I was at the 4N Business Expo in Ely today, and I went without any specific goals but I met lots of really interesting people and it was a great event. Do you make a beeline for business exhibitions or do they leave you a bit cold?

There are several aspects to running a business that just seem to be taken for granted. One of them seems to be the belief that going to networking meetings is essential to growing your business. But is this really true? I'd love to know your thoughts.

Happy Monday everyone! I’ve been toying with idea of starting each weekday with a short set of affirmations. I’m really not a morning person and affirmations can help get my brain in the right place for the day. Here’s what I came up with after a ‘chat’ with ‘Jeepy Tea’ this morning: 🌞 Monday Morning Mindset Boosters Purpose and Progress - I build momentum one small win at a time. - Today, I move closer to the business I envision. - I’m not here to be perfect — I’m here to make progress. Confidence and Control - I run this business — it doesn’t run me. - I trust my skills, instincts and experience. - Every challenge is a chance to level up. Focus and Flow - I choose clarity over chaos. - I protect my time and energy like valuable resources. - I focus on what matters and let go of what doesn’t. Resilience and Positivity - I’ve solved harder problems than today’s. - I embrace uncertainty as part of the journey. - I’m grateful for the freedom I’ve built. Growth and Leadership - I’m building something worth being proud of. - My actions inspire confidence in myself and others. - I lead with integrity, creativity and intention. What do you think? Do you use affirmations?

My business coach keeps telling me I should ask for personal recommendations on LinkedIn. Lovely idea in theory. The problem is, I’ve got about 23,000 connections and if I’m brutally honest, I don’t know who most of them are. So asking somebody I don’t know to introduce me to somebody they probably don’t know feels like a stretch. Or at least, that’s what I thought until today when I read a cracking article by Andy Bounds. If you haven’t come across Andy before, he’s well worth keeping an eye on. He’s one of those wonderfully logical people who takes the sort of knotty business problems we all trip over and just untangles them with a completely fresh angle. It gave me pause for thought. Maybe the whole “asking strangers for introductions” thing isn’t quite as daft as it sounds. So let me lob the ball over to you. What’s your go-to move on LinkedIn? How do you make it work without feeling like you’re pestering? Read Andy's article here - https://andybounds.com/how-to-ask-for-and-get-personal-introductions/