Why the online-first approach is now the ONLE way to network
We’ve announced a number of dramatic changes to how our brand of networking is delivered. It may seem radical, but as founders James and Kelly West explain here, these changes don’t just apply to ONLE - they are the blueprint for the future for all business networking.
We launched ONLE in 2018 to give everyone the opportunity to experience the networking which had changed our lives, by giving us genuine friendship and support, as well as business referrals.
We did this by dumping the rule book, including the networking protocols and obligations which we saw got in the way of building genuine relationships. Given how quickly we’ve grown, evidently many of you agreed with us! We’re proud to have created a networking organisation for people who like people.
James and Kelly, founders of ONLE Networking, explain why bold decisions were made to safeguard the network
2020 presented us with an enormous challenge: how could we continue offering everyone the opportunity to network our way? Face-to-face networking will come back - but with numerous caveats. What happens to those events in the case of localised lockdowns, or the introductions of further restrictions? And of course, for every person desperate to get back to face-to-face meetings, there’s someone who can’t, either because of their personal circumstances or someone close to them.
Lockdown has taught us that online networking is effective, efficient and convenient. Online networking meetings attract visitors and members from a much larger geographical radius than face-to-face events. And because they are not reliant on a physical gathering, everyone is included, irrespective of their circumstances.
Most importantly, our job is to deliver a networking product to our members that can continue unimpeded. Therefore, the only way we can guarantee uninterrupted delivery of networking, is by moving the meetings online - permanently.
ONLE Experiences
Does this mean we’re abandoning face-to-face events? Far from it. A key element of ONLE was meeting at fantastic venues and we will return whenever possible. However, rather than running the ONLE networking meetings at venues and all the uncertainty that brings, we will instead hold regular regional get-togethers when we can. And they will be called ONLE Experiences.
James and Kelly West, co-founders of ONLE Networking
These ONLE Experiences will take place at various times and at a range of locations, to give everyone an opportunity to attend. ONLE Experiences will be open to all ONLE members. And because ONLE Experiences are optional, if it’s not possible to run them, the ONLE network can continue without interruption.
By creating this blended approach, we can guarantee the continuity of our networking. And crucially, we can welcome everyone who wants to network the ONLE way - without excluding anyone because of their location or circumstances.
This leads us to the final part of our announcement: pricing. Rather than a membership fee and separate meeting fee payments, we have introduced a single monthly subscription model for all members. This means the cost to join is £39 per month. As well as all the membership benefits, the subscription also pays for your monthly meeting.
We’ve also scrapped annual and minimal contracts. Why? Because we only want people to network with us who want to network with us! We believe that by changing to this pricing model, we’ve made ONLE attractive and accessible to more business leaders at a time when networking is more important than ever.
It’s futile waiting to go back to normal because it isn’t going to happen. It’s not just networking that has changed - business and society has changed too. When we launched ONLE, we wanted to find better ways to network. This includes questioning the way it is delivered and responding to how people choose to work and network. We believe that with this new pricing structure and our blended networking model, we’re fulfilling our goal to deliver our brand of networking to the largest possible audience.