October / November Events

I can only boast at spending the next half of this month in South Africa but the consequences will be sorely reaped in the cold November when I have to get back on my bike again.

Events are looking quite scarce in (God forgive me for saying this before October) the run up to Christmas. Threat not I have seen a few different things going on.

Date	Time	Group	Location
October
3rd	16:00-18:00	First Friday Networking Club	The Bay Horse Pub, 35-37 Thomas St, Manchester M4 1NA
10th	08:00- 15:00	Wigan Business Expo	Loire Drive, Wigan, WN5 0UZ
16th	09:00-16:00	Salford business Expo	Salford City Stadium,1 Stadium Way, Eccles, M30 7EY
November
6th	17:30	Manchester Full House Networking	Grosvenor G Casino Manchester, Bury New Road, Manchester, M8 9SG
19th	10:00 - 16:00	The Stockport Business Expo	Edgeley Park, Hardcastle Road, Stockport SK3 9DD

Resources

If you have read my last blogs you will see I have recommended a couple networking groups from meetup, CING and Northern Soho. 

Grant Erskine who hosts one of Manchester's biggest and most successful business exhibition is hosting a networking night at Grosvenor G Casino.

Remember to keep checking these really useful sites to find out what is going on.

Trafford Council Events

Forever Manchester

Altrincham Forward

From a recent suggestion 

MadLab offer a variety of events and workshops

Manchester Start up Digest are offering hack nights, start up Tuesdays and again a really interesting mix of curated events.

Manchester Chamber's offer a diary of networking opportunities, talks and workshops across Manchester.

Altrincham and Sale Chambers have guest speaker Jack Hughes from Whistl (formerly known as TNT) at their breakfast matters which comes with delicious bacon butties courtesy of Cresta Court.

I will keep you all updated with any new events I find. I will be talking about some of the help I accessed when starting up my business in my next blogs and the help available.

I meet a lot of people aspiring to follow their dreams and what they love so keep a look out for that.

Remember to like, share and comment.

Thank you for reading.

September Networking Events

Following on from my last blog I have included some of the other events going on.
I will talk a little about the different networking groups and again the things I have found most useful.

SEO with the Eword 

Manchester University Centre for Enterprise hosted the well attended event last week guiding you on how to keep your website relevant and at the top of google searches. Looking at best and practises and some of the ones you should avoid.

Savy Networking in Manchester

When I started looking at networking more seriously earlier this year, I was perplexed by the amount of options and variety.
There really is loads to choose from with an array of benefits and not everyone is the same so its really about finding what works for you.
If your anything like me it was important for me to be able to meet people without having to spend a fortune.

See below the calendar for a little about some of these networking events and organisations.

Date	Time	Group	Location
1st	18:30-21:30	CING Meetup group	Brew Dog, Manchester
4th	8:30-10:00	Altrincham and Sale Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Matters	Cresta Court, Altrincham
4th	16:00-18:00	Bowdon Business Group	Bowdon Club, South Downs Road, Bowdon WA14 3DT
6th		Flixton Carnival
10th	14:00	The ZOOM Tour	Village Urban Resort Manchester Ashton
12th	12:00	Altrincham and Sale Chamber of Commerce Autumn Lunch	The Mere, Chester Rd, Knutsford
13th	10:00-16:00	Timperley Country Fair	Timperley, Larkhill, Altrincham, WA15 7BJ, 0161 980 5473
17th	16:00-17:30	Sale Business Group	Bianco's is at 1 Hereford Street, Sale, M33 7XN
17th	17:00-19:00	Salutions, Meet at the Met	The Metropolitan, Didsbury
18th	09:00-11:00	Café Seven	7 Vickerage Lane, Bowdon WA14 3BD
18th	18:00-20:00	Wired City, Manchester Science Park	Greenheys Building, Manchester Science Par
20th	14:00	Theatre Quater	Hale Railway
25th	17:45-20:00	Altrincham and Sale Chamber of Commerce Mixer	Clark Art, Hale
27-Sep-14 to 23-Nov-14		Asia Triennial Manchester	City wide
24th	09:00-11:30	Mojo Meetup	The Merlin, Wilmslow Road Alderley Edge
30th	10:00-12:00	Mojo Meetup	Hilton Hotel Cafe Bar Deansgate
30th	18:00-21:00	Northern Soho	Rosylee Tea Rooms 11 Stevenson Square, Northern Quarter

Networking in the City

Having only attended one lunchtime session in Media City, it was relaxed and informed with talks on specific subjects.

These guys have events up and down the country, whats best is it comes with a bite to eat, check out their curry clubs. What can be a better incentive than a curry?

C-I-N-G aka Creative Industries Networking Group

After attending my forth meetup, this particular meetup group has a relaxed and vibrant atmosphere.
With a mix of interesting and friendly people I highly recommend this for anyone looking to meet creative people.

Altrincham and Sale Chamber of Commerce

After attending a variety of events hosted by the chamber, I highly recommend these guys; being friendly and putting on a regular schedule of events.

