BNI Hampshire All Stars

30/10/2026

Things Got a Little Spooky at BNI Hampshire All Stars This Morning!

Halloween arrived early at our Friday meeting in Havant, bringing with it scary pitches, gruesome referral requests and a few business horror stories!

Thankfully, everyone made it out alive... we think!

Richard Bell reminded us of the importance of Building Relationships, one of BNI's Core Values. Strong, trustworthy relationships are at the heart of both business and life.

Andy Williams took the Education Slot and asked an interesting question: Are we speaking our customers' language, or confusing them with industry jargon? Sometimes what makes perfect sense to us means absolutely nothing to the people we're trying to reach!

Our 60-second pitches took a spooky turn, with members getting creative with their Halloween-inspired presentations. Congratulations to Nicola Cleverly, who claimed this week's Oscar with a frighteningly good performance!

Business Horror Stories were the theme of our 10-minute presentation, with members sharing nightmare situations they'd faced in business and, more importantly, how they managed to put things right!

Some valuable lessons, a few laughs and certainly a chill or two down the spine!

And in much happier news, we officially welcomed Simon Latham from True Potential LLP as our newest chapter member! Welcome aboard, Simon!

Networking doesn't have to be scary!

If you're a local business owner looking to meet new people, build relationships and grow your business, why not come along and see what we're all about?

We meet every Friday in Havant and visitors are always welcome!

Send us a message if you'd like to join us at a future meeting.

23/10/2026

Storm Austen might have arrived, but it takes more than a bit of wild weather to stop the Hampshire All Stars!

Another Friday, another fantastic BNI meeting, with plenty of energy, enthusiasm and a couple of valuable reminders about what makes great business relationships work.

Recognition – More Than Just a Thank You

Nicola took us through this week's BNI Core Value: Recognition.

We all appreciate being recognised for the work we do. Whether it's a thank you, some positive feedback or a recommendation, knowing that our efforts are valued makes a real difference.

And in a room full of trusted business professionals, there's arguably no greater recognition than a referral.

When you confidently recommend someone to your own contacts, you're putting your reputation behind them. That's recognition built on trust, respect and confidence in what they do.

Eyes Closed, Ears Open!

Vikki had us all in the dark for this week's education slot. Quite literally!

Armed with nothing more than a piece of paper, we were asked to close our eyes and follow a series of instructions.

Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?

Well, the rather different results around the room told another story!

It was a brilliant demonstration of just how important clear, precise communication really is.

If you want someone to deliver the result you're looking for, you need to make sure your instructions leave as little room for interpretation as possible.

A lesson that applies just as much to business as it does to a Friday morning exercise with a piece of paper!

Great relationships, genuine recognition and clear communication.

60 Seconds of Stardom!

Another fantastic round of 60-second presentations this week, with our members showcasing their businesses, sharing what they do best and keeping everyone entertained along the way.

But there can only be one Oscar winner!

This week's coveted award went to Rob, who clearly had a little divine intervention on his side!

Heavenly assistance or not, it was enough to secure the win. Congratulations, Rob!

Just a few of the things that make our Friday mornings at Hampshire All Stars so worthwhile.

Interested in experiencing it for yourself?

Come along to one of our Friday morning meetings in Havant, meet some fantastic local business owners and discover what BNI networking is all about.

21/10/2026

ONE PROFESSION. ONE CHAIR. YOUR OPPORTUNITY!

Imagine walking into a room full of local business owners, knowing that nobody else there offers the same service as you.

No direct competition. No fighting for attention. Just the opportunity to build relationships, develop trusted referral partnerships and grow your business.

That's one of the things that makes BNI Hampshire All Stars different!

At our Havant chapter, each professional classification has its own chair. Whether you're a plumber, accountant, electrician or another business professional, you have the opportunity to become the go-to person for your expertise within the group.

And with other members offering complementary services, there's also the potential to build powerful referral partnerships.

We've explored what it really means to 'own your chair' in our latest article.

Could there be a chair waiting for your profession?

Read the full article here:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/your-profession-chair-opportunity-could-bni-next-aizge/

BNI Hampshire All Stars | Havant

16/10/2026

Another great morning with BNI All Stars in Havant!

Thinking about booking your next holiday? Somewhere sunny, perhaps?

Well, Kelly Molloy from Not Just Travel might be just the person you need!

But instead of taking us on holiday this morning, Kelly took us through something equally important in her 10-minute presentation: the power of networking.

Because networking isn't just about turning up, exchanging business cards and hoping for referrals.

It's about building relationships, earning trust and genuinely supporting one another.

Oscar of the Week!

Kelly handed this week's Oscar to Jeff Laming! Congratulations, Jeff!

