Circle Networks

Congratulations to Paddy Vanessa White our member of the week.

Paddy always brings the fun to the events she attends and lives our brand value PLU - People Like Us.

Her team at Virtual Diamond provide virtual business support services to small businesses, including admin, social media and bookkeeping services.

They are more than just a virtual assistant but more a business partner who helps businesses get to the next stage.

Owners can concentrate on sales and bringing in money whilst we sort out their back office and ensure they are ready for growth.

The property industry is built of relationships.

The right introduction.
The right supplier.
The right conversation at the right time.

This is why our next property event needs to be in your diary tomorrow morning.

From 10:00am to 11:30am online, property professionals from across the UK will be coming together to share insights, build relationships and explore opportunities.

Whether you’re involved in property investment, development, finance, construction, surveying, planning, architecture, legal services, estate agency or the wider property sector, this is your opportunity to expand your network with people who understand the industry.

Every Property Circle creates new conversations.

Some lead to referrals.

Some lead to partnerships.

Some lead to opportunities that weren’t even on the radar when people logged in.

The question is simple:

Who could you meet this Thursday that changes the direction of your next project, deal or opportunity?

Join us and find out.

Thursday 11th June
10:00am - 11:30am
Online

Register here https://app.circlenetworks.co.uk/meetings/north-west-property-circle-2026-06-11-09-00-00/attendance/create

When someone goes out of their way to help others momentum starts to build.

It’s the foundation of our 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙁𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝘽𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨™ philosophy.

Member of the week: Dave Marshall

Over the last six months, Dave Marshall has been making a real difference to so many people in business, in his world.

By showing up.
By having the calls.
By offering mentoring.
By making invitations.
By asking how he can help.

By being the person who leans in when someone needs a better guidance, confidence clarity or encouragement.

Dave runs DP Leadership helping people at different stages of their leadership journey. But what stands outmost is how he lives that every day.

He doesn’t just talk about leadership.

He demonstrates it in Circle Networks we always talk about 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙁𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝘽𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨™.

Dave is a brilliant example of that value in action.

He’s becoming more and more valuable to the people in his world because he is consistently looking for ways to support, encourage and connect to others.

That is what a real relationship first business looks like.

Congratulations Dave keep doing an amazing job 👏

What happens when you combine a love of property, great coffee, house music and genuine human connection?

You get Sandie Bruce introduced to us by the wonderful Michelle Killoran (EXP UK).

“I’m based in Cheshire East, mainly covering Knutsford, Mobberley, Wilmslow and Macclesfield whilst still continuing my existing managements in Sheffield which is where I founded my company

A little about me personally …
Im a huge dog lover and spend a lot of my spare time out walking with my furry sidekick Maggie.
Im a house and trance music lover, give me a set of glow sticks and I’ll start the party 🪩
I’m big on great coffee, good conversation and building genuine connections with people.
I’m also someone who took the leap into self-employment to build something with heart, not just another business.

I joined Circle Networks because running your own business can sometimes feel like a lonely road, and after attending a couple of events already I could instantly see the value in the connections, conversations and support within the community. I wanted to surround myself with like-minded people who genuinely champion one another.

My business is Black Owl Property Ltd
an independent property management and lettings company.
I work closely with landlords and tenants to offer a more personal, hands on and honest approach to property management, focusing heavily on communication, trust and actually caring about the people involved, not just the properties themselves.

What I hope to contribute to the Circle Networks community is energy, support, honesty and genuine connection.
I’m always happy to share experiences, ideas and encouragement with fellow business owners navigating the rollercoaster of self-employment.

In return, I’m looking forward to building meaningful relationships, collaborating with other businesses and learning from people who’ve walked similar paths.

Really looking forward to being part of the community.

Sandie
Black Owl Property Ltd 🖤🦉”

Why every expert should consider writing a book.

You don’t need a book because you want to be an author.

You need a book because you want to become the 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 authority in your field.

A well-positioned business book can help you:

• Win better clients
• Command higher fees
• Build trust faster
• Create speaking opportunities
• Stand out in a crowded market

The right book becomes your best salesperson.

It works for you while you sleep.

Join Joe Gregory and Jamie Stewart for a practical webinar on how to turn your expertise into a book that builds your business.

If you have knowledge that could help others, this session will show you how to package it into one of the most powerful marketing assets you can create.

Join us Monday 18th May 12-1pm UK time

https://pages.rethinkpress.com/publish-and-profit-circle

When your friend helps you add tens of thousands of pounds in new business.

This is 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙁𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝘽𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨™ in action.

Charlotte England wasn’t looking for another something else to join.

That’s the bit we love about this story.

She wasn’t sat there thinking, “I really need another thing in my diary.”

She had clients to look after, projects to deliver, messages to reply to and all the normal plates spinning that come with running a business.

And let’s be honest, when you’ve been in business for a while, the idea of “more networking” doesn’t always fill you with joy.

Because you’ve probably been in “those” rooms.

The ones where everyone is waiting for their turn to talk. The ones where people are pitching before they’ve even listened. The ones where you leave with a few polite “let’s catch up soon” messages and that familiar feeling that nothing much is going to come from it.

