Hope you are having a nice January and not letting this freezing cold miserable summer get you down. I know I'm feeling it especially when I had grand visions of spending time at the beach during my holidays and instead, I had to pull out my winter woollies to wear!
Although having this time off has afforded me the opportunity to do the things around the house that I have neglected. I have replaced tap washers; weeded the garden; laid pine bark chips in the garden; mowed lawns; cleaned gutters; spider bombed the garage and roof spaces; cleaned out the garage; pruned all the trees in the front and back...the list goes on. It's been wonderful to have all this time during the day to do the little jobs that just get put off during the year.
Update on Business EventsThe promotion has started! For the last couple of days I have spent a few hours every morning walking to the industrial estates along East Bentleigh shops (near East Boundary & Centre Road), Chesterville, Warrigal and Cochranes Road door knocking, chatting with people at these factory sites and handing out flyers. Admittedly, when they see me they think I'm going to flog some product but when I open up with "I'm in Rotary and we would love to see you at our Business Networking Events where local businesses such as yourselves have an opportunity to promote your products and services while networking with other businesses from the local area."
Once I open up with this statement, in all cases, people are interested in the flyer, stand there and read the key topics and genuinely look interested in it. This morning, I will continue the walk as I believe this is the best and only way to establish a presence by speaking to people directly - in the process, I have seen many factories here in my local area that I otherwise would have driven past and never know what these businesses contribute to the Victorian and Australian economy.
This morning I will continue the flyer drop and I do hope that others from our club can do the Bentleigh Shops. It could be appreciated if people can let me know what flyer drops they are doing so that we don't double up. Similarly, if we aren't doing any flyer drops, let me know so that I can get out there and do the Bentleigh shops which are a main business area we should be targetting - so let's not forget them!
So far, the online registrations are slowly coming in. It could be appreciated if Rotarians can register their attendance online at:
http://www.trybooking.com/17704It takes a few minutes of your time and you register once for one or all of the events you want to attend in the one shot.
I've only had a couple of the club members register so far so please, make the time to get into the above site and register as it gives us a better idea for numbers.
International Interest in Business EventsThe concept of the business networking events are gathering momentum overseas - okay, slight exaggeration. However the RC Cambridge, UK and RC Tecoma Narrows, Seattle Washington USA liked our concept of these events so much that they contacted me for more information. I have sent them the tools and templates of what tasks and co-ordinating need
Their feedback to me was that these tools were exactly what they needed. Both clubs now are proposing the concept and giving the tools to the Board for approval. RC Tecoma Narrows wrote to me two days ago to say that they are now setting up a small team to use my tools and templates to plan and roll out their own business networking events for their local area. The idea of bringing the 'vocations back into Rotary' is one that sits well with many Rotary clubs and it seems that internationally, everyone seems to have the same issues with membership.
Presentation to RC RingwoodI had the pleasure to be the guest speaker to the Rotary Club of Ringwood to present on the concept of the Business Networking Events as they too are looking at how to encourage local business owners to join. Their club is similar to ours in size and age and the majority are retired.
The presentation went well as there were many questions from the floor but one of the things I did note is that on the onset, the co-ordination of such events does look time consuming [and it was to set it all up but that lessens over time the more you do. There is also a hesitation in the amount of promotion with local business and councils and 'computer' work that needs to be done - internet, LinkedIn etc ]. However, from the people there who had small businesses for themselves, they loved the idea and they relayed that they would like more people like themselves in the club.
But they have a different membership idea. One of their membership drives is a space they have at Eastland Shopping Centre where they sell raffle tickets. When they sell raffle tickets, they asked people if they wanted to know more about Rotary and took down their contact details. They created a list of over 30 people and started phoning each of them up and invite them over to a meeting every week. The have new faces at their club every week through this simple list. At the meeting on Wednesday, they had 2 potential members from this drive who signed up to Rotary that night.
I thought that this was a wonderful idea -
they simply ASKED. By using a Rotary public activity, they simply asked people if they wanted to know more information about Rotary.
Maybe we should get into the community ourselves and start asking too?
