ACE Business Club

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ACE Business Club Welcome to ACE Business Club—where local businesses and communities connect, collaborate and grow. Meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month.
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Join us for friendly, purposeful networking, practical support and new opportunities.

By about half past four in November, it's already getting dark, and the sofa starts looking very tempting. Heading strai...
23/10/2026

By about half past four in November, it's already getting dark, and the sofa starts looking very tempting. Heading straight home is the easy option, and most of us have taken it more than once.

If you run a business around Chandler's Ford, Eastleigh or the wider Hampshire area, though, here's a gentle nudge to make this one different. Our next ACE meeting is on Thursday 19 November, 5:45 pm to 7:30 pm, at The King Rufus, 135 Wi******er Road, Chandler's Ford.

Come and say hello. You'll meet friendly local people who are keen to hear what you do, and you don't need a polished pitch or a stack of business cards. Just turn up as you are and have a few good conversations.

Your first meeting is free, so you can see whether it suits you before deciding. If you'd like to ask a question first, especially if walking into a room alone feels daunting, you can find us at www.ace-cbc.com.

Who's going to brave the dark evening with us?

🗺️ Ever had rain, wind or awkward folds turn your map into the least useful piece of kit in your bag?SplashMaps are weat...
22/10/2026

🗺️ Ever had rain, wind or awkward folds turn your map into the least useful piece of kit in your bag?

SplashMaps are weatherproof fabric maps designed for people who would rather spend their time exploring than wrestling with paper. Choose your location, personalise your map and carry detailed outdoor navigation that’s lightweight, flexible and adventure-ready. 🌧️🥾🚴

Want the bigger picture? Unfold a regular SplashMap and plan the route ahead. Prefer instant access while you move? The SplashMap Toob puts your map around your neck, ready whenever you need it.

No battery anxiety. No soggy paper. Just a personalised map built for hiking, cycling, running, travel and outdoor adventures.

Your map. Your adventure. Your way. Where will yours take you next? 🌍

Discover SplashMaps: https://www.splash-maps.com/

There's something special about a festive afternoon out with people you like: friends, family or the colleagues who've k...
22/10/2026

There's something special about a festive afternoon out with people you like: friends, family or the colleagues who've kept you going all year, with the days getting shorter and nobody in a rush to go home.

So here's a friendly heads-up for your diaries. Christmas Party with the Pops is on Sunday 13th December at 3:30pm at Thornden Hall. You'll find the details and tickets at www.thorndenhall.co.uk.

It could make a lovely way to say thank you to a team, or an easy plan for a family afternoon. Either way, it's good to see local venues filling up with local people at this time of year.

What's your favourite local festive tradition? It might be a carol service, a village market or a yearly walk with the same group of friends. We'd love to hear what makes Christmas feel like Christmas around here.

There's a particular kind of noise a room makes when a proper live band kicks in. Chatter drops, feet start tapping, and...
21/10/2026

There's a particular kind of noise a room makes when a proper live band kicks in. Chatter drops, feet start tapping, and suddenly strangers are grinning at each other like old friends.

We're looking forward to bringing a bit of that to Eastleigh. ACE's first sponsored event is RATRACE, a 9-piece ska band playing two-tone classics alongside their own original material, at The Point, Eastleigh, on Saturday 6th February 2027. Grab your ticket here: www.thorndenhall.co.uk

We love the idea of local businesses, charities, and community groups coming together for a night out to enjoy each other's company, with no pitches or business cards required. Some of the best local connections start when people simply have a good time in the same room.

So pop the date in your diary, and tell us in the comments: who would you bring along?

Learn more about ACE at www.ace-cbc.com.

You know that moment at a networking event when you're explaining what you do, and you watch the other person's eyes qui...
20/10/2026

You know that moment at a networking event when you're explaining what you do, and you watch the other person's eyes quietly glaze over? We've all been on both sides.

Usually it's not that the work is dull. It's that we reach for the words we use every day in our own trade, and nobody outside it has any idea what they mean. Try describing the problem you solve instead. "I help small firms stop dreading their year-end paperwork" is far easier to picture, remember and pass on than a list of services and technical terms.

It matters for referrals too. People can only recommend you confidently if they understand what you do and who it's for, and plain words make that much easier.

A simple test: explain your business to someone who works in a completely different field, or a friend who's never heard your industry's shorthand. If they can repeat it back to you, you're on the right track.

