The Athena Network

I had been away from England for 23 years when I returned to work in London. It was a huge challenge to find clients in an area where I knew only a handful of people.

I hadn’t come across networking in South Africa. However it wasn’t long before I saw how big it was in the UK. I also realised it was going to be the best way to grow my business. I attended a cross section of networking events from breakfast to cocktails, and everything in between.

Out of all the networking groups I visited, The Athena Network, started by women for women in business, impressed me most. The monthly lunches fit in perfectly with both family and business commitments, and members receive genuine support.

So I got together with a friend, and we bought our first franchise for the Wimbledon area in 2007. This allowed us to open groups in Putney, Wandsworth and Tooting. The following year we purchased the Kingston area franchise, adding Surbiton, Worcester Park and Thames Ditton to our portfolio.

Our groups are lively, committed, and supportive. Our members form strong relationships through one-to-one meetings outside the monthly lunches. Training helps to build confidence and it’s great to see related business joining forces to form affiliations.