Manningham Business Network

Hi All,

In case you haven’t heard, the Manningham Business Network, in conjunction with the Manningham City Council, are running the first annual (hopefully!) Gala Dinner.

It is a business and networking evening with a great range of guest speakers, with a keynote address from Councillor, shareholder advocate, commentator and many other titles; Stephen Mayne.

It looks to be a great night with dinner and networking opportunities galor! For more informatione go to www.manninghambusiness.com.au or our main MBN site, www.mbiznetwork.org.au/html/mbn_gala.html

We look forward to seeing you there on the night!

As another year draws to a close the Manningham Business Network celebrates another highly successful year and we would like to thank everyone who attended our Open Meetings throughout the year. With a growth in attendees of over 50% for the monthly event, as well as a strong take up of new Members, lifting the membership base of the group by approximately 40% on last year’s numbers, we are extremely pleased with the obviously strong interest the local business community has in establishing long lasting relationships with likeminded business people.

This year saw continued growth despite the unfortunate disruptions caused by the recent fire at the Manningham City Council Offices, and the continued assistance from the Council throughout this period and the rest of the year has enabled the MBN to maintain a high quality offering and is a testament to the invaluable support provided the group from Manningham City Council. We would like to thank the Council once again for their solid support and look forward to another great year in 2010.

Special thanks are also due to the MBN’s primary sponsor, the Doncaster East Branch of the Bendigo Bank, who joined the MBN supporter base in mid-2009.

Lastly a strong thank you to all the individuals and Members who attended our functions throughout the year and provided a purpose to our thriving network.

Hi all,

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has INCREASED the official interest rate by 0.25% or 25 basis points, a key sign the Australian economy is starting to gain momentum.

The bad news is that all lenders will be reviewing their current interest rates and passing on the increase shortly. ANZ have moved today the full 0.25%.

Please do not hesitate to contact me for any further information – treasurer@mbiznetwork.org.au or ploupetis@odysseyfinancial.com.au

READ THE EXPLANATION FROM GLENN STEVENS – RBA GOVERNOR…….

 http://www.rba.gov.au/MediaReleases/2009/mr-09-23.html

Just a quick reminder in case you missed the flyer, the Council Newsletter or the website! We are back in the Manningham City Council offices for tomorrow’s meeting! Hopefully no one ends up at the wong venue, but please make sure you note the change.

See you bright and early!

Next month we have Brenda Thompson form Networking World speaking at our breakfast. She is a wealth of knowledge with connecting  small business and shouldn’t be missed. I will be giving a short presentation on the latest ways to leverage your business using digital media. Although our Gala night has been postponed this year (due to the fire at Manningham Council) we are now planning our Speed Networking night, I will post the date the moment it is confirmed.

AND…. Thanks again to all who listened to my presentation on “to fix your interest rate or not to fix” yesterday. I hope it was relevant and beneficial to some of the members & guests in attendance.

For any further info, please feel free to email me; paul@affinitymortgagecentre.com.au

Paul!

Hi MBN people,

Just letting you know i met with our fellow member Stephen Chenoweth (PCM accountants) and in the process of completing our financials!!!!!! Yipppeee! We all love tax time.

Paul

Thanks all who made the trip to the Doncaster Senior Citizens Centre this morning for our August Open meeting! Despite the initial chaos and confusion of the new location the morning appeared quite a success.

Our Main Speaker presentation from Mark Garbelotto on Visualisation and Eliminating Procrastination was a powerful and succinct delivery on practical, clear steps to use to, not just eliminate time-wasting delays, but assisting in identifying the key issues that are important to each of us personally in all aspects of our lives. More details on Mark and his ‘Eat that frog!’ methodolgy can be found on his website, http://www.markgarbelotto.com/ I highly encourage those who missed his session to take a closer look.

The timely update from MBN member and Treasurer; Paul Loupetis from Affinity Home Loans, on “To fix or not to fix?” was a great guide on the salient points to consider when assessing fixed rate options on your mortgage.

I would also like to thank Janet Ho from Forever Living Products, the winner of our Guest Speaker spot, for her presentation on the merits and health benefits of Aloe Vera Juice. We look forward to hearing from Russell McInnes of Gardiner McInnes Estate Agents next month.

Thanks again all who came along, those that missed it we hope to see you next time, we will be at the Doncaster Senior Citizens Centre one more month and then back to the Manningham City Council offices! Thanks again to the Manningham Council for their assistance in getting a replacement venue amidst the chaos post-fire.

Well, at least I hope they are, let’s test it shall we?

Ok, so it’s still a little klunky, but we are now live and kicking in the world of blogs! Where to start?

This is of course the first post from our blog and hopefully overtime we can add more and more functionality to it all, but please be patient! We have no web designer in the group currently so this thing has been put together by a financial planner! I am a nerd, true, but there is a limit to one’s expertise when you don’t live and breath IT, so bear with me.

I have been told to keep my posts short by those more experienced in this arena than me, so my first communication will be brief, but please feel free to ask questions and I’ll see how we go with getting some answers! Thanks again and you will hear from me again soon!