If the thought of walking into a room full of strangers and pitching yourself to everyone fills you with dread, Netweaving was built for you. It is a relaxed, informal networking session held every second Tuesday, moving to a different McManus venue each month, built on a simple idea: real conversations happen when you are not performing. Here is how it works. You get five 10 minute one to ones with other business owners, plus a 10 minute business discussion, all in a calm, easy going setting. Ten minutes turns out to be exactly the right amount of time, long enough for a proper conversation, short enough that it never drags. No stand up pitches, no queue of business cards, no pressure to perform in front of a room. Just genuine, unhurried conversation, one person at a time. That is why it works so well for people who find typical networking uncomfortable. Quiet and shy people often find their voice here, because a one to one feels completely different to speaking in front of a crowd. New networkers love it too, since there is no script to get wrong and nobody watching you fumble an introduction. It costs just £10 on the door, and every penny goes straight to the Hope Centre in Northampton, so you support a brilliant local cause simply by turning up. Beyond the ten minutes themselves, people leave with real connections, useful ideas, and often the start of a referral relationship that grows over time. Come along and discover why so many people say Netweaving is their favourite networking session in the county. Brian Wrigley, The Business Refiner

Take a break from your desk and spend a proper lunch hour with people who actually understand what running a business is like. The Northampton Business Lunch is a relaxed monthly get together at Nuovo, on the last Friday of every month, built for business owners who want real conversation over great food, not another stiff, stand up networking event. Here is what you actually get. A genuinely warm room of familiar and new faces, so every visit deepens relationships rather than starting from scratch each time. Proper food in proper surroundings, because good conversation flows so much easier over a great meal than over a lukewarm coffee and a name badge. No pressure to pitch, no queue of people waiting to hand you a business card, just honest conversation with people who might become your next client, supplier or genuine friend. Regulars keep coming back because it genuinely works. You leave with new contacts worth keeping, ideas worth trying, and often the start of a referral that turns into real business further down the line. Whether you are looking for new clients, new suppliers, a sounding board for a decision you are wrestling with, or simply a room full of people who get what you are building, this lunch delivers it every single month. Bring a colleague, bring yourself, just come hungry for good food and better connections. Booking is easy and seats do fill up quickly, so reserve your place early and make the last Friday of the month one you genuinely look forward to. Would love to see you there. Brian Wrigley, The Business Refiner