And a shout-out to everyone who contributed to this morning's meeting:

Rob Owens
Richard Bell
Jeff Laming
Michael Fletcher
Vikki Lamb
Nicola Cleverly
Mark James
Ian Lee
Andre Silva

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NEXT WEEK – YOU'RE INVITED!

Join us on Friday 23rd October at 9:15am, at The Bear Hotel in Havant.

Something special on the agenda!

Nicola Cleverly from Biscoes Solicitors will be bringing along a special guest to talk about the latest legal changes affecting conveyancing.

Buying or selling property can be complicated enough without having to keep up with changes in the law!

This will be a great opportunity to hear about what's changing, what it could mean for property transactions and why it matters to those working in the industry.

We'd particularly love to welcome:

Estate Agents
Mortgage Brokers and Advisers
Property Developers and Housebuilders
Property Investors and Landlords
Property Management Professionals
Architects and Planning Consultants

But you don't have to work in property to join us!

If you're a local business owner looking to make genuine connections, grow your network and meet people who actually want to help each other succeed, we'd love to see you.

The Bear Hotel, 15 East Street, Havant, PO9 1AA
Friday 23rd October
9:15am

Fancy joining us? Drop me a message and I'll help you get involved!

15/10/2026

Who’s recommending YOUR business when you’re not in the room?

Think about that for a moment...

You could be brilliant at what you do, offer a fantastic service and have happy customers. But how many opportunities are you missing simply because the right people don't know about your business?

That's where business networking can make a real difference.

Now, before you picture a room full of suits, awkward conversations and people trying to sell you something... that's not what we're talking about!

At BNI Hampshire All Stars, we bring together business owners and professionals from all sorts of trades, industries and backgrounds.

Different businesses. Different personalities. One shared goal - helping each other succeed.

It's about building genuine relationships, creating opportunities and having people who understand your business recommending you to others.

But does networking actually work? And is it worth giving up some of your valuable time?

We've explored exactly that in our latest article:

Does Business Networking Actually Work?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/does-business-networking-actually-work-bni-hampshire-all-stars-ze9se/

If you run a business in Havant, Portsmouth or the surrounding Hampshire area, we'd love you to give it a read.

And if you're curious about experiencing business networking for yourself, why not join us one Friday morning?

No need for a suit. Just bring yourself, your business cards and a willingness to meet some great local people!

Drop us a message to find out more about visiting BNI Hampshire All Stars.

Who’s recommending your business when you’re not in the room? A view from BNI Hampshire All Stars in Havant. Imagine someone in Havant, Portsmouth or any of the surrounding areas in Hampshire needs exactly the service you offer.

09/10/2026

Friday Morning = Another Brilliant BNI Hampshire All Stars Meeting!

Another fantastic start to our Friday, with plenty of familiar faces, some welcome visitors and cross-chapter guests joining us for a morning of networking, learning and a few laughs along the way!

Good Relationships Don't Grow Overnight!

Kelly took on this week's Core Value, Building Relationships, with a brilliant analogy.

Building a relationship is like planting a seed. You can't plant it on Monday and expect a fully grown tree by Friday!

You need to nurture it, feed it and give it time to grow.

And that's exactly how strong business relationships work. They're built on trust, effort and taking the time to genuinely get to know each other.

Time to Get Out of That Comfort Zone!

Richard delivered this week's Education Slot, encouraging everyone to try something new and embrace the unfamiliar.

Learning new skills doesn't just make us better people; it could also help us provide even more to our clients.

After all, nothing exciting ever really grew from standing still!

And the Oscar Goes To... Kelly!

Another great selection of 60-second pitches this morning, but with autumn arriving and the colder weather creeping in, Kelly knew exactly how to win the room over...

SUNSHINE!

Her tempting offering of places in the sun was enough to secure this week's Oscar. Clearly, a few of us are already dreaming of escaping the British weather!

Insurance, But Make It Personal!

Our Chapter President, Michael, delivered this week's 10-minute presentation, giving us an insight into how he and the team at Howden approach business insurance.

For Michael, it's not about pulling a standard insurance package off the shelf and hoping it'll do the job.

It's about getting to know YOU, understanding YOUR business and making sure the cover you receive is actually right for what you do.

Because when it comes to protecting your business, one size definitely doesn't fit all!

Another brilliant Friday morning with the All Stars, full of great advice, genuine connections and plenty of reasons to get out of bed early!

Fancy seeing what we're all about? Come and join us one Friday morning in Havant. There's always room for another friendly face!

02/10/2026

What a brilliant buzz there was in the room this morning!

We welcomed a fantastic group of visitors to BNI Hampshire All Stars today, bringing plenty of new faces and even more energy to our Friday morning meeting.

