Speed dating for small businesses

It's tough times for small businesses but where there's difficulty there's opportunity. Small companies and start-ups have taken to 'speed dating' to attract cash or investors.This autumn has seen a buzzing atmosphere at the Institute of Chartered Accountants as young companies flocked in hope of finding a business mate.It's the second annual competition organised by the London Technology Fund. It's government backed and means co-investing with start-ups.The final contestants have gone head to head to win venture capital at the speed dating event, which saw around 160 "brief encounters" of ten minutes each.The exhausting day of pitching business ideas saw some fantastically quirky ideas such as the young company Cute Circuit.They make clothes that allow people to interact at a distance. This novel idea entails using Bluetooth technology to connect through a mobile phone network with other people wearing this brand of tops.If you've been to any interesting networking events or heard of an eyebrow-raising way to make contacts, we'd love to hear about it.