Here in Chandler's Ford and Eastleigh, which jargon word would you happily ban from your own industry? Go on, we promise not to tell anyone you said it.

Every business owner has a story about the week everything went sideways.Maybe it was a client who didn't pay, a hire th...
19/10/2026

Every business owner has a story about the week everything went sideways.

Maybe it was a client who didn't pay, a hire that didn't work out, a quiet month that turned into a quiet year, or a decision you'd happily take back. Those moments are rarely fun at the time, but they often teach us more than the easy wins ever do.

So we'd love to ask: what business challenge taught you the most?

Whether you're a sole trader, run a growing company, or lead a charity or community group, share a short, honest story about a tough moment and what it changed for you. Someone reading might be facing the same thing right now, and your experience could be exactly what they need to hear.

Think networking clubs are for people in suits with a stack of business cards? Plenty of electricians, joiners, photogra...
18/10/2026

Think networking clubs are for people in suits with a stack of business cards?

Plenty of electricians, joiners, photographers, shopkeepers, consultants and start-ups think the same, and we'd love to change that.

ACE brings many different professions into one room because a mix of skills leads to better introductions. The person who fixes your wiring might know exactly who you need for a shopfront photo shoot. The consultant might meet the start-up that needs their advice. You never know who someone else's next recommendation could be, and that's the point.

There's no hard sell and no pitching marathon. It's a friendly local crowd getting to know the people behind the businesses, at a pace that suits you. Nobody can promise results from a single evening, but good relationships build over time.

Your first meeting is free. We meet on the third Thursday of every month, 5:45 pm at The King Rufus, 135 Wi******er Road, Eastleigh. Come along, have a chat and see if it feels right. More at www.ace-cbc.com

Someone recommending your business is a small act of trust, and the way you respond says a lot about how you value it.He...
17/10/2026

Someone recommending your business is a small act of trust, and the way you respond says a lot about how you value it.

Here's a simple way to close the loop:

1. Thank them quickly. Don't wait until you've "got round to it." A message the same day or the next shows you noticed and appreciated it.

2. Tell them what happened. Did it turn into work? Great, let them know. Did it not go anywhere? Tell them that too. They'll still want to hear that the conversation took place, and it helps them recommend you more accurately next time.

3. Pay it forward. Think of someone who could use an introduction and make it. No tit-for-tat, no keeping score.

Nobody needs a quota for any of this. When people trust you and know what you do, referrals tend to follow naturally.

Who recommended you recently, and have you thanked them yet?

❤️ What if one brilliant night out could bring local businesses, families and the wider Eastleigh community together whi...
16/10/2026

❤️ What if one brilliant night out could bring local businesses, families and the wider Eastleigh community together while helping people who need support?

ACE Business Club is proud to sponsor Rotary Rocks – It’s Showtime! 🎶🎭 On Saturday 28 November at 7.30pm, The Point, Eastleigh will come alive with live entertainment, local talent and an atmosphere built around community spirit.

For ACE, this is exactly what business and community networking should achieve — local businesses working together, supporting Rotary Eastleigh, strengthening community connections and helping charitable causes through meaningful action. 🤝✨

Sponsorship makes events like Rotary Rocks possible, and we’re delighted ACE can play a central role in bringing this fantastic Eastleigh event to life.

📅 Saturday 28 November 📍 The Point, Eastleigh 🎟️ Get your tickets and join us!

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Every trade has that one thing the people inside it take for granted, and everyone outside it would happily have been to...
16/10/2026

Every trade has that one thing the people inside it take for granted, and everyone outside it would happily have been told years ago.

So we're curious: what's one thing from your line of work that most people don't know, but would find genuinely useful? It could be a quick tip, a common mistake to avoid, or the question you wish customers asked before they came to you.

Local business owners, sole traders, charity and community group leaders, we'd love to hear from you in the comments. You know more than you think, and sharing it is one of the easiest ways to build trust with the people around you.

If you'd rather swap knowledge over a cuppa and a chat, come along to an ACE meeting on the third Thursday of the month, 5:45 to 7:30 pm at The King Rufus in Eastleigh. Your first visit is free, with no pressure and no pitching. Just good conversation with people who run local businesses and groups.

Address

Chandler's Ford
Eastleigh
SO532DS

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