It was an absolute pleasure meeting you all and hopefully giving you a good taste of what our chapter is all about.

We also had Michael’s first official meeting as our new Chapter President - and we’re pleased to report that he successfully made it through meeting number one!

Great job, Michael!

Our Core Value this week came from Jeff Laming, who took a look at Traditions + Innovation.

Jeff reminded us that while the traditions and values within our businesses often provide the foundations for everything we do, it’s just as important that we keep adapting, developing and moving with the times.

Next came Nicola Cleverly with our Education Slot and the slightly concerning question…

“Do You Need A Bigger Boat?”

Fortunately, this wasn’t a warning about sharks appearing off the Hampshire coast.

Instead, Nicola got us thinking about growing businesses.

As your business gets bigger, are the systems, people and processes supporting it growing too?

Sometimes you really do need to build a bigger boat!

Then came our 60-second pitches, with another great mixture of referral requests from around the room.

And Nicola managed to make it a double appearance in today’s write-up by winning this week’s Oscar.

Although… we may need VAR to look at this one. 😂

Last week’s winner Richard completely forgot that this meant he was also this week’s judge, resulting in what can only be described as a fairly random selection process.

Nicola was eventually chosen as the winner.

Entirely deserved, obviously. Absolutely no controversy here whatsoever…

Finally, Andy Williams delivered this week’s 10-minute presentation, talking us through all the recent social media activity for the chapter.

He explained why you keep seeing our meeting round-ups, member profiles, Myth Busters, Core Values and posts explaining what happens at BNI.

The idea is simple:

Help people understand BNI a little better
Introduce you to the brilliant people inside our chapter
Show you what our Friday mornings are actually like
And encourage more local business owners to come along and experience it for themselves

We’ve got a fantastic group of people in this chapter — and the more we all help share what’s happening, the more people we can introduce to it.

Judging by the number of visitors in the room today, we might just be heading in the right direction.

Another brilliant Friday morning with the All Stars.

See you next week!

25/09/2026

A slightly different Friday morning at BNI Hampshire All Stars today, as we said goodbye to Ian Knight after an incredible 16 years in BNI.

For his final meeting, Ian decided to do things his own way - combining his 90-second pitch, choice of Core Value and 10-minute presentation into one farewell presentation.

And it was a fitting way to finish.

Ian talked us through his time in BNI, the relationships he has built, the business he has gained and, just as importantly, the business he has been able to pass on and refer to others over the years.

He also spoke about what the BNI Core Values really mean to him, alongside the values he has always tried to live by - helping others, supporting young people and encouraging those around him.

Of course, it wouldn't have been an Ian farewell without a mention of his famous rants, strong opinions and occasional battles against “the system”!

They have certainly kept us entertained over the years, and they will be missed almost as much as Ian himself.

We also had our weekly Education Slot, delivered by Jeff Laming, with a brilliantly straightforward message about the importance of being genuine in business:

“Cut the BS and provide a service.”

Simple, memorable and very true.

And in Ian’s final act as a member of the chapter, he chose Richard Bell as the winner of this week’s 60-second presentation.

A memorable morning and a proper send-off for someone who has been part of BNI for such a long time.

All the very best for the future, Ian. You’ll be missed by everyone at Hampshire All Stars.

22/09/2026

Ever wondered what actually happens at a BNI meeting?

If you’re looking to grow your business, meet more local business owners and build stronger connections in the Havant area, BNI Hampshire All Stars could be worth a visit.

We’ve put together a simple first-time visitor’s guide explaining what to expect, how the meeting works and why it can take more than one visit to really see the value.

If you’ve been curious about BNI but weren’t quite sure what happens when you walk through the door, have a read here:

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-happens-bni-meeting-bni-hampshire-all-stars-80jme/

And if it sounds like something you’d like to experience for yourself, come and join us one Friday morning in Havant.

You’ll be made very welcome.

18/09/2026

Relationships, learning and a little printing history at this week’s BNI meeting!

Ian Lee kicked things off with our core value, Building Relationships - a reminder that trust grows over time and the relationships we invest in become more valuable.

Kelly gave us a handy refresher on BNI Connect, including the Academy and its huge library of educational material. Plenty to explore between meetings!

Our winning 60-second pitch came from Ian Knight! Next week, he’ll have a monster 90 seconds AND his 10-minute presentation. We’re looking forward to it, Ian!

This week was Rob Owens’ turn in the 10-minute spotlight. He took us on a journey through printing history, showed us how our use of printers has changed and explained the benefits of a managed print service.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to another great meeting!

Would you like to meet other local business owners and see what BNI could do for your business? Come along to one of our Friday meetings!

The Bear Hotel, Havant
Every Friday morning from 9:30am