Business growth becomes very different when you stop asking, “What can I sell to this room?” and start asking, “How can we help each other move forward?”
That was one of the strongest messages from our Collective Advantage Network meeting on Wednesday, 12 August 2026.
They understand what you do, who you help and when to recommend you.
This Wednesday brought together Renata Rimkutė, Kim Ellam, Masoumeh Azimi Parsa, Faris Osmanbhoy, Martin Cable and Henry Smith.
We talked about business growth, AI automation, CRM technology, reputation, reptile care, new market challenges and networking.
Different businesses, different experiences, but one thing connected almost every conversation.
Trust.
Our Wednesday CAN meetings bring together our existing community, founders, professionals and new businesses who are serious about growth.
Sometimes the greatest value isn't the introduction.
It's the conversation that follows.
The Power Is in the Community
There are thousands of networking groups.
Simply attending one doesn't automatically create business.
People need time to understand what you do, what problem you solve, where your business is going and what kind of introduction could help you.
Most importantly, they need to trust you enough to recommend you.
Wednesday's meeting demonstrated exactly that.
People asked questions, shared experiences, offered ideas and discussed opportunities.
There was space to talk about success, but also about challenges.
That's when networking starts becoming community.
Martin Cable helps businesses understand what is really happening behind their processes, not just fix the problem they can see.
His strength is looking at how a business operates, identifying where things become inefficient, unclear or unnecessarily complicated, then finding the root cause.
Martin's approach is practical.
He looks at processes, asks the right questions, documents what actually happens and helps businesses create clearer systems that can continue working without permanent dependence on a consultant.
A great example he shared with us at Collective Advantage Network was the introduction of video SOPs into an operation.
Martin's real superpower is process vision, seeing what others may overlook and turning complexity into something clearer, more efficient and easier to manage. Visit - https://simpleris.co.uk/
Kim Ellam, Growth, Trust and a Reptile Hotel That's Getting Busier
Kim joined us from Kim's Reptile Retreat in Burwell, Cambridge.
There was some fantastic news.
Her reptile hotel is complete, the garden area has progressed, bookings continue to arrive and she already has confirmed bookings stretching into next year.
Kim has built her business around something extremely important.
Trust.
Leaving a reptile in somebody else's care isn't simply a transaction.
Owners need confidence that the person looking after their animal understands its environment, routine and individual needs.
Kim has been building exactly that reputation.
Demand has reached the point where capacity is becoming a genuine consideration, and sometimes enquiries have had to be turned away.
It demonstrates how reputation compounds.
A positive experience creates a review, that review creates reassurance, reassurance helps another customer make a decision.
Kim's link:
Masoumeh Azimi Parsa, Building Again in a New Country
Masoumeh brought a very different perspective to Wednesday's conversation.
She spoke about developing her freelance and business activities while living in Istanbul and continuing her studies.
Starting or rebuilding professionally is difficult enough, doing it while adapting to another country adds another challenge.
Masoumeh is developing online pages for herself and her partner to strengthen their digital presence.
What stood out wasn't only the work she is doing.
It was her enthusiasm for connecting with people and being part of a supportive business community.
When you're developing something new, the right community can provide ideas, introductions, encouragement and perspectives you simply don't get working alone.
Masoumeh's link:
LinkedIn, Masoumeh Azimi Parsa
Faris Osmanbhoy, Operations, AI and New Opportunities
Faris continues developing Forge Protocol, his operations and technology consultancy.
His work focuses on helping small businesses understand where processes have become manual, disconnected or inefficient.
From there, he looks at better systems, automation, websites and practical applications of AI.
He shared an interesting development around an AI tool being tested for an accountant.
This is where AI becomes valuable.
Not AI simply for the sake of saying your business uses AI, but technology applied to a genuine operational problem.
Faris is also pursuing new client opportunities while continuing to explore roles within business aviation.
This is another reason community matters.
One person may not need Faris's services today, but they may know an accountant who does.
Someone else may know a business struggling with inefficient systems.
Another person may have a connection within aviation.
A useful network extends far beyond the people sitting in the meeting.
Faris's links:
Henry Smith, One Platform Instead of a Growing Software Stack
A major part of Wednesday's meeting was Henry Smith's presentation of QLM Business Solutions and QLMCRM.
Henry raised an interesting question for founders.
How many different subscriptions are you paying for just to run your business?
CRM, email marketing, invoicing, electronic signatures, SMS, chatbots, automation, AI tools and appointment systems can quickly create a substantial software bill.
They can also create disconnected systems that don't always communicate effectively.
Henry explained how QLMCRM aims to consolidate many of these functions into one platform.
He also demonstrated some of its AI functionality, including AI supported email creation, chatbots, automation workflows and voice agent capabilities.
The conversation wasn't simply about adding more technology.
