EARLY STAGE BUSINESSES : No substitute for meeting people face to face.(Business)

Byline: By Martin Faint

Even in this high tech world of e-commerce and internet forums it seems there is still no substitute for face to face networking.

Or at least that is what is suggested by the reaction to Advantage Business Angels' first Venture Fair, held in conjunction with The Black Country Chamber & Business Link and Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Business Link.

Last week hundreds of entrepreneurs and business support professionals descended on West Bromwich Albion FC to see what they can offer one another.

Carol Slater, the professional and relationships manager at the Black Country Chamber and Business Link, was one of the professionals who was at the event.

She found that it complemented her own remit - to help the various intermediaries across the Black Country work alongside one other.

'We've been able to pull together and introduce the support services and partnership organizations here.'

In bringing together such a diverse range of organizations, Advantage Business Angels supported her proposition that there is a solid network of support services in the region.

'We aim to deliver a seamless service to our clients, so if they have a specific need we can look in Business Link or elsewhere.'

Seeing all the faces in one room helped this mission.

'This has been a fantastic networking opportunity, with a wonderful buzz to it,' said Ms Slater. 'What we have here isa real cross section of businesses across Birmingham and The Black Country.'

Masood Bupp, the general manager of the Institute of Asian Businesses, was another attendee who benefited from the Venture Fair.

'I was invited as one of the speakers,' he said. 'We were really very pleased with the way it turned out.'

Mr Bupp said that Asian businesses have in the past tended to turn first and foremost to friends and family for their funding needs, and such events help open up the wider business community.

'Asian businesses have sometimes been in a network of their own.'

'The family networks have worked well, but many Asian businesses are now at the stage where they are ready to go into a bigger scale and are looking at other funding sources. Ethnic minority companies should attend these events to become aware of what is on offer.'

Ms Slater agrees: 'It's great to marry together so much under one roof. We'd like this to be the first of many events

CAPTION(S):

All the fun of the Venture Fair. Carol Slater, professional & relationships manager; Masood Butt, general manager, Institute of Asian Businesses and Helen Swaffield, director, Swaffield Solicitors