The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 44: Aug/Sept 2019 | Page 41

BUSINESSWISE New BusinessWise Chair BusinessWise, the Swindon-based independent not-for-profit referral group, has announced that its new elected chair for summer 2019 to summer 2020 is media consultant and journalist Fiona Scott. Fiona was voted in by fellow members and she will be joined by treasurer Mike Lloyd, managing partner of accountancy firm Haines Watts Swindon and secretary Mike Land, art director of web design and graphics agency GEL Studios. “I’m honoured to be asked to take on this role for the next 12 months and to work with such a committed and varied group of business people,” Fiona said. “As an independent group, we all take on voluntary roles to ensure the group thrives and keeps supporting each other in business. No one role is more important than another as we work together as a team.” The BusinessWise team exhibited recently at the South West Business Expo at STEAM. Paul Eagles, of Midwinter Web Design, was one of the members who manned the stand. “I was very pleased to see a large footfall during the event – we had many business owners interested in coming along to BusinessWise and we’re happy to welcome them as visitors free of charge if their business doesn’t conflict with that of a current member.” BusinessWise is a not-for-profit group which operates a single seat policy and works to an agenda at its meetings which are held at Jury’s Inn in central Swindon. The team also organise regular informal, social meet- ups and two formal networking evening events during a year with high quality guest speakers. The latter events are open to anyone. In May they hosted Small Business Commissioner Paul Uppal who was sharing stories of his role to end the late payment culture in the UK business community. BusinessWise has been active in Swindon for more than seven years and also supports a charitable member -Renew (Men In Sheds) and Swindon Night Shelter. Current membership includes Haines Watts Swindon, Bevirs Law, Midwinter Web Design, Excalibur Communications, GEL Studios and Thornton Associates. The cost of joining is £250 in year one, then £150 on renewal and the monthly cost is £30 which includes breakfast and room hire costs, marketing activities, charitable work and social events. To find out more get in touch using the details opposite or visit the group’s Facebook page which is updated regularly: www.facebook.com/BusinessWiseSwindon/ Let us help spread the word about your business www.businesswise.org.uk Member Benefits: • Not for Profit Organisation • Fees re-invested into the group • Exclusive business category • Opportunities for new business across all sectors • Low annual membership fee VISITORS If you are interested in visiting BusinessWise (all visitors can come along free of charge), we meet every other Friday morning from 7:30am at Jury’s Inn, Swindon town centre. We are run on a not-for-profit basis and, as a non-competing group, one member will be the only member representing his or her sector in the room. We are currently looking for new members in these areas: General Insurance Dentistry Estate Agency Photography Recruitment HR Services Carpenter Electrician Plumber Cleaner Office supplies Hospitality Interested? If you would like to find out more – or come along as a visitor, please visit our website or call: 01793 238 030 For more info: www.businesswise.org.uk THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2019 41