What is SWIG?

SWIG is a networked group of successful independent consultants centred around Bristol but stretching across the South of England and Wales, up to the Midlands. It provides mutual business and social support to individuals who have decided to take control of their own destiny and manage their own businesses. Although based in the South West members work all over the UK and abroad. The bulk of the membership provide consultancy and business to business support to other organisations. All services are represented from business improvement, technology, finance, IT and project management through to marketing, training and executive coaching.

History

SWIG has a quaint history. It was formed in December 1999, when a founder member (a member of another networking group/professional association at the time), made the observation that people who worked for organisations, were all looking forward to their Christmas do’s but he had none to go to since deciding to work independently. That year 25 independent consultants sat down for the first of the now famous Christmas lunches. The Group then went on to meet through the year to share experiences, learning and business opportunities.

Benefits

• A large network of like-minded independent consultants
• A diverse range of expertise to tap into
• The opportunity to spend quality time with an expert in any field you are researching
• A storehouse of solutions to your business problems
• Referrals from other members
• Opportunities to collaborate on assignments
• A powerful web site which ranks highly in Google searches for consultants in the South West

USP

Why is SWIG different to any other of the networking groups around the South West? Because it is focused on independent consultants. It allows a unique opportunity to network and collaborate with like-minded individuals to explore business opportunities and challenges.

Values

Collaboration
Excellence
Networking
Support

Dinner

Our informal dinners provide the opportunity to get to know other members much better. Rotating places between courses ensures that you get maximum networking value from the meal. The focus is on us and the mutual benefits we can bring each other.

Themes/Cases

We are building a catalogue of our experiences and case studies which will enable us to learn from our collective experience and also act as a vehicle for exploring common issues and developing best practice.