B4b heads to DCU
Our Spring networking event took place in National Centre for Family Business (NCFB) in DCU Business School at the end of March. Once again there was a huge turn-out with lots of new faces from a Toastmaster to an opera singer to a printer to a magician! People arrived to some lovely food and refreshments and once acquainted it was down to business. Head of NCFB Dr. Eric Clinton welcomed us to the Centre and informed the group that he hoped this could be a regular event on the B4b calendar. Then it was over to our Vice Chair Brian Staunton of Musgrave market Place to officially open the meeting. There was an audible chuckle in the room as Brian explain ‘they said I’d never make it to university, how wrong they were!’
Our guest speaker for the evening Prof Teresa Hogan delivered a quick presentation on how the NCFB can support family business and how small business seeking help with business strategy can engage the help of Master students through DCU. Indeed Neil Dowling of Event Ease who was in the audience explained how he was currently working with 4 master students who are in the process of analysing his business and could not speak highly enough of the support. Shane Callanan, Dublin Northwest Area Partnership did a quick pitch on the business supports available through his organisation.
After the presentations it was time to get down to why we were all here – networking. After a quick introduction by everybody orchestrated by Maureen Byrne, pretty soon the room was abuzz with people chatting and making new connections. John the opera singer was soon hatching a possible duet with our member Hazel Peters who is a professional singer and sang at our Christmas event.
After a while Chairman Robert Murphy closed the event, thanking DCU and our AIB connection Carmel Shields for making it happen. Robert encouraged newcomers to sign up as members highlighting that it is only €50 a year, less than €1 per week out of your pocket. Thereafter everyone disappeared into the night quicker than you can say abracadabra!
