hodgkinson

Terry is well versed in many aspects of leadership development, coaching and training and has worked with many of the leading NLP and leadership and management coaches and trainers across the UK and beyond where he has put into practise many of his developed skills and techniques in an business environment he’s developed over a 35 career in industry which has included establishing, growing, buying and selling, SME businesses in the construction, house building and property fields.

Terry brought his business acumen to lead the Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward as its Chair for seven years to December 2010, overseeing the Agency in growing the economy of Yorkshire and Humber. He was honoured in the Queen’s Birthday 2010 list with a CBE for business and regeneration and was recently appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant for West Yorkshire: he gained Chartered Director status in 2003 and he is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, an Ambassador and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building.

Terry was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Huddersfield in 2010 and was appointed as Visiting Professor attached to the Business and Law School at Leeds Metropolitan University in January 2010.

He launched his new brand and website, www.terryhodgkinson.com recently titled “Inspiration for Industry, Education and Regeneration” with a view to seeking opportunities to take on roles as a Company Non-executive Chair/Director or ambassador, convention or conference chair, championing inspirational leadership in business and speaking engagements across his three area of interest and expertise under his new company as principal and director of Terry Hodgkinson Ltd.

This not only keeps meetings varied and fresh but gives members an opportunity to raise their own profile within the group whilst making a positive contribution to the group as a whole.

Time to Hand Over the Reins

The six month anniversary of the current leadership team of our group is now up for renewal and we’re pleased to announced that from July onwards, for the next six months; the leadership team of of our Spen Valley group will consist of:

• Malcolm Pow, POW IT – Group Chairman (taking  over from Isabel)
• Ash Sohanpall, Premier Financial Services – Business Clinic Presenter (taking over from Mike)
• Mike Hardill, JMH Design – KTS Co-ordinator (taking over from Roger)

We wish them every success in running proNet’s meetings for the next six months. To book your place at our next meeting (12th July) – give Malcolm a call on
0845 177 0779 or drop him an email at spenvalley@joinpronet.com

However, because of the early May Day Bank Holiday (Monday 2nd) and the Spring Bank Holiday (Monday 30th) preceding two of these meetings, it has been decided that the only meeting that will run in May will be one on Tuesday 17th May.

The other two on the 3rd and 31st May are being cancelled.

Make a note in your diary, keep your fingers crossed for decent weather and enjoy the time off.

Text books and social-media gurus alike always tell us how important it is to post a good, professional head and shoulders photograph of yourself onto your profile and here at proNet, we couldn’t agree more. After all, ‘people buy from people’ and to use anything but a good quality head-shot photograph of yourself on your social media profile doesn’t bode well when it comes to building that all important online relationship.

Roger Moody - Commercial Photographer on LinkedIn

So it’s with this in mind that we’ve asked proNet member and commercial photographer Roger Moody, to provide us with a service that will ensure people can always present their best side on-line. To this end, he’s come up with a snappy deal not to be ignored for members and visitors attending our next Spen Valley meeting on Tuesday 22 February.

Roger will have his camera and lights all set-up after Tuesday’s meeting ready for anyone wanting a professional head-shot photograph taking of themselves. These photographs may be used for your social media profile, on your own website, blog or simply for general PR uses. All he asks is that anyone who wants one pays £25, with £5 going to support the Kirkwood Hospice, to cover his time. That’s excellent value in anyone’s book we think!

To attend next Tuesday’s breakfast networking meeting in Liversedge, call Isabel Carter on 07951 691302. Remember to tell her if you’d like to book your photographic session with Roger at the time of your booking.

Examples of previous head-shot photography from Roger Moody may be seen on his website.

The project was the culmination of one started with the children having their photographs taken by commercial photographer Roger. Then, each child was asked to write a sentence explaining why they particularly liked their picture, and these slogans were thenpasted across their portrait which in turn were then printed in large poster format, and then proudly carried in a procession along the top parade of shops in Market Square, Shipley.

The children then formed a circle – a living gallery – for the shoppers to view the exhibition before creating two more tableaux for people to view.

This innovative idea was much praised by the parents and staff, and fascinated shoppers stopped in the rain to admire the pictures and read the children’s comments.

Don’t worry if you missed the living gallery! The pictures, together with a selection taken at the event on the day – will form the next exhibition at Shipley Focus’d, 20 Market Square, Shipley, starting on Thursday 20th January, which will run for several weeks. The gallery is open Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and entry is free.

For further information please contact John Lambert, Director of Shipley Focus’d on 07904 322 823 or you can call Roger himself on 07710 172181

Further reading about this evant may be seen on Roger’s own blog at www.rogervmoody.co.uk/blog

So instead of our regular breakfast meeting, Kate Leadbeater of Kirkwood Hospice and Spen Valley’s social secretary; organised an alternative Christmas lunch preceeded by a spot of open-networking at the Healds Hall Hotel.

