BASE
After 20 years travelling back and forth to Javea, Gaile now lives in the town and has based the club's twice monthly meetings at the Inn on the Green. "I have seen fantastic people with fantastic ideas but it has fizzled out," she said. "Not because the idea was not good or the marketing was not good, but because the support was not there and people felt isolated. "They couldn't talk to people if they felt they were talking to competition, rather than helping support their business." And Gaile added: Unfortunately, small businesses or self-employed people can feel very marginalised." However, she said the club was about members knowing each other well enough to ask questions and use advice. "It also forms an element of trust, putting people in a position to collaborate together."

PEER
Gaile said the club appreciated the need for professional advice. "We are not replacing gestors or solicitors but pointing people at them - we give peer support, we are not experts unless it happens to be our profession. "We have an opinion and can give that but is you want professional advice, go to the professional, that's the advice we would give." The Marina Alta Business Club welcomes people of all nationalities as members. There are two basic qualifications - members must have some form of business interest in the area, and must be comfortable speaking in English to fellow members. And the club also looks for its members to have a registered business or people intending to register as a legal entity, allowing a professional standing in the community. "It is not that people really intend to start a business on the black," explained Gaile. "But they come here and decide to use their skills, be it doing people's hair regularly or driving people around as a taxi service. "Soon it goes from a side line or hobby to being a full blown business."

MANAGER
Gaile herself has a Masters Degree in Business Administration and is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. Her specialist areas are in Change Management and Small Businesses. She has also run small businesses and been a company Manager, working in both local government and retail management.  Gaile has also served as a lay member of 'Investors In People' panels and run businesses dedicated to the support and training of managers and their staff. And she has chosen to dedicate her skills and experience to running the Marina Alta Business Club. "According to my research, no individual business club can handle more than 600 members and function well," she said. "The target is 150 members and then have new branches to handle the overflow."

MONTH
There is a one-off joining fee of 50 euros and members pay 25 euros a month subscription. The fees finance two meeting a month, an annual printed directory, with member's adverts, a regularly updated online version, a printed newsletter, and the design and maintenance of each member's web page - linked to their business. And after three months, each business will have the right to display the Marina Alta Business Club's 'member logo' on all marketing material. "This club works by giving the opportunity for people to talk about their ideas with people who understand," said Gaile. "Understand the pressures and the problems.
"And business networking is a long-established method of raising a business's profile, whilst also being a cost effective means of bringing in new business from either direct or indirect leads. "Collaboration with other like-minded or complementary businesses can reduce overheads and make big savings."

The Marina Alta Business Club meets on the second and fourth Thursday of every month at 7.00pm at the Inn on the Green, Javea.  For more information, ring Gaile on 96 646 1913, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.mabusinessclub.com