BNI Inspire Reading

BNI Inspire Reading Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from BNI Inspire Reading, Business service, Best Western Hotel, Bath Road, Reading.

Is your admin eating into the time you could be spending actually running your business?That was the question Katie from...
04/09/2026

Is your admin eating into the time you could be spending actually running your business?

That was the question Katie from Katie's Virtual Support put to us during her feature presentation at BNI Inspire this week, with the help of a rather revealing game of Admin Bingo!

Emails piling up? Receipts still in a bag? Social media gone suspiciously quiet? Spending evenings catching up on jobs you didn’t get to during the day?

The more boxes you tick, the more it might be time to outsource.

Katie helps business owners get that time back, whether that’s sorting an unruly inbox, getting receipts organised for the accountant, keeping social media ticking over or taking care of the general admin that somehow eats up hours.

And you don’t need to know exactly how much help you need. Have a chat with Katie, and she’ll help work that out with you.

As for the three members of her support team pictured here - they’re currently keeping an eye out for her next client. 👀🐶

Although their admin skills remain questionable. 😂

This testimonial travelled a little further than most.It didn't come from someone in the BNI Inspire room. It came from ...
02/09/2026

This testimonial travelled a little further than most.

It didn't come from someone in the BNI Inspire room. It came from a client of someone in the room, which makes it a brilliant example of how networking really works.

Katie from Katie's Virtual Support recommended Al from VidOps Streamlined Media Creation to one of her clients, LIBRA Lions, who needed professional video content filmed at King’s College Hospital.

They decided to give Al a go, and it's fair to say they're rather pleased they did!

From making everyone feel comfortable on the filming day to producing a finished video that LIBRA described as “outstanding”, Al clearly made an impression.

In fact, they were so happy with the result that they're now working with him on more videos and clips from the content he captured that day.

That's a referral done properly.

Katie trusted Al enough to put his name in front of her own client. Al delivered. LIBRA got a fantastic result. And now one referral has turned into an ongoing relationship.

That’s the power of having people in the room who are happy to recommend you when you're not there.

Speaker of the Week goes to [DRUM ROLL} Dan from TMX Property Services!Each week, we listen out for a 40-second pitch th...
31/08/2026

Speaker of the Week goes to [DRUM ROLL} Dan from TMX Property Services!

Each week, we listen out for a 40-second pitch that really hits the mark, and this week Tom Waterman from Waterman I T handed our highly prestigious (and extremely expensive looking 😆) trophy over to Dan.

Dan did two things particularly well. He was specific about who he wanted to speak to, and he repeated the name a few times throughout his pitch.

Simple, but effective. By the end of his 40 seconds, everyone in the room knew exactly who Dan was looking for and had that name firmly planted in their heads.

And that’s the whole point. We can only find you the right referrals if we know what we’re listening out for!

Dan’s reward? A little extra time next week to tell us more about TMX Property Services.

Nice work, Dan! Look how happy he is with his trophy 🤣

We have an empty seat at BNI Inspire, and we’d love a local charity to fill it.We’re offering one Reading area charity a...
28/08/2026

We have an empty seat at BNI Inspire, and we’d love a local charity to fill it.

We’re offering one Reading area charity a FREE BNI Inspire membership for a whole year, worth over £1,300.

It’s a chance to get your charity in front of a room full of local business owners every week, make new connections, raise awareness of what you do and potentially open doors to fundraising, support and introductions.

And there’s no catch. We simply want to use our network to help a brilliant local charity reach more people.

We’ll be welcoming charities to our Open Day on Wednesday 9th September at 6.30am at the Calcot Hotel, so now we need your help…

Which local charity would you love to see sitting in that seat?

Tag them below, share this with them or send us a message. 👇

Let’s find a charity that could really benefit from having a whole room of local businesses behind them.

Got a good story? You might be surprised how far it could travel.Our feature presenter yesterday was Peter Anderson Copy...
27/08/2026

Got a good story? You might be surprised how far it could travel.

Our feature presenter yesterday was Peter Anderson Copywriting from PA Copywriting, talking about how businesses and charities can use PR to get better known in their local community.

Rather than simply paying for an advert, Peter looks for the story. He speaks to journalists, finds out what they're interested in and then writes articles with a much better chance of being published. He’s recently done exactly that with articles about Wokingham Pride.

And getting into the local press doesn't stop with the newspaper anymore.

The paper shares the article on social media. The charity or sports club shares it and thanks its sponsor. The sponsor shares it again, and suddenly that one story has travelled much further.

Plus, while today's Facebook post will eventually disappear down the feed, an online news article can still be sitting there when someone Googles your business years later.

Peter also got us thinking differently about sponsorship. Yes, businesses are supporting charities, sports clubs and community groups, but it's perfectly reasonable for that support to work both ways. A thank you post, banner, event shoutout or a mention in some PR can give the sponsoring business valuable local exposure too.