We had a good turn-out, Beverley Shutak from Siddalls Colour Printers, supplied a goodies bag to everyone and Kate ran a raffle in aid of the Hospice. proNet supplied the ale and wine on the table which helped people to get into the swing of things.

A good time was had by all with many people suggesting that similar social events be organised on a regular basis throughout the year.

One for the suggestion box there then and well worth following through.

Spen Valley Members Chris Cox and Kate Leadbeater

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

As I write this post, we’ve only got one more proNet meeting for 2010, namely; a Halifax meeting next week 22nd which looks to be a relaxed and jolly affair with plenty of Christmas spirit.

Why not come along for some festive fun?

So, if we don’t see you at next week’s Halifax meeting; from everyone at proNet we wish all our members and guests a very Merry Christmas for the forthcoming season and a successful 2011.

See you next year.

The answer is simple; Kate Leadbeater, corporate fund-raiser for Kirkwood Hospice and member of pronet’s Spen Valley group, has rallied the troops to come up with a team for their sponsored Santa Dash which will run over a mile on the 5th December at the Leeds Road Playing Fields in Huddersfield.

What you see in the pic is one of the promotional shots taken by fellow group member and commercial photographer Roger Moody which will accompany a press release that Brenda Hodgson from Blackwood Communications will be issuing soon. So keep your eyes on the local Kirklees media for that announcement

If you’d like get involved in Kirkwood’s Santa Dash on the 5th drop Kate an email on katel@kirkwoodhospice.co.uk and ask for an application form. If it’s not for you, please come along on the day to show your support (don’t forget to bring your wallet/purse with you).

In the picture: Santas: L > R: Vicky Newham – Solutions Bookkeeping, Mike Blesic – B2B Communications, Jaimie Dobson – JD Consulting, Jacky Pickersgill – P.S. Consulting.

In the foreground is Kate Leadbeater – Kirkwood Hospice

She writes…

I can’t be the only one to have noticed the ever-increasing number of euphemisms and PC phrases that are creeping into our everyday world.

Many of them are created in government and public sector agencies and by ‘do gooders’ who want to bend over backwards lest they might unwittingly offend someone. Much of it ends up drawing attention to issues that previously even those they are trying to avoid offending hadn’t given the time of day to.

The trouble is, the more we hear these phrases, the more we read them (especially those of us who work alongside these people – try ‘Education-speak’ if you really want to blow your mind!), however much we hate them, these words and phrases have a way of insidiously implanting themselves into our consciousness and before we know it we hear them coming out of our own mouths!

‘do gooders’ who want to bend over backwards lest they might unwittingly offend someone

Have you noticed, for instance, that new housing developments no longer have a sales office – they have a ‘Marketing Suite’. Surely when you’re thinking of buying a new house or flat (or should that be ‘loft’ or ‘apartment’?) you just want to see what it looks like, find out what fixtures, fitting and extras you get with it, and, most importantly, the price. Marketing is what should be done before you even get there – it’s the bit that the estate agent does, the advertising boards, the press coverage – the very reason you were attracted to go and look in the first place. Certainly you might want to take a brochure or other information away with you to think about – and, yes, that is part of marketing – but the main objective of the people in the ‘Marketing Suite’ is to sell you a property.

Then there’s ‘pedestrian refuges’. I remember when we called them simply ‘road islands’ or ‘traffic islands’. I guess using the word ‘pedestrian’ does tend to clarify their purpose but this new description conjures up in my mind images of cold, wet pedestrians in thick coats, huddled together like penguins, in the face of some terrible threat.

‘Cash back’ is another when using a credit or debit card to pay for goods. Sounds great doesn’t it? Like a kind of bonus – “While you’re paying for the goods, would you like us to give you a few quid for free?” Unfortunately not…. nice thought though! What we’re really being asked is “While we’re taking the money for your goods, would you like to draw some of your own cash too?” Surely it’s not beyond the realms of imagination to just ask, “Do you want to draw any cash?”, instead of wrapping it up in a nice catchy phrase that is totally meaningless. Computer-speak has also brought a whole raft of words and phrases. We now ‘access’ things instead of opening files, getting information etc. And we ‘key in’ documents and information instead of typing them but I haven’t noticed that it makes any difference to what my fingers do on the keyboard.

While you’re paying for the goods, would you like us to give you a few quid for free?

As for being PC, how daft is it to be called a ‘chair’ instead of chairman, chairwoman or even chairperson? Now, while I’m all for equal opportunities, I’ve never been one for burning my bra (in my case, it wouldn’t make much of a fire anyway!) and to my mind a chair is a piece of furniture that you sit on. Whenever I have agreed to take on the chairmanship of anything I have always been quite adamant that I would prefer to be called Chairman – but it’s a losing battle. Whilst this has actually met with cheers of delight in some quarters, few people are willing to go along with it and I’ve even been told that in official documents and on websites I have to be called ‘Chair’ in order to conform to what all the other ‘Chairs’ are doing. The worst part of it is that now I sometimes catch the dreadful word coming out of my own mouth!

