In this months Southport’s Journey Magazine we talk about Finding Your People
Networking with purpose
Running a business can be an odd experience.
You can spend your day talking to customers, meeting suppliers, managing staff, replying to emails and solving problems, yet still find yourself carrying many of the biggest decisions alone.
Family and friends provide invaluable support, but there are some conversations that are difficult to have with people outside of business. Not because they don’t care, but because they haven’t lived it. The uncertainty of pricing a service. The challenge of winning new customers. The frustration of a marketing idea that falls flat. The responsibility that comes with growth.
For many business owners, networking provides a space where those conversations can happen naturally.
On the surface, networking events appear to be about business development. New contacts, new opportunities and potential referrals. Spend enough time attending them, however, and another pattern begins to emerge. People return because of the relationships.
Across Southport and Sefton there are now dozens of opportunities to connect with other professionals and business owners. Some are free, such as Coast Birkdale, Southport Business Group, Sandgrounders and the Connexus Walk. Others, including BNI, Shout and larger business conferences, take a more structured approach through membership and organised referrals. Each offers something slightly different, which is why many business owners try several before finding the environments that suit them best.
What becomes clear quite quickly is that networking is rarely about walking into a room and selling yourself. The strongest connections are usually built through curiosity rather than promotion. Asking questions. Listening carefully. Taking an interest in somebody else’s experience.
The conversation that starts over coffee can become a recommendation months later. The person you meet on a networking walk may introduce you to a future client. A fellow business owner may share an idea, a contact or a piece of advice that saves weeks of frustration. These outcomes are difficult to measure, but they are often where the real value lies.
There is also something reassuring about spending time with people who understand the realities of running a business. The pressures may be different, but many of the experiences are shared. Networking reminds us that success rarely happens in isolation and that behind every business is a network of conversations, relationships and support.
As Southport’s business community continues to grow, these spaces matter. They help create opportunities, strengthen connections and remind people that they do not have to build everything alone.
NETWORKING IN THE LOCAL AREA
Southport has no shortage of ways to meet people, share ideas, and build connections. From relaxed coffee chats to structured business groups and walking meet-ups, these regular networking sessions offer different formats to suit different working styles. Whether you prefer informal conversation or something more organised, there’s likely a seat, or a step, for you.
Konnexus network walk
Second Thursday of every month
9:30am
Various outdoor routes
A walking-based networking format focused on conversation, movement, and connection.
SANDGROUNDERS
Second Tuesday of every month
5.00pm
Southport Football Club
Free
A long-standing local networking
group with a broad mix of businesses.
SHOUT NETWORK
Fortnightly Tuesdays
9.30am
The Grand
Paid
A structured, supportive networking group with regular meet-ups.
GROW NETWORK
3rd Thursdays
12.00pm
Hurlston Hall
Paid
A lunchtime networking event in a more formal setting.
COAST BIRKDALE
Last Wednesday of every month
6.00pm
Coast
Free
A relaxed, local business meet-up with a coastal crowd and easy conversation.
THAT WOMAN RISING
Dates vary
Online and in person
Paid
A women-led network
Have a networking event to share email hello@southportsjourney.com
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