Hunter Hero: David Hoar - Breakfast at the beach helping local business

For co-founder David Hoar, the growth of the Beach Business Breakfast has brought a great deal of pride, but the effectiveness of the monthly meetings is the most rewarding aspect.

Run at Merewether Surf Life Saving Club for the past three years, the Beach Business Breakfast provides opportunities for business owners to mix and mingle with similar individuals.

We started it May, 2015, Mr Hoar said. Theres a few of us who had met and we were looking to join a business network and couldnt really find one.

So we just decided, because a couple of us were members of the [Merewether] surf club and we had a room there we could use with a really good view, plenty of parking and good coffee downstairs, that wed start our own group.

Mr Hoar says the initial group of about six has grown to anywhere between 20 and 40 depending on attendance at any given meeting.

He says the strength of the group is show by the regular business and networking done between members outside of the monthly events.

We say to people, come along and meet new people or catch up with the people youve met before, Mr Hoar said.

But its really about continuing the network and catching up with people between meetings and working out how you can work together or help each other.

I suppose the thing for us is its about connecting people.

The people that join or who have been involved in the network for a while, well talk to them about where their business is headed, what theyre looking to achieve, what sort of clients theyre looking for, who theyve helped and then we try and connect them up with people we know or other people of the network.

The very informal meetings take place in the upstairs function area of Merewether Surf Life Saving Club and attendees can bring their kids along if theyre doing the school drop off afterwards.

Meetings follow a basic structure starting with a introductory chat, followed by a round-table talk for individuals to openly discuss their business, and then further presentations.

A member of MSLSC for more than 10 years himself, Mr Hoar says attendees of the breakfast often become sponsors or members of the surf club, adding another element to the network.

The group also records podcasts with members to feature their businesses and industry knowledge.