Jelly Virgin, Chloe Dunn tells all:
So last night the Champagne Jelly happened at St Michaels Manor.
Being new to SABs and new to Jellies I was some what apprehensive. So many questions? What was a Jelly? What was a Shoffice? What was SABs all about? Should I wear a black polo neck and live to graphic designer stereotype expectations? Oh and very importantly what cocktail should I choose?
I arrived and was welcomed by Sue Wybrow of Popdance Fame and introduced to lots of people that I heard of through the SABs Facebook group, it was great to put faces to names. I met ‘one man bands’ like me, people in transition between jobs and also owners of larger established businesses.
After handing out new SABs magnets Sue acted as Richard Marrett and welcomed us to St Michaels Manor. I’m often looking for quiet places to meet clients to present work so very useful to hear about the facilities they offer.
The rest of the evening was very informal and relaxed and everyone was very friendly. There were no presentations or formal pitches which was a relief. Just an exchange of business cards and finding out what people ‘do’ and talk of shoffices, the naked Christmas card and a mutual love of tea!
So on first glance I guess a Jelly is a chance to network with potential opportunities for new business, but more than anything it is to meet fellow local small business people that can support each other and a chance to discuss business ideas. My skills very much stop at design, so meeting a printer, photographer and web developer was incredibly useful and will benefit my clients too.
The night ended with discussions with fellow SABs of meeting for breakfast at the Smokehouse Deli one day. So I think a successful evening all in all. (I had a Mojito and a Mai Tai incase you were wondering.)