Business 1st

Welcome to Business 1^st, the Costa del Sol’s most important networking association. Business 1^st networking is a vital part of both doing business effectively and growing your business, especially if you are new to the area or are a small company having trouble getting publicity on a small budget. Business 1^st only allows one member from each industry to join, therefore allowing you to effectively ‘lock-out’ your competition and maximize your business’s potential.

Becoming part of a Business 1^st means becoming part of a group of local businesses who meet on a regular basis which will enable you to meet like a group of like-minded people and trusted local businesses – many of whom you may find you can use (both whilst setting up your business and running it), and whom will also help or even complement your own.

These people will also serve as a source of referrals and leads for generating new business for you, as well as providing support, advice and friendship. Of course the idea of networking works both ways – as a member of Business 1st you will also be expected to actively contribute to the group on a regular basis, attending meetings, providing your own source of support, information and referrals to other members, as well as encouraging other relevant businesses to join

With this in mind, we also organize frequent evening social events which serve as a chance for members to get to know each other on a personal level – we think this is an extremely important part of being able to pass on leads or referrals to other members – if we feel we know each other better this then increases the trust level and the feeling of confidence of being able to pass on business to each other.

Finally, the Business 1^st website is an excellent way to increase your pubic presence and exposure, and become part of an online directory open to the public. People surfing the web can find your company details via the Business 1^st website, and search within the website through the directory for the business or service they require. Equally, the profile and member pages give you the opportunity to ‘blow your own trumpet’ about you and why your business is better than the rest.

Join Us!

Business 1st has developed organically as an informal but structured networking group, with the idea in mind that the best new business contacts and referrals stem from a relaxed, friendly environment. The groups meets twice a month on Thursday mornings at Mijas Costa (El Chaparral Golf Club) and on alternate weeks, twice a month in Nueva Andalucia (Los Naranjos Golf Club, Puerto Banus)  and alternate Wednesday’s at El Paraiso Country Club, Buenavista, for a delicious cooked breakfast, followed by the meeting itself.

There is always time before breakfast to meet a few members for a chat and a coffee, then breakfast is served seated in groups – we actively encourage you to change tables and breakfast ‘partners’ each meeting in order to get to know all the members properly. Following breakfast, each member and guest is invited to provide a short presentation about their business; this is your chance to present to an uninterrupted audience – an excellent opportunity for getting your business idea across to a multitude of businesses and individuals, bearing in mind that each individual and business will have both business and social networks of their own….you are effectively tapping into an audience of thousands!

Each week one member of the group will have the opportunity to give a longer, more in-depth presentation about their company, allowing other members to better understand what you do and therefore making it easier for them to think of possible referrals for you during their day to day activities.

This is especially important for newer members whom the rest of the group are still getting to know.

The meeting comes to a conclusion around 9.45-10am following a summary, important points, and news about next meetings or social events from the group President. Members /guests often take this opportunity after the meeting for catching up with people they haven’t spoken to and exchanging business cards and contact information.

Interested in attending a meeting? We would love to meet you. Please click HERE to send us an email requesting an invitation to our next meeting near you, or for further information. Alternatively, call 664 227 200. All contact details can also be found on our ‘Contact Us’ page.

Many of the members have their own pages linked here whilst others include:

Currencies Direct - the coast’s leading currency transfer company.

Dave’s Helpline. Professional IT support