So when Gillian Schofield suggested Charlotte should come and have a look at Circle Networks, Charlotte could easily have said no.

But this was Gillian.

And Gillian knew.

She knew Charlotte would fit. She knew Charlotte wasn’t just “a website person.” Charlotte is thoughtful, commercial, creative and good at what she does.

Gillian saw what Charlotte maybe couldn’t fully see yet.

So Charlotte came along.

It happened the way most good things happen in business. Through genuine conversations, consistency and trust.

People got to know Charlotte.

They understood what she did.

They started to see who made a great client for her.

And then they started opening doors.

Over the last few years, Charlotte’s business has grown and grown. She has niched her services, got really clear on the sort of client she wants to work with, and rebranded from The Marketing Barn to The Web Barn.

You’ll see from the front of Charlottes website that Gillian is the copywriting yin to Charlotte’s web-building yang.

One helps businesses find the right words.

The other helps turn those words into a website that works.

Charlotte has now been running Circle Networks events for over three years, and in that time, Circle Networks has helped her build something far more valuable than a bigger contact list.

It has helped her build the right network.

People who know her, believe in her, understand her value, and regularly pass her dream referrals.

The kind of relationships that have helped her generate 𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙨.

That is 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙁𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝘽𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨™ in action.

Sometimes the next level of your business starts with a big plan.

Sometimes it starts with a strategy session.

But sometimes, it starts with a friend saying,

“You should come and have a look at this.”

And we’re all glad that Gillian did.

There are 10 things that no one really talks about when you run a business.

1. It’s an emotional rollercoaster. And it’s hard.

2. You quickly need to build a network that helps you. This is a game changer.

3. You have to be the face of the business and build influence.

4. Build a team of people to outsource the tasks you hate, to someone who loves to do them.

5. Consistency needs to become your best habit. Read that again.

6. It’s more than just being good at the thing you do, you have to be a great business owner.

7. More than you expect being a good speaker is key… for events, pitches, podcasts… and for some on stage.

8. Doing it yourself for free is not the best option.

9. Learn how to sell. You’ll need to invest in this. Most don’t.

10. Help others. A lot. The more you do this, the more people will help you. Reciprocity will be your friend.

Which one was most important to you?

What would you add to this list?

You know that feeling when everything suddenly rests on your business to perform?

When the salary has stopped.

When the security of a steady job has gone.

When there is no guaranteed wage arriving at the end of the month.

When it is all on you to make this work.

That was Stuart Upson a few months into running his graphic design business full time.

Like so many business owners, he did what everyone tells you to do.

He went networking.

But it didn’t exactly set his world on fire.
Some groups felt like a pitch fest.
Some felt a bit icky.

Some were fine, but they didn’t feel like the kind of place where proper relationships and real opportunities were going to happen.

Then someone invited him to try Circle Networks.

He joined just before Circle Networks Live in Birmingham in 2024.

He booked onto the training included with it.

And most importantly, he 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙙 what he learned.

He didn’t just turn up and hope for the best.

He met people.
He followed up.
He offered help.
He stayed in touch.
He built relationships.

Over the next 18 months, Stuart gained more than 20 key clients through Circle Networks, generated well over £50,000 in related business, and built regular monthly work through the relationships he created.

But the real impact went way beyond the numbers.

He built confidence.
He developed reciprocal relationships.
He learned how to communicate his value more clearly.
He found trusted partners and service providers.

He found his people.

And that makes a huge difference.

Business doesn’t come from strangers…

It comes from friendship.

Trust.
Consistency.
Real human connection.
The right people beside you at the right time.

That is what Circle Networks is built on and it’s open to everyone.

Friendship Fuels Business™

Get involved with our next event today.

Circle Networks Live in Birmingham on 21st September.

𝙊𝙣𝙡𝙮 5 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙫𝙬𝙧 4 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨

Https://circlenetworks.co.uk/circle-networks-live-2026-birmingham

Death on Demand?

How’s that for attention grabbing from our latest new member Clare Cluer.

Introduction…
Hi, I’m Clare, Artistic Director of Death on Demand Murder Mysteries. I create and produce immersive murder mystery experiences that bring people together through storytelling, laughter and a bit of theatrical chaos.

About my business…
Death on Demand delivers interactive murder mystery events across the UK, from public evenings at venues to private celebrations, corporate events, public events and fully immersive weekend experiences.

What makes us different is the balance between strong storytelling and accessibility — guests don’t need to “perform” or feel put on the spot, but they’re drawn into the experience in a way that feels natural, fun and immersive.

We work closely with venues and clients to create events that feel memorable, inclusive and genuinely engaging — whether that’s a birthday party, team-building event or one of our larger-scale immersive experiences.

Why I joined…
I’ve joined Circle because I was looking for a different kind of networking - something more genuine, collaborative and relationship-focused.

Running a creative business can be quite insular at times, so being part of a community that values connection, support and shared ideas really appealed to me. I’m looking forward to building meaningful relationships and supporting others as well as growing Death on Demand.