Mojo Meetup

Having heard Co-founder Andrew speak at Chamber of commerce meetin
g and attended one of his Mojo meetups which come high recommendation. If you are looking for inspiration, help shaping your vision or brand attending a meetup comes with a price of £10, which is money well spent.

Any other useful events please let me know and I will try and post about them. Email me.

Leap of Faith

Indulging my compulsion to express myself and share my own evolution. It is almost too irresistible and has come to me this morning as the same desire to eat or drink coffee.

Imagine Look See

I named my website with this, I suppose term of inspiration or maybe even a mission statement, years ago. With no real meaning or context as such, just a glimmer of inspiration and maybe like looking through a shard of a broken mirror looking at a prophecy of a future me.
From such irrelevance it provides so much relevant inspiration to me.

Imaging and having lots of ideas can be a burden. I can literally think and imagine my life away. 
It was said by Thomas Edison 

"Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration".

The real work comes in taking those dreams in to fruition.

The Bible Hebrews 11:1 talks about "Faith" 
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"

I compare hope to being able to see something better but then faith is the belief and the fulfilling of hope. Faith is the leap we take off a cliff to prove our hope is real.

So LOOKING is about embracing the inspiration and SEEING is about the actual physical manifestation.

Being enthusiastic in my work had me in no end of trouble, effectively got me nowhere and for all my effort I had nothing to show for it.
When the opportunity came along to do what I love, it was not all flowers and roses.
It meant leaving a comfort zone, looking seriously at myself and my work.
I sometimes come across as jovial and not very serious but as the famous photographer Richard Avedon said

"About my work I am serious"

My leap of faith meant leaving behind my safety nets. 
Having experienced some awful lows, I would not like to say poverty but at times it was a struggle but also the kindness of people and a discovery of the most beautiful friendships.

For almost 2 years I having been soaring blindly experiencing the most excitingly frightful journey. It is contrary that the thing I love is that I do not know exactly how it is going to all pan out but it is this unknown that scares the life out of me. It makes me anxious at times.

So I think what it is I wanted to say is, no leap of faith comes without fear. 
If there is no fear you probably ain't pushing yourself or your just plain crazy. 
Jim Carey's Father said 
"You can fail at what you don't like so you may as well risk failing at something you love instead.

Networking for the SME's and Start Up's in South Central Manchester

Year 2 of Business and 6 Months

Apparently the first year of business is the hardest year, for me the hardness has only multiplied with my resolve and determination.

So here I am wanting yet another creative outlet but also an outlet to maybe help some other new start ups.

Welcome to my blog

Hopefully this will be a help and encouragement to anyone starting up a business.

For 8 years I have been photographing and developing my skills. When the opportunity came along and the yellow brick road laid out before me I was like "Dude, where's my ruby slippers?".

At times the road was not so yellow, I would say it was quite foggy at points......a lot of points.

An interesting point I'm touching on, being revealed as I type. 

#revelation 

#ahhhhhhmoment #thebeautyofwriting #momentsofreflection

I never set out with clear vision of my business or even who I was / am as a (creative) person. 

So regarding this blog I will provide as much useful info, about events etc but it will probably be at points quite personal and real.

On the topic of authenticity developing my own ideas and taking my time I have been able to explore how creatively to express myself but also explore how I want to live. 

More on these points at a later date.

Please like, share, retweet or whatever the latest social media buzz requires you to do, then do that too

Networking

Some love it some hate. For someone slightly introverted like me it was not the first choice remedy for why there was not much money or enquiries coming in.

Developing a clear focus market is where I have not been effective and in hindsight I should have concentrated on commercial photography or portraiture. One segment at a time. I did it all in typical Tobias style, I defend my choice because it was all practical experience.

Without too much more blurb I wanted to share with you some of the events and resources around for you to tap in to that are free or events that look quite useful.

Take a look at this calendar below

Date	Time	Event	Location
24th&25th	13:00-16:00	Lil n Sams BBQ	Altrincham, Greenwood St
26th	18:30-20:00	M&S Wine tasting	George St
26th	18:00-21:00	Northern Soho	Rosylee Tea Rooms
27th	9:30-12:30	SEO Master Class	Manchester MMU
31st	11:00-15:00	Cresta Court, Fun Day	Altrincham
30th-31st		West Fest	Burton Road, Manchester, M20
31st	12:00	Josh Armstrong Memorial Cup and Family Fun Day	Timpson Road, M23 9RT

In the end it is all about finding out about events and networking opportunities that matter to you. A lot of these events I found last night and this afternoon. A lot of the events are free and some of them even have free food. You can usually entice me anywhere with free food and booze.

I will update you all with some September events very soon but why not keep an eye out for yourself at these excellent resources;

Trafford Council
Altrincham Forward
Forever Manchester

Also Meetup have some great groups I have been attending the CING which I have found to be relaxed and fun to attend.

Remember if you don't get out there and share what you love how will anyone ever know about you.

Check me out
www.imaginelooksee.com
https://twitter.com/tobiaspearson