Derby may not be the largest or best-known city in the UK, but it's home to a thriving small business sector and was even recognised as the startup capital of the UK in 2015. https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/best-place-britain-start-business-is-derby/article/1377857 Some of the reasons Derby is such a popular location for small business startups include its low rent, abundant available workforce and excellent transport links.

Being a small business can often be difficult when you don’t have a large team of staff or executives to support you in running or growing your business. You can often get so involved working in the business you don’t find the time to work on the business. And when you are too close to something, which so many business owners are, you can develop blind spots.

Having spent all of my working life in the corporate world, when I started my own business in 2012, I was advised to “ go and network “. I thought ok, but what does that look like? and what does it entail?

Searching around on the internet and talking to colleagues I was given a few pointers which included the main players in the franchise market “ you know who you are “ down to small local groups meeting up over a coffee.