Features and blogging

Kate’s pretty kitchen, where the magic takes place. And the tea

Many good things start with a C. Christmas. Cushions. Cats. The one I’m thinking of today (no, not that one) is Collaboration.
Last week I went to a friend’s house with my laptop and a notebook. She had just set up her own company, designing and selling cushions from home using a swanky website and running the whole thing herself.
She had some useful business ideas – invaluable, actually – and it was amazing to see her in a work context, enthusiastically sharing her best tips while we drank tea out of cat cups surrounded by beautiful pillows.
Our friendship started at the school gates, as so many friendships do, then became something deeper and longer-lasting. Our families have since holidayed together, pottered about at half-term, gossiped in gardens, dabbled in karaoke, and shared many a lively evening meal.
Now we have moved on to brief but power-packed business breakfasts, sparking ideas all over the kitchen, resulting in many useful (and some frankly illegible) scrawled notes.
My friend gave me plenty of sound advice (and croissants) and a desire to go home and get straight into work.
Networking can take all manner of guises. You think you know someone, then you realise they have a whole other side. Thanks to Kitty Holmes for giving me much brilliant food for thought. The next business breakfast is on me.