The Five People Every Entrepreneur Needs in Their Network

Cost: Free

This event is part of Go Succeed, a support service from local councils in Northern Ireland that can help to start, grow or scale a business.

The Go Succeed Start team hosts this online masterclass, delivered in partnership with EMEEN.

Entrepreneurial success is shaped not only by ideas and effort, but by access to information, markets, finance, expertise, and opportunity. Evidence consistently shows that the strength of an entrepreneur’s network is one of the most important drivers of business survival and growth. Yet many aspiring founders approach networking informally, without a clear strategy for building the relationships that genuinely move their business forward.

This workshop introduces a practical, structured approach to strategic networking, helping entrepreneurs understand who they need around them at different stages of their journey and how to build purposeful, high-value connections that accelerate business progress.

The programme aims to equip aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs with the skills to:

• Understand networking as a strategic business tool, not a social activity
• Identify the critical relationship types that support business growth
• Integrate more effectively into local and regional enterprise ecosystems
• Convert connections into practical business opportunities

Participants are introduced to a clear framework The 'Five People Every Entrepreneur Needs in Their Network' which identifies five essential relationship types that underpin successful businesses across all sectors, including technology, manufacturing, services, creative industries, and social enterprise.

The session helps participants to:

• Map their existing networks
• Identify gaps limiting business progress
• Build a targeted, intelligent networking strategy aligned to their business goals

By the end of the session, participants will:

• Have a clearer understanding of how real entrepreneurs use networks to grow
• Know which relationships matter most for their stage of business
• Possess a personalised network-building action plan
• Be better positioned to engage with local enterprise support ecosystems

This Go Succeed workshop is open to all individuals in the early stages of their business, throughout Northern Ireland, and is facilitated by Enterprise Northern Ireland.

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