ALYSON HOWARD, chairman of the Kent branch of the Institute of Directors, told a group of young business people that building good relationships is the key to success.

She was speaking at the first Kent Association of Young Entrepreneurs (KAYE) event, a networking evening held in Kings Hill, near West Malling, attended by people keen to benefit from her experience.

She said: “Building relationships is the key to good business. When I first started out at Creaseys Chartered Accountants I was 27 years old. I went to my first networking event and was faced with a room full of suits. I was scared witless.

“I soon picked up a few vital tips. One of the simplest is to wear a bright colour that differentiates me from the sea of grey you normally see. People remembered me from one occasion to the next and would initiate conversations because they recalled my clothing.

“I realised I had to build my own network so I became involved with Chambers of Commerce, the IoD and a local theatre group. All of a sudden I had a group of friends of a similar age that I liked, respected and could do business with.

“One of the most important lessons I learnt was that we have complete power over how we react to whatever life throws at us; there is something positive to be gleaned from every situation.”

Alex Ridings, chairman of KAYE, said: “Members of KAYE have a great entrepreneurial spirit, but that doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from the advice from those who have already been successful.”

KAYE is an IoD Kent Branch initiative and is aimed at young people aged between 18 and 35 who are either entrepreneurs running their own company, young directors or professionals within a company, or seriously considering starting up in business.