Regular meetups in the CBD for those who work, run a business, or are building something. A room where what you do matters less than who you are.
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WHAT IS BUSINESS CONNECT?
Professional life in Australia is full of connections that aren't really connecting. Business cards swapped and forgotten. LinkedIn follows that go nowhere. Coffees that turn out to be informal sales calls. You end up surrounded by contacts and still not really known by anyone.
The Business Group is the alternative. Regular gatherings in the CBD — great venues, good food and proper coffee, a mix of founders, workers, and people building something on the side. Someone gives a short talk to kick things off. Then the room organically breaks into smaller conversations and the rest of the session goes from there. You walk away feeling like you made connections based on character, not titles.
It's people first, professional second. Come as the person you are when you're not at work.
We’re a Christian not-for-profit focused on creating open, safe and welcoming spaces where people who work, run a business, or are building something can belong.
Getting started
We'll find a Business Group closest to where you work. Most groups meet in the CBD over lunch or before work — somewhere with good food, proper coffee and room to actually sit down.
We'll send you a quick confirmation from us, then your host will reach out to say hello and provide any additional details (ie. location details, how to find it, what to expect when you walk in).
Short talk to kick things off — usually ten minutes on something worth thinking about. Then organic, small-group conversations over lunch or coffee. Leave your title at the door. The rest of the session goes from there.
The community
Brock is a sport, music and outdoors enthusiast, with Aussie rules footy his sport of choice — if there’s a game on, he’s likely watching or playing. A sound engineer by trade, he thrives on creativity and crafting moments people can truly feel. He enjoys life with his wife and their dog.
I moved down from Brisbane for a new role and realised every social thing I went to was basically work. This isn't that. The talk gave us something to actually chew on, and the conversations after went somewhere real.
Adrian is a Sydney-Sider with a real love for his city — he loves tech, music and meeting new people!
Nope. Nobody is going to ask for your card. There's no round of one-minute intros. People will probably ask what you do at some point — but the room isn't set up to optimise that conversation. It's set up to have the other one. The one you don't usually get to have at work.
Something worth talking about for ten minutes. Purpose, meaning, how to do good work without it eating you alive, what you'd build if you started over. Not a sales pitch and not a TED Talk. The point is to give the room something to talk about. The conversations after are where it actually happens.
No. Show up, get a coffee, sit down. If you want to listen for the first one, listen. If you want to talk, talk. The host runs the room so it doesn't fall on you to make it work.
Business Connect is part of The Common Room, a Christian not-for-profit run by SeeSalt. Our groups are hosted by local Christians who care about their cities and wanted to build something that wasn't another networking event. However, Business Connects are not specifically for Christians. What you believe or don't believe doesn't matter — come as you are. The focus is community and connection.
Yes. The group is for anyone, whether you run a business, work in the city, or are building something — that covers most people who end up in the city for work. You don't need a startup, a side hustle, or a LinkedIn title to belong here. If you're between jobs – don't let that stop you either, you're welcome here.
Most groups meet weekly or fortnightly, generally over lunch or before work, somewhere central to the CBD. Enter your postcode to find your nearest group. Your host will give you the exact details when you connect. It's a regular thing, not a one-off — that's the whole point.
Come to the one after. The group meets regularly and the door is open. Better to wait for one that works than to force it.
Free to join
Pop in your postcode and we'll match you with your closest group.
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