Every six weeks, business professionals and entrepreneurs alike gather for The Table NQ breakfast meet ups. Attendees kick off the morning by introducing themselves to those at their designated tables, before transitioning into guided networking activities, expertly led by co-founders, Ruth Guice and Jools Munro.
“It’s an opportunity to show others what you do and make connections,” explains Ruth, who noted they welcomed over 90 business professionals to their inaugural launch back in February 2023.
As a communication mentor who focuses on networking and presentation skills through
her business, the Mouthin’ Off Academy of Communication and Kick-Assery, Ruth intimately understands the obstacles associated with networking.
Together with Jools, they pinpointed common networking challenges, such as time constraints and the awkwardness of forging new connections, which fuelled the inspiration for the Table NQ events.
“People feeling awkward and uncomfortable is all too common at networking events. However, it’s just a symptom,” adds Ruth. “The real reason most feel awkward is they have absolutely no idea what it is they’re doing there.
“When you understand the real benefits of networking, every event you attend can become worthwhile.”
In recent years, networking in Townsville has boomed, and is yielding significant benefits for local businesses. Rhett Stubbs and Shannon Wheatley- Stubbs, who own the consultancy business Active HR, credit a substantial portion of their success to their networking efforts.
Both regularly attend multiple different events, including the weekly BNI sessions, where Shannon is a member of BNI Awesome – one of Townsville’s six chapters.
“Business networking represents a significant proportion of our overall marketing investment and the return on this investment can be anywhere between 150% up to 300%,” says Shannon.
“We have a number of long-term clients that have arisen as a result of our business networks; however, we have also secured one-off and repeat consultancy work via our network contacts.”
Despite their success, Rhett acknowledges that networking is all about the long-term commitment.
“I think one of the misconceptions is the expectation of a return on investment straight up,” adds Rhett, who is President of BNI Velocity, a chapter that saw approximately $300,000 in business generated in the recent quarter.
“It’s not to say that it doesn’t happen, however, if someone goes into networking with an expectation of immediate sales being generated, there is a high likelihood of disappointment.”
Although traditional networking forms such as BNI continue to thrive, the popularity of new networking events aimed at fostering connections between businesses and the wider community has surged.
Community Information Centre’s (CIC) General Manager Teresa Hudson, who launched the Together Townsville networking events back in 2021, says they see anywhere between 50-70 businesses and organisations attend per month.
“In the wake of the 2019 floods, the business and community sectors both recognised that there was a disconnect between each other and didn’t understand how both sectors could support and benefit each other,” says Teresa.
“Townsville is a relationship-based community that thrives on being connected. When we all work together and support one another, we are a stronger and more resilient community for it.
“While it can be daunting to step outside of your comfort zone, it can also open opportunities, and being in business is all about opportunities.”
Ruth agrees and says there are many benefits to networking but reiterates that “not one of them is making a sale.”
“There is of course a great deal of business that happens through networking – but it doesn’t happen with people standing around pitching at each other,” says Ruth.
“Networking is about raising your profile, building your confidence, growing your connections, gaining valuable local knowledge, and uncovering opportunities that you might never have known about if you hadn’t attended.
“If everyone focuses on what they can bring to the table, rather than what they can take away, nobody leaves empty-handed.”