‘Brainstorm’ is another word to have been declared non-PC as it apparently describes the electrical activity that goes on in the brains of epilepsy sufferers when experiencing a fit. We are now recommended to use the phrase ‘thought shower’ or ‘mind shower’, which just doesn’t adequately describe the (usually collective) process of firing a load of ideas out at random before considering the value of each of them. However, a recent survey of epilepsy charities and sufferers showed that neither had any objections to the phrase unless it was used in a derogatory or offensive manner against them.

It’s heartening, however, to hear that in some cases we have gone full circle. When preparing a press release about a particular piece of machinery that had adjustable height and was being used in a plant that employs disabled people, I said (trying to be PC), “So, the advantage is that it can be used easily by people with differing abilities.” “We just say disabled,” came the response. “It’s OK to do that now.”

Pupils will be able to hydrate during the learning experience

Finally, just to emphasise my whole point about saying what we mean, I’ll leave you with a whole sentence that for me ‘really takes the biscuit’ (which is a strange kind of phrase in itself). It is the response of the Head Teacher of a new City Academy to concerns that there would be no playground or outdoor recreational areas as there would be no breaks between lessons: “Pupils will be able to hydrate during the learning experience.” And him a schoolteacher too!

To find out more about Brenda’s business check out her profile on
LinkedIn . Read more posts like these on her blog at
http://brendahodgson.wordpress.com/

Recent research indicates that 70% of new sales for small and medium sized companies are generated through word-of-mouth from a network of people that are positive about a company or its products. This network may include existing and past customers, friends and family or increasingly; contacts made at formal business networking meetings and events.

Many small company owners are discovering that business networking is a popular and essential part of their marketing strategy particularly in trading conditions where budgets for other forms of marketing are being slashed. The idea is simple and is based upon the concept that people buy from people they meet, know, like and trust. This is something most business people may have been doing for years without consciously knowing it. Think of that new sales lead that came out of a conversation at the golf club, down at the gym or perhaps at one’s place of worship. That’s business networking in action. Business networking events simply take the concept and formalise it in a structured way.

The Benefits of Business Networking

Business networking offers many benefits to the small business owner and is low cost compared to many other forms of marketing or advertising. As well as proving to be a good source of sales leads and a great way to raise one’s business profile, many regular participants at networking events also find that the contacts they make become a valuable source of support and expertise for their businesses; important if you’re a small business or sole proprietor. Similarly, sourcing a trusted supplier becomes easier and less risky if the person is known or recommended to you from your network of contacts.

There are many active networking meetings held across West Yorkshire including those run by proNet which take place over breakfast. Others run during the working day, on an evening or over lunch and range in frequency from weekly through to monthly (proNet’s meetings run every two weeks).

Try an Internet search to find a networking meeting close to you or perhaps contact Business Link (08456 048 04) and your local Chamber of Commerce (www.mycci.co.uk) who will keep a list of active networking groups. It may take a few attempts to find a business networking meeting that suits you, either way persevere, as the best results are obtained if one attends any networking meeting regularly and with an open mind and a positive, helpful approach.

Finally, as a reminder; don’t forget to take a plentiful supply of those all important business cards!

Networking in Action

Beverley Shutak, (pictured above): business development manager from Cleckheaton based Siddall Colour Printers and member of proNet’s Spen Valley Group; is a great advocate of business networking and sees it as an essential tool for their businesses. Beverley comments;

As a direct result of people I’ve met at networking events, we’ve generated more than £60,000 worth of business and we recently secured a £6000 job from a one off conversation at a networking event.

Beverley continues;

Personally, I’ve gained a lot from my business networking activities; I often learn new skills from the presenters I see and I get a great sense of satisfaction from helping businesses succeed by sharing my own knowledge and contacts. I would encourage anyone who’s considering networking for the first time to simply ‘go for it’! You’ve got nothing to lose.

If you’d like to meet Beverley and experience business networking for yourself; you can meet her at proNet’s Spen Valley networking breakfast which meets at the Healds Hall Hotel in Liversedge every alternate Tuesday morning.

Book Your Place

Call Jaimie on 07792 090 700 for more information and to book a place the next meeting of proNet’s Spen Valley Group. A £10 on the door meeting fee will be charged (cash only please). Meetings start at 7.30am with open networking.

Roger supplied two of his stunning photographs which are featured in the Lord Mayor’s Appeal calendar.

Delighted by the results, The Lord Mayor of Bradford Cllr Peter Hill commented:

This calendar demonstrates just how glorious the Bradford district is.

Roger added:

It’s fantastic to know that my pictures will grace so many walls and at £4.50, makes an ideal Christmas present.

The calendars are on sale at the all Bradford Council’s Visitor Centres, with £2 from each sale going to the Nell Bank Centre.

Find our more about Roger’s and his business by following this link to his website.

Pictured above is photographer Roger Moody with The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Peter Hill and the Lady Mayoress, Mrs Gillian Hill.