District RoleDGE Brian Martin has given me the District role for Business Networking and so I will be the District contact for how to support clubs to run these events. I will be working closely with Tim Treeby and his small group of pilot clubs for the Rotary Corporate Membership Program and in effect, DGE's vision is that a variety of programs such as business networking and corporate membership can be developed to attract businesses into Rotary.
For my own vision, these business networking events are specific in function and there's a reason as to why they are monthly and three times per year. If we provide a consistent calendar of events that don't chop and change, businesses in our local area will instantly know that there are networking events they can attend every February, July and October every year. They will then know their local Rotary Club and what we do and we can continue the relationship through consistency. It's easier to advertise and promote 'Business Networking Months' than one off networking events that require a greater personal effort for one guest speaker. In effect, my aim is to establish a longer term relationship with business owners and operators and have them coming back every week of that month - and then following them up by email of ongoing events.
The District role is still in its infancy but to prepare for this, when I get some time, I will create an Information Pack for clubs and re-tweak the tools and templates so they are generic enough to be used by any club around the world.
Group Study Exchange Visit on Week of March 24 This year our international visitors will be from Fort Worth Dallas Texas. The team of 4 plus their Rotarian Team Leader will be coming to Australia and we're all eagerly awaiting for them. Andrew and I will be hosting one of the young team members, Anne Pape for the week starting Saturday 24 March. During the first week, they will have an active calendar of events visiting local industry, government and arts and cultures from our District.
I will be seeking support from our club members to act as 'drivers' for Anne in the mornings. The role involves picking up Anne from our home and dropping her off at the team point at the park near Southland every morning; and then (not all days) picking her up in the afternoons from the same place and dropping her off to our place. Andrew and I would have been able to do this however, we are both working at this time and will kindly seek your support. I will have more details when the GSE Committee sent out the timetables and then we can allocate people for certain days.
Club Day with Group Study Exchange Team Participants: Melbourne - For Your Diaries Monday 26 March 2012On Monday 26 March, our club will act as host to the team for the whole day. I have organised a trip into Melbourne to see how our state and local government works and will be seeking a couple of volunteers from our club to act as hosts for the day.
The itinerary is as follows:
0830 All team members to meet at Cheltenham Train Station
1000 Commence tour and presentation by MP Bruce Atkinson at Parliament House (tea and coffee will be provided)
1200 Lunch in city and tram/walk to Bourke Street Mall for shopping and perusing
1430 Commence tour and presentation at City of Melbourne Council (tea and coffee provided)
1700 Rotarian host families to pick up their team members from Cheltenham Train Station
I'm still negotiating the tour at the City of Melbourne so it's yet to be confirmed.
So if you are interested in getting a 'behind the scenes' tour and presentation of our government and act as wonderful hosts to our beautiful city and the Texan tourists, then please let me know. I would have been involved on the day but as I'm starting a new job, I cannot guarantee any leave from now on.
Venue SituationWhen I emailed the South Oakleigh Club to confirm bookings of the large room for our Business Events early this year, they advised me that they have increased their prices to $50 for the small room; $150 for the large room and $50 screen hire every week. This came as a shock as it was unexpected and we hadn't been formally communicated of this change. I was disappointed as I believed our relationship with the SOC was such that we had open communication to be advised and then be in a position to negotiate these changes.
Philip has kindly offered to negotiate these terms as the prices will hurt us in the long run. In the meantime, I have contacted other venues in the area who have been quite open and accepting of our club's requirements so there are options to consider going forward. So far, La Cassetta Restaurant and Buckingham International are two possible contenders - with the former offering us a free hire of a private function room every Monday night and minimum $20 for a full range of meals to consider. Buckingham offers the same although they may have to move us depending on other functions or room bookings on the night.
Our main priority is to stay at the South Oakleigh Club and do our best to negotiate the terms so that it is a win-win for both parties. However, if it doesn't work, then the possibility is that we will move.
So that's all the update with the news so far. I will see everyone at the park on Monday night but I may be a tad late. I will be starting my new job on Monday and have done my best to do as much Rotary work during my leave so that I can focus 100% on work from now on...(okay 95%)...
Enjoy the weekend, hope it warms up!
