The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 37: June/July 2018 | Page 41

BUSINESS WISE
GET CONNECTED, GET BUSINESSWISE
The team at BusinessWise - a not-for-profit Wiltshire referral
group of committed business people – recently hosted an open
networking evening with James Phipps, former CEO of Excalibur
and local philanthropist as the guest speaker.
The event, held at Jury’s Inn, Swindon was a huge success
with more than 60 guests alongside members who came
along to network and listen to the story of a successful
Wiltshire entrepreneur. It’s an event BusinessWise will look
to run again later in 2018.
It also led to a flood of visitors coming along to
the normal, early morning, weekly Friday meeting of
BusinessWise members. Since then Excalibur has joined
BusinessWise as has Regus to join other members which
include national accountancy firm Haines Watts and one of
Wiltshire’s most respected and oldest law firms Bevirs Law.
Fiona Scott, who is the current chairperson, said: “The
open networking event was a huge success and we did
have to turn people away as we were at capacity. We wish
to extend our thanks to James Phipps for giving up his time
to come along and talk to other business owners and to
thank everyone who came along to support the event. We
do plan on running a similar event in the autumn.”
BusinessWise has been active in Swindon and Wiltshire
for more than six years and operates on a non-competing
basis where one member represents one discipline. The
group also supports a charitable member, the Gateway
Furniture Project, which provides white goods and furniture
packages at very low cost to families in need.
The cost of joining is £250 in year one, then £150 on
renewal each subsequent year and the monthly cost is £55
which includes breakfast and room hire costs, marketing
activities, charitable work and social events.
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us word
help
spread the
spread
the word
about
your business
about your business
www.businesswise.org.uk
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Member Benefits:
Member Benefits:
• Not for Profit Organisation
• • Not
Profit Organisation
Fees for
re-invested
into the group
• • Fees
re-invested
into
the group
Exclusive business category
• • Exclusive
business
category
Opportunities
for new
business
• Opportunities
for new business
across all sectors
all sectors
• across
Low annual
membership fee
• Low annual membership fee
MEMBER FOCUS
Each edition we focus on a BusinessWise member and
tell you a little more about who they are and what
they do:
Name:
Stuart McNeil
Business:
Bevirs Law
Tagline:
Working with you not
just for you
Years in business: 35
A defining trait: Looking
after the financial affairs
of others in the in same
way I look after my own - with the greatest care!
Originally from Huddersfield, Stuart studied law at
Manchester University before completing his solicitors’
exams at the College of Law in Chester. Despite being a
proud Yorkshireman, he made the decision to head south
in 1982 having met his wife whose family lived in the Bristol
area. At the time, Swindon was described as one of the
fastest growing towns in Europe and he joined Bevirs as
a trainee solicitor, before being taken on as an assistant
solicitor and becoming a partner in 1988 and managing
partner three years ago. He now specialises in dealing with
matrimonial financial cases (particularly ones involving
businesses and pensions) and also advises clients regarding
pre and post marriage Settlement Agreements. He also
advises business clients on employment related matters.
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2018
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