The charity gets support. The business gets seen. And the local story gets shared.

If you're doing something interesting but nobody knows about it, perhaps it's time to give Peter something to write about!

Good trades working together = a much smoother job for everyone.This week’s feature presenter was Stuart Stanley from St...
24/08/2026

Good trades working together = a much smoother job for everyone.

This week’s feature presenter was Stuart Stanley from Stanley Electrical Services, who showed us a great example of a recent project working alongside fellow Inspire member Tom Waterman from Waterman I T.

A separate nursery building was being brought under the control of the school it sits within, which meant its IT needed connecting into the main school systems. Tom handled the IT side, while Stuart and his team took care of the electrical work needed to make it all happen.

It’s exactly the sort of project Stuart enjoys. He regularly works alongside IT companies, architects, interior designers, landscapers and other trades, taking their plans and making the electrical side work properly.

And apparently, he does it without leaving the place looking like a small tornado has passed through! One thing that comes up time and again in Stuart’s customer testimonials is how clean and tidy the team are, alongside the quality of their work.
From extra sockets and lighting to sorting messy junction boxes and much bigger commercial projects, Stanley Electrical Services works across both homes and businesses.

So, if you’ve got a project coming up and need a reliable electrician who plays nicely with the other trades (and clears up after himself!), Stuart is definitely worth knowing.

Member of the Month: Jane Black from Utility Warehouse!A very well deserved bit of recognition for one of our much loved...
20/08/2026

Member of the Month: Jane Black from Utility Warehouse!

A very well deserved bit of recognition for one of our much loved Inspire members.

Jane has really upped her game recently, including completely changing the way she approaches her 1-2-1s.

Her focus? Making sure she properly understands other members' businesses, who they're looking for and, most importantly, how she can spot referrals for them.

And it's working!

That's what great networking is all about. It's not just about what you can get from the room, but what you can bring to it too.

Jane works incredibly hard to create opportunities for other members and is always ready to make an introduction when she spots one.

Congratulations Jane. A thoroughly deserved Member of the Month! 👏

https://partner.uw.co.uk/partner/jane-black-n77305

The biggest mistake people make when networking? Trying to sell to the room.Good networking isn’t about walking into a m...
18/08/2026

The biggest mistake people make when networking? Trying to sell to the room.

Good networking isn’t about walking into a meeting and wondering who might buy from you. It’s about getting to know people and, just as importantly, letting them get to know you.

Have proper conversations. Book 1-2-1s. Find out about each other’s businesses and be really specific about the referrals you’re looking for.

Because a week later, someone in that room might be talking to a friend who says, “I really need someone who can help me with…”
And you want your name to be the one that immediately springs to mind.

That’s the power of referral networking. You’re not the only person looking for opportunities for your business anymore.

You’ve got a whole network doing it with you.

But it works both ways. Listen, make introductions, pass referrals and look for opportunities to help other people too.

Build the relationships and the business will follow.

Want to find out more about networking and what happens at BNI Inspire?

Comment NETWORKING below and we’ll send you some information. 👇

Cars, vans, diggers, and now even an electric car on Kate’s own driveway! This week’s feature presenter at BNI Inspire w...
14/08/2026

Cars, vans, diggers, and now even an electric car on Kate’s own driveway!

This week’s feature presenter at BNI Inspire was Kate Allen from Asset Leasing & Finance, talking us through the what, when and why of business finance.

Kate can arrange funding for everything from cars, vans and construction equipment to office technology and equipment for business expansion. She can also help with business loans, cash flow and invoice finance.

But it’s not simply about finding finance. With over 18 years of experience working with small businesses, including as a bookkeeper and Finance Director, Kate understands the figures behind the decision too. She’ll help you work out what actually makes sense for your business rather than simply finding you some money.

A recent example came from within our own chapter, when Kate arranged finance for two new vans for Stuart from Stanley Electrical Services.

And despite being a lifelong petrolhead, Kate confessed she now has an electric car. Apparently it’s fast AND tax efficient, so we’ll let her off. 😂

If your business needs new vehicles, equipment or a bit of financial breathing room to grow, Kate is definitely someone worth knowing.

Who’s In Our Little Black Book?Plumber? Yep.Accountant? Yep.IT expert? Yep.Will writer? Yep.One of the unexpected perks ...
11/08/2026

Who’s In Our Little Black Book?

Plumber? Yep.
Accountant? Yep.
IT expert? Yep.
Will writer? Yep.

One of the unexpected perks of networking is knowing a person for almost everything.

Although we're still waiting for someone to take the "winning lottery numbers" seat. Anyone know them?

We are still looking for a photographer, plasterer, business coach and solicitor to come along and visit. If you know someone, feel free to pass our details.

Address

Best Western Hotel, Bath Road
Reading
RG317QN

Opening Hours

9am - 9am

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when BNI Inspire Reading posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category