Natural networkers: the importance of community for entrepreneurs

Dr Nighat Awan OBE is the CEO of Indian restaurant and food chain Shere Khan, and director of property management company Lightning Management. Having also owned successful businesses in the floristry and fashion industries, she knows the importance of keeping an eye out for new opportunities.

We spoke to Dr Awan about what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur and why she’s so passionate about mentoring young people. She also provided some valuable insight into why networking is so important, and how to expand your connections to help unlock your potential.

After I got married in 1975, I opened a fashion boutique in Macclesfield and was very successful from day one. My husband and I built up the boutiques into a chain, but one day he decided he wanted to start a restaurant in Rusholme, which we opened in 1987. He wanted to change the concept of curry and a beer to be more trendy.

My role was to pick out ideas for the décor from my boutiques, and I’d arrange evenings of music and change the whole feel of the restaurant. Unfortunately in 1991 I got cancer, so I took a step back for a year.

Meanwhile, my husband was looking for other restaurant sites, such as Liverpool and Chester. Then we moved into fast food, so it escalated into a new business concept. I always felt like I was behind my husband, but I was actually in front because I was doing all the PR.

One thing I’d like to say about entrepreneurship is that when you learn something, that doesn’t mean it’s only specific to a particular field. You can often apply this knowledge to anything. An entrepreneur is an all-rounder who can visualise something and then fill in all the gaps in between to make it happen.

I think mentoring other entrepreneurs is the most important gift you can give to somebody else, and that's what I’ve done for the past 20 years. I’m a great believer in mentoring young people because they’re our future.

To be honest, I think I learn more from younger people than they learn from me. There's never a time when you stop learning.

There’s so much around now – you can go online and find the details of numerous events and seminars. They’re virtual at the moment, but even then you can find opportunities and see who’s out there. A true entrepreneur will find the opportunity but has also got to believe in their abilities.

It’s important to go to networking events – somebody always wants to sell something, and somebody always wants to buy something. You’ll always find that at least one deal has been successful after a networking event.

Entrepreneurs are natural networkers – it’s in your blood. Having been in business for more than 40 years, I still believe that networking is key.

You’ve got to go out there and meet people – there’s always an opportunity somewhere. But you’ve got to hold some of your cards close to your chest because you don't know who’s listening to your ideas.

You have to learn to analyse other people and determine their strengths and weaknesses. And if two people understand each other, it can be a very good mix. But without trust, there's nothing.

I feel very confident introducing people to Coutts because of trust. When you trust and understand a brand, you feel honoured to introduce people to it because you know the efficiency and resources behind it. At the same time, if I want to explore ideas with somebody, Coutts can help me make that connection.

My mother was a business woman who came to the UK in 1951 and I watched her work hard. She hosted a music evening at home on Friday nights with around 20 guests. She’d fit music in, she’d fit cooking in, she’d fit work in – she was a wonder woman.

So, I told myself that if she could bring up five children and work that hard, I should be able to do at least a quarter of that.