CASE STUDY: Accountant, Michael Harle explains how networking with The Growth Community enabled him to build his business and achieve significant return on his investment.
Member Profile
Michael Harle is the owner of Prosper Accountancy a Yorkshire based, family run firm specialising in providing timely, tailored financial support to SMEs and individuals. Prosper pride themselves on building productive relationships with their clients, ensuring they achieve their business goals through informed decision making and 121 support. Michael has been a member of The Growth Community since May 2021.
Success Summary
Networking with The Growth Community has been the primary driver behind Michael’s successful business growth.
He has gained around 50 new clients since joining.
Michael utilised the community aspect of his membership to its full potential which has resulted in him gaining clients from eight Growth Community groups (not just the one’s he is a member of)
His return has been more than 20 times his investment.
He has a highly engaged network who consistently sustain him with new business leads.
Michael also has a team of highly trusted experts at his fingertips who he refers to his own clients to help them achieve greater success. This same team have also supported his recent transition from Younique Accountancy to Prosper Accountancy.
Why being part of a networking group was essential to Michael’s start up.
When Michael first branched out into business ownership, he had limited marketing channels available to him due to having to wait out some contractual obligations with a past employer. This meant that networking was an essential part of his growth strategy.
“Networking was literally my only lifeline to grow my business. While it does take a bit of time to lay the groundwork, when the results start coming through, you’ll be really glad that you took the time to do it.”
“The Growth Community has given me access to a wide variety of different people across a fairly wide geographical area and they’ve supported me through each stage of growth.”
How the flexibility of membership has supported his growth.
Michael began his membership in the online Doncaster Monday group and later added Selby as a second group.
“I’d joined The Growth Community during the lockdown period but was keen to be involved with one of the first fully face to face groups that the GC launched post pandemic. I enjoyed having the combination of the online and the face to face, and it was great that my second membership came with a 30% discount. The types of business in each group really complemented each other so it worked well for me.”
When later Michael decided that he wanted a 100% face to face approach he applied to move from Doncaster Monday to the in-person, Doncaster Thursday, group which he could do easily as part of his membership.
How engaging in the wider community has been so productive.
Michael didn’t just limit himself to the relationships he could make in his two groups. He recognised early on that as The Growth Community grew, so could he.
He is a regular visitor to groups that don’t have their accountant seat filled and is a frequent attendee at the monthly, online community networking sessions where members can get to know each other in a very informal zoom call. He also engages with the private Facebook group and connects with members across the community in 121 meetings.
“Having access to another hundred or so people, who genuinely want to build relationships and support each other, is fantastic. Not only have I engaged members from other groups as clients, but they have been able to open doors into places I wouldn’t have been able to get to through my own networking. And as the community grows, it’s easy to meet new people and see how we can work together.”
What Michael loves most about The Growth Community
“I really love the relationships I’ve been able to develop across the community. As well as some great friendships, I’ve got a core bank of professional referrers who are consistently helping me to grow.
I also love that our groups are so fun and enjoyable. We can just be ourselves and have a good laugh, but there’s still that element of everyone knowing that we are there for a purpose – so plenty of productive stuff happens too.”
“Guests consistently comment that we are really friendly. We all come together as a group. It’s not 15 individuals. It is a group of people working together to support each other.”
Michael’s advice to guests
Don’t be anxious about visiting. Growth Community meetings are really relaxed and welcoming. They are perfect for people who are just trying it out for the first time.
The format of GC meetings actually teaches people how to network. So, people new to networking get a lot from being part of the meetings. It really shows them the difference between selling to a room and proactively building relationships. There’s no pressure and guests always say how much they’ve enjoyed it.
Useful Resources
You can find Michael and Prosper Accountancy on LinkedIn or feel free to pop along to the Selby or Doncaster Monday group to catch him in person for a chat.
The Growth Community has more resources for developing networking strategy such as: Improving 121s, building trust or helping you to decide if networking groups are right for you. Visit our library for more resources.
And if Michael’s made you curious about trying out one of our friendly meetings why not book on and start your networking journey with The Growth Community or learn more about how our affordable and flexible membership works.