It was about using technology where it can genuinely make running a business easier.
That distinction matters.
Henry and QLM's links:
LinkedIn, QLM Business Solutions
QLM Business Solutions Website
Instagram, QLM Business Solutions
Facebook, QLM Business Solutions
Renata Rimkutė, Technology Changes, Trust Still Decides
I shared something that continues to become more important in my own work.
Technology can make you visible, reputation determines whether people believe you.
AI is changing how businesses are discovered and researched.
But appearing in front of somebody isn't the same as becoming their choice.
When somebody searches for your business, what do they find?
Do they find real people, reviews, evidence, useful content, consistent information and third party mentions?
Or do they find claims without anything supporting them?
We discussed how easily businesses can now appear impressive online, particularly in fast moving areas such as AI.
But the question for every founder remains simple.
When somebody researches you after a conversation, does what they discover strengthen your credibility, or weaken it?
Sales can create the first transaction.
Reputation helps create the next one.
That is why trust, credibility and third party validation remain central to my work through KENTAURA.
They are also part of the philosophy behind Collective Advantage Network.
Renata's links:
LinkedIn, Renata Rimkutė
A Network Can Become Part of Your Reputation
When another credible person talks about your work, introduces you or recommends you, you are no longer the only person saying you're good at what you do.
Other people are helping establish the evidence.
That's why we're developing more CAN meeting recaps.
We can tell the stories behind our members, create additional visibility and help people outside the meetings understand who is inside our community.
Your network shouldn't only know you, your network should help the right people discover you.
Could Weekend Networking Open the Door to a New Community?
Another interesting discussion was accessibility.
Most business networking happens during working hours.
But what about professionals who are still employed while developing a business?
What about somebody preparing to move into entrepreneurship?
What about founders who simply cannot leave their businesses during the working day?
We discussed experimenting with an occasional Saturday Hot Stories event, potentially later in the year.
Not every Saturday, not even every month, perhaps once or twice a year.
The idea would be quality rather than quantity.
It could create an opportunity for people who cannot normally attend weekday networking to meet our community and share their stories.
Growth Shouldn't Create Burnout
More isn't automatically better.
More meetings, more events, more platforms, more content, more technology and more offers can eventually become too much.
That's true for networking organisations too.
We want Collective Advantage Network and Hot Stories to grow.
But we want them to grow well.
With good people, good conversations, strong speakers and real value.
Sustainable growth matters more than simply doing more.
Why We Want Members to Share
During the meeting, we encouraged members to share social links, meeting screenshots and useful content.
There's a reason.
When one member posts and others genuinely engage, more people become visible.
When somebody writes about another member, that business reaches another audience.
When somebody leaves a genuine review, another piece of trust evidence is created.
Support doesn't always require money.
Sometimes it requires a comment, a share, an introduction, a recommendation or a review.
Sometimes it simply means remembering someone's name when the right opportunity appears.
Collective Advantage Network, Two Meetings, Two Different Conversations
We currently meet twice each week.
Mondays, 4pm UK
Monday sessions give us more room for deeper conversations.
We talk about strategies, business challenges, priorities, systems, opportunities and what members are genuinely looking for.
It's an opportunity to understand the business behind the introduction.
Wednesdays, 2pm UK
Wednesday sessions bring together our wider CAN community, new founders, professionals and businesses.
There's more opportunity to discover new expertise, hear presentations, create connections and introduce new people to the community.
Different formats, same purpose.
Helping good businesses and good people understand, support and recommend one another.
Your first attendance is always free.
Book Your First Collective Advantage Network Meeting
Stay Connected With Our Community
Collective Advantage Network on LinkedIn
Hot Stories and CAN Videos on YouTube
The Most Powerful Business Tool Might Already Be Around You
Wednesday's meeting included CRM technology, AI, automation, business growth, pet care, entrepreneurship and reputation.
Very different subjects, but they kept returning to one idea.
People grow faster when the right people understand what they're trying to achieve.
Technology can improve your systems.
AI can increase your capacity.
Marketing can increase your visibility.
Community can do something different.
It can say:
“I know someone you should meet.”
It can say:
“I've used them, I trust them.”
It can say:
“You two should talk.”
Sometimes one sentence like that can be worth more than months of marketing.
So here's the question I'll leave you with.
How many people in your network understand your business well enough to recommend you when you're not in the room?
If the answer isn't enough, perhaps it's time to stop collecting connections and start building relationships.
The power isn't simply in having a network, the power is in the community that chooses to support each other's growth.
Join us on Mondays at 4pm or Wednesdays at 2pm UK time.
Your first attendance is always free.
Join the Collective Advantage Network
P.S. Would you attend an occasional Saturday Hot Stories networking event if we introduced one later this year, yes or no?
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