Networking has taught me the importance of building your reviews with Phil Rand

Lis McDermott, writing mentor and author hosts our latest podcast, talking to Phil Rand from Rand Planning Consultancy, a family owned small business that has been run by Phil and his wife for the last 39 years. Phil enjoys working with homeowners who want to make changes to their houses.  It might be that they want more bedrooms, due to a growing family, or they need some facility for a larger number of dogs, or they regularly have family who visit from further afield. What he loves most is getting to know his clients so that he can provide them with their precise needs.After initially studying to become a civil engineer, he realised that he could be working miles away from home, and his family is very important to him, so he started his own planning business, which meant he could be more flexible in his work hours – especially when the children were young and now one of his daughters has followed him into the profession, and she has her own practice in London!In this episode, Phil explains the difference between being an architect and being a planner.Phil admits that, when he first started networking, he felt like a fish out of water, but after joining Businesswise about two and half years ago, during the pandemic and when meetings were virtual, he has found that the group works well for him. He likes the mixture of a relaxed approach alongside serious business. His tip for anyone not wanting to network is, that you have to get out of your comfort zone and push yourself to do it – if you want business.Phil’s biggest tip about looking for a planner is, to find someone who you can communicate with well and build a relationship with – because going through the journey of planning can be quite tortuous.If you’d like to know more about Phil and Businesswise, visit https://businesswise.org.uk/ and if you’d like to visit email [email protected] – we do have to check first that your seat is vacant. If it’s not you will be put on a waiting list. If you’d like to contact Phil directly:Website: https://www.randplanningconsultancy.co.uk/