Not a networking event.

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?

A room where what you do matters less than who you are.

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, 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 morning 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.

What actually happens

Three steps. The whole thing is easier than booking a flight.

  1. Drop in your postcode
    We'll find a Business Group closest to where you work. Most groups meet in the CBD before work — somewhere with proper coffee and room to actually sit down.

  2. Your host gets in touch
    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).

  3. Show up
    Short talk to kick things off — usually ten minutes on something worth thinking about. Then organic, small-group conversations over coffee. Leave your title at the door. The morning goes from there.

Surrounded by contacts. Still feel like no one actually knows you?

The honest answers.

Isn't this just a networking event?
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.

What's the short talk about?
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 the morning actually happens.

Do I have to introduce myself or 'contribute'?
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.

Who runs Common Room and Business Connects?
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.

I'm not really 'in business'. I just work in the CBD. Does this still fit?
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.

How often does it meet?
Most groups meet weekly or fortnightly, generally 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.

What if I can't make the next one?
Come to the one after. The group meets regularly and the door is open. Better to wait for a night that works than to force it.

Find your local Business Connect

Drop in your postcode and we'll connect you with the Business Group closest to where you work in the CBD.