http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.dobusinessnetwork.com en-us Thu, 02 Jul 2026 07:41:25 +0100 Rocketspark http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/post/26720/defeating-the-business-time-thief-highlights-from-our-ai-training-workshop/ Yesterday, the Do Business Network community hosted an incredibly insightful training workshop: Defeating the Business 'Time Thief' with AI.We had a fantastic turn-out, with a full room of attendees eager to explore how artificial intelligence can act as a highly effective assistant in the modern workplace. It was a brilliant, high-energy day filled with engaging discussions.The training itself was delivered by Pascal Fintoni, who as always gave a masterclass that was bang on point. For those w... Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:06:12 +0100 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/#post26720 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/post/26704/can-you-help-secure-vital-support-for-blue-spirit/ As a community, one of our greatest strengths at the Do Business Network is our ability to rally behind one another and support projects that make a real difference in the North East. Today, we want to highlight the vital work being done by one of our own members, Carol Smith.Many of you know Carol through her business, Simply Support Mentoring. Alongside her mentoring work, Carol dedicates her expertise to the trustees of local youth charity Blue Spirit, driving their funding bids and rais... Mon, 29 Jun 2026 14:37:51 +0100 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/#post26704 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/post/26695/burgers-boats-and-business-the-dbn-summer-bbq-is-back/ Following the incredible success of our inaugural summer event last year, the Do Business Network community is heading back to the water. We are absolutely excited to invite you all to our 2026 Summer BBQ at the Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club (DRSC) on Wednesday, 15th July.If you missed out last year, or if you are new to our community, here is a look back at what made it so special and a preview of what we have lined up for this summer.A Look Back: Clear Skies and Great ConversationLast year, o... Thu, 25 Jun 2026 11:47:55 +0100 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/#post26695 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/post/26676/welcoming-drovers-studio-to-the-dbn-business-community/ There is something incredibly exciting about seeing a local space reinvented, especially when it is dedicated to health, wellness, and movement.As part of our growing business community, we are thrilled to welcome Anna Marie Reid, the founder of Drovers Studio, to the Do Business Network. Based at The Byre, Redwell Hills Farm in Leadgate (DH8 7SH)—the premises formerly known as the House of Botanics—Anna Marie is bringing a fresh, expert-led approach to physical wellbeing in County Durham.To... Mon, 22 Jun 2026 09:14:43 +0100 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/#post26676 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/post/26668/will-oburn-and-the-friends-who-remember/ Yesterday afternoon, the local community came together at Willow Burn Hospice for a deeply moving occasion: the official launch of a beautiful new book, Will O'Burn and the Friends Who Remember.Written by Victoria Downes and illustrated by Helen Turner, this special book is designed to help children navigate the complex landscape of grief, offering them a gentle way to understand their feelings after losing a loved one.A Community United by a Vital CauseThe launch event brought together numerous... Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:13:56 +0100 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/#post26668 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/post/26662/mapping-out-business-funding-across-the-north-east-durham-northumberland-newcastle-and-sunderland/ Securing funding to scale a business often feels like a balancing act. Between managing day-to-day operations and deciphering complex eligibility criteria, many business owners miss out on available capital simply because they do not know where to look or which hub applies to their exact postcode.The funding landscape across the North East is highly localised. Available grants and support structures are determined strictly by where your trading premises are registered.To help clarify the regiona... Thu, 18 Jun 2026 10:51:12 +0100 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/#post26662 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/post/26655/a-celebration-of-community-spirit-the-launch-of-benfieldside-community-garden/ The British summer weather is always unpredictable, but this afternoon, the sun made a very welcome appearance just in time for a wonderful community milestone.Today marked the official opening of the Benfieldside Community Garden in Consett. This fantastic initiative, driven by the local charity Building Self-Belief , was launched with a special visit from Dame Sue Snowdon, who officially opened the garden.Building Self-Belief does incredible work across the North East, focusing on improvi... Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:43:47 +0100 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/#post26655 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/post/26650/welcoming-angela-blake-to-the-do-business-network/ We are absolutely delighted to welcome our newest member, Angela Blake, founder of Y19 Management, to the Do Business Network community.Angela brings a wealth of hands-on, real-world experience to our network, with a career rooted in operational management, senior leadership, and business development. She has dedicated her expertise to helping small business owners across various sectors streamline their operations, build motivated teams, and achieve sustainable growth.What makes Angela’s appr... Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:18:52 +0100 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/#post26650 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/post/26639/collaborative-growth-and-workplace-wellbeing-highlights-from-our-june-dbn-meeting/ It was fantastic to see everyone at Consett Rugby Club this morning for our latest Do Business Network meeting. The room was full of positive energy, collaborative discussions, and plenty of opportunities to explore how we can support one another through high-quality business referrals.Prioritising Workplace HealthA major highlight of the morning was an insightful presentation by Bobby Hewitson and Karen Stubbings from Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP), who we are absolutely delighted to welcome... Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:18:05 +0100 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/#post26639 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/post/26589/the-real-deal-small-grants-scheme/ Derwentside Enterprise Agency CIC (DEA) launches small grants scheme, which will be known as The Real Deal, to support local businesses.DEA is pleased to announce the launch of its new, discretionary, Small Grants Scheme, designed to support businesses in the former Derwentside Local Authority area to deliver projects that will make a positive difference to the business.The scheme, known as The Real Deal, will provide grants of up to £... Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:40:09 +0100 http://www.dobusinessnetwork.com/blog/#post26589