Running a Great Meetup Group Whilst Building Your Personal Brand

Small Biz Matters – a half hour program each week where you can work ON your business rather than IN it.
with Alexi Boyd from Boyd Office Management Services
Date: 22 January 2018

Marketing is no longer a matter of popping down to the local paper and taking out an ad. Its complex, and can involve positioning yourself as the expert in person online and in print, maintaining your professional profiles on various online platforms, writing articles and running events. Even a humble financial expert finds that you need to reinvent yourself continually to be recognised by your peers and the broader business community.

On Small Biz Matters today we welcome Sarah Harding. She’s a financial advisor who is going to share with us a different sort of expertise - standing out from the crowd. Among other methods she’s set up a great Meetup group in the city welcoming professionals from all sectors to simply, network. Sounds simple right? No, it's hard work to get a group recognised as the place to be” and she’s going to share with us the positioning power that process can bring.

Welcome to the show Sarah.

Topics we’ll be covering:

• Take us through your small business background and how this experience has positioned you well to chat to small business about understanding finances.
  • Background – family business, involved in the “corporate side” including banking, managing money outside of the business to help build the lifestyle you want

• Many people say the relationship with your financial advisor needs to be a personal as well as a professional connection. So what should a small business owner be looking for when engaging to an advisor?
  • Relationship with clients
  • When I started I recognised the negative reputation of the industry being very transactional. Adding value beyond giving advice
• Now, one unique way you’re known in the business community in Sydney is through your Why Meetup Groups. Can you tell us about your group and how the Meetup platform has helped to grow your reputation?
  • People look there for a networking group
  • People originally said it doesn’t give the right advice
  • Researched which platforms to use to engage different audiences.
  • 12 months ago I build tools & templates so I could get someone else to run the groups if I decided to diversify again
• How to run a good meetup event
  • Building numbers & being consistent
  • Keeping in contact
  • Need to attend others/give and take
  • Importance of charging something, covering the costs or you’ll become resentful. Good food
• So what is it like working in a male-dominated industry
  • Supportive family who’s encouraged women and girls to put their careers seriously.
  • Emotional intelligence to know WHY men behave like that. There’s a good reason to be exposed to it so you can learn to work with people. Develop the skillsets to know HOW to work with them vs working against them. Setting boundaries requires confidence however.
  • Dangers – most people don’t take their finances seriously. They don’t put aside the funds to have options. Being savvy with your money.

To find out more go to their website: https://www.wyadvice.com

Sarah Harding BIO:

Sarah has been in the finance industry since 2010 and has worked with in both large banks and also smaller boutique financial planning firms and has worked her way up from administrative roles into financial advising and helping clients meet their financial goals. Also within that time frame she has completed a Bachelor of Business Majoring in Financial Planning a Diploma of Financial Planning and also a Masters of Applied Finance.

Sarah prides herself on developing excellent working relationships with all clients to provide comprehensive financial advice based on their individual needs and goals.