Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

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celebration zone.jpg

But the meeting was so delightful - CY members meeting, February 2020

I was so glad I took a chance on the floods, storms, plagues of locusts etc and battled my way to our second monthly meeting of 2020. Consult Yorkshire is the networking group to come to if you are an independent consultant or freelancer and want to talk to, learn from or just get some mutual support from people like you.

Not having made it for a while, I immediately felt at ease talking to members old and new. It was also great that the group has benefited from lots of new members in 2019 – photographer, project manager, lawyer, systems developer, musician, management consultant - to name but a few. Lots of experience covering a wide range of skills and all happy to share their knowledge.

We have a period of networking at the start of each meeting and new faces will soon feel welcome. There’s no pressure to sell, refer or buy!

The meetings are always relaxed and feature skills sessions on particular topics. This month we were planning future sessions which include IR35 and You Tube Marketing. We also discussed developing further the Consult Yorkshire brand which provides a website and marketing outlet for members and will be having a stand at the West Yorkshire Expo in April (thanks to the generosity one of our members).

A nice touch is the celebration zone where we are encouraged to share our successes amongst colleagues – something you don’t get to do as independents so much. So here’s to:

  • Extending services to new and more sophisticated clients

  • Securing grants

  • Becoming accredited to deliver a new service

  • Honesty in turning down a commission leading to a bigger and better one

  • Winning awards

  • Taking a much deserved holiday!

I wasn’t going to tempt fate and finish the verse I started but even as I write this, I’m too late. Oh well then, altogether now – let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

If you are a Yorkshire-based independent consultant, freelancer, or micro-business, why not come along to our next meeting on the 18th March where we will have a skills session on the dreaded IR35 by Vicky Newham (Solutions Accountancy) . We meet every third Wednesday 09:30-12:30 at The Old Brickworks, Brewer’s Fayre restaurant in Drighlington, just off the M62/M621/A62 junction.  There is no charge other than for any refreshments you choose to have.

Hope to see you there

 — Paul