BRX Bond Street

http://www.georgeemsden.co.uk/2009/11/interesting-times-how-to-spend-14bn-in-a-weekend/

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Arriving in The President’s Room slightly earlier than usual, there seem to be few people so start wondering are we going to have 120 seconds? Chairman Mike shouts “breakfast” but by the time I have chomped through my bacon & croissant, a hoard of late arrivals show up. Hiten & Mab are casualties of the previous week so are missing, but the table is fairly full and with the usual seating bias towards the food end.

With a tale of gazundering, mortgage broker Nigel Hakkak saves the day for a client and the three deals in the chain. Solution? talk to the agents concerned and get them to reduce their commission after which we hear Lewis Malka’s http://www.joseph-sterling.com/ 30 second commercial for Gold Parties. Fortunately he got home after his last one without being mugged, with pockets bulging with over 1 kilo in gold and having paid his clients a much better price than his TV competitors. From the healthy food he brings each week, the training regime for the London Marathon has already started, and he passed his £7,000 target for the New York one.

Cheerful news from Louise Melviot of Sayers Butterworth http://www.sayersb.co.uk/bookkeeping.shtml telling of new search powers for HMRC. If you know anyone being investigated by them you better point them her way, as the investigation can ruin a business. Sadly it is Roy Block’s http://www.suitstoyourdoor.co.uk/penultimate session with us as he is opening a retail outlet in Willesden which will be open 10 -5 weekday ‘cept Friday when it will be 10 – 8pm. After visiting many groups in BNI & BRX, we are the best apparently!

Bob Gulliver CTO of Unvisited World wants intros to RFID (Radio Frequency ID) companies like Oyster. Alexis of The Happiness Centre http://www.thehappinesscentre.com/ wants intros to staff event organisers, as having a chair or table there changes the tone and nature of the event making it much more positive.

Double Whammy from HSBC this week as Elisabeth Jones (a qualified IFA!) tells us about the Personal Banking services she can offer to HNW clients. We have an interesting 121 afterwards and might be able to work together in long-term care, something her unit doesn’t cover apparently. Corporate (see later) Banking colleague Laura Firestone, would like intros to people wanting to invest in franchises. When the client has a track record in business and if it is a BFA franchise company, terms can be much better.

From Louise Hassett of Delfont Mackintosh http://www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk “An Inspector Calls” is going to the Wyndham after Skawshank Redemption finishes in April and HAIR! is coming over from New York to play at The Gielgud. Seems the D list celebs were hard work this week but then the glitterati at BRX Bond Street are always there to cheer anyone up! Richard Houldsworth of Splattprint http://splattprint.com/wants enquiries for corporate Christmas cards but seems there will be none from Louise this year as she is going green with electronic ones – it’s the thought that counts.

Chocolatier Kirsty of Perfectly Tempered http://www.perfectlytempered.com/ is getting a new logo and reads a glowing testimonial from the Gaucho clients. New Chimi Churri (nothing to do with Mary Poppins) chox have been popular where the ingredients include chilli, garlic and white wine vinegar. Copywriter Caroline Hampstead www.carolinehampstead.com also reads a testimonial from a client who had five bits of copy, none of which were rivetting. The new text will now engage rather than repel the readers as one might expect – she wrote the copy for my bit on the in2 Consulting website.

My niche is gravitating towards the serious end of financial advice – people with serious/terminal illness and long-term care http://www.georgeemsden.co.uk/2009/10/your-worst-nightmare/ The latter, after years of disinterest, is now moving up the political agenda and in the Queen’s Speech, government announces a new National Care Commission.

Mike Segall’s www.jnetradio.com week with fun celebs looks interesting as girl band Cleopatra have been relaunched. Christian falls off his chair at the end of the meeting with a good referral from Louise after telling us how only 1 per cent of websites are compatible with mobiles. He is also kind enough to refer me to Caroline Heward former BRX Bond Street Chairman as we might be able to work together.

Master coach George Metcalfe www.georgemetcalfe.comdressed in red as usual on a Friday http://www.redfridays.co.uk/j/ reminds us that a good coach can fill gaps in people’s lives.

As a substitute for the usual dry humour from Sherrards http://www.sherrards.co.uk/page_home.asp we have producer/director/jazz vocalist in the form of Charlotte Peters who fortunately for the people either side of her, did not sing her 60 seconds. Years ago at BNI Islington, a singing coach always did this so if it was your turn afterwards, it was a case of “Follow That!”

Last but not least, chairman Mike of Green Park Insurance Services http://www.greenparkinsurance.co.uk/does a good 10 minutes with PowerPoint and laptop that works. Background on his JV partners Stackhouse Poland is informative and reassuring while in his 60 seconds, tells us of house insurance sorted when the freehold/leasehold structure was a bit confusing. Seems some English honours graduates improved the spellchecker (or should it be spell checker?) for this corperate (sic) presentation, but we got the point.

P.S. A few members don’t appear to have their details on the BRX Bond Street website, so cannot post the links here…

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