Evolve’s facilitated Zoom calls, with peers, allowed one to share one’s concerns and the group then helped each other to both alleviate those concerns and to help find solutions. Knowing that others were going through similar thought processes was a great reassurance at a time of great business difficulty. The Evolve Zoom calls with our peer group were a highlight of each week during lockdown as well as being surprisingly significant support and help.

I am one of the lucky few to count myself as a current member of the Peer Networks programme, facilitated by Evolve. The programme itself has been well co-ordinated, well lead and held remotely over zoom, covering individual topics each time that may be relevant to a business and/or business owner.

These sessions mean you can put your business aside and concentrate on yourself, to reflect, and then re-focus your energies back into being a successful business owner.

The best bit so far is talking to like-minded business owners and leaders who are all in a similar situation to myself but work in completely different fields. The honesty of the group has been phenomenal, and Warren has helped from the very beginning to make every effort for the group to know this is a safe environment. The programme has been well thought out and it is nice to see how each of us develops every three weeks over the course.

I joined the Evolve Peer Networks programme in November 2020 and it has definitely surpassed my expectations. As a member of such a collaborative, non-judgmental group, I am able to engage in discussions with like-minded business owners facing similar challenges.

The best bit about being part of the vibrant community is knowing I am never alone – everybody is open to sharing their stories and lessons they have learned, as well as offering advice to support each other as we navigate the current uncertain climate. Engaging in regular discussions has also given me new ideas that I’ve been able to implement into my own business.

The Evolve Peer Network has been absolutely amazing for better clarity on where I’m taking my business. It’s also been great for my emotional wellbeing—it’s kept me focused and given me a sounding board; everyone on your network is there to help you and give ideas. If you want that little push to move your business to the next level, or you’re feeling the stress of Covid-19, I think everybody should be on this programme, especially with Evolve because they really look after you. It has totally surpassed my expectations.

I have found the Evolve Peer groups to be invaluable through this long period of uncertainty and challenge [Covid 19]. The ability to converse with other business leaders and to share ideas, fears and achievements has been great. We have a tight group and have become virtual friends with our monthly sessions, with a shared vision, desire and interest to help each other and see each other, cope and prosper.
The learning in a variety of topics has been relevant and helpful and I have incorporated a lot of the techniques and issues covered into my business and seen the positive impact, which has been an added bonus.
I have also found the sessions very beneficial from a personal well-being point of view and the programme overall has way exceeded my expectations and been of great value.
The sessions have always been very well delivered and managed; each session has run smoothly and I have particularly valued the 1-2-1 follow up sessions.

Evolve’s peer to peer programme has been just the support I needed as we navigate our way through these uncertain and challenging times.
Sharing our thoughts and experiences with other business leaders together with a guest-speaker and education programme really has been a timely refresher for change management and leadership.
For me, this is the ideal networking forum where business leaders pool their collective knowledge, explore new concepts and thinking and seek effective ways to implement successful change.
It’s been a rare opportunity to take time out to reflect on one’s own performance while soaking up new (and old) knowledge and encouragement from a group of peers that really helps maintain focus to drive results and being an effective leader.

Listening to the experiences of those who have successfully started and grown businesses is something that I often seek out, whether that is via news, interviews or books. When I heard about the Solent LEP Peer Network it felt like something I had been subconsciously looking for. Here was a group of local business owners who were prepared to spend their time talking openly about their trials and successes, sharing their highs and lows. To talk to others who have been going through similar experiences has been helpful both to me personally and also has provoked conversations at work about how to build better communication styles with the rest of our team. I feel I have gained a personal cheer squad after our meetings, with people from the group supporting each other with words of advice, mentoring calls outside of the main meetings and introductions being made to help grow the network further. I would recommend other SME’s join Peer Networks like this as a way to gain a valuable second opinion from voices of wisdom.

What I always get from a peer group is the encouragement that we’re all in the same boat, just at different levels. We’re all facing similar challenges, just at different points in our journeys. And despite the fact that I’ve been on Zoom for three hours, I don’t feel fatigued, I feel invigorated! I like being forced to stop and spend time thinking about things without distractions—it’s me-time, but I’ve also got everyone in the group helping me.