Monday is here! 🚀It’s time to connect. Today, let’s talk about small business networking. You might think we’re just talking about coffee or drinks, but it’s so much more than that.

“The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity.” — Keith Ferrazzi

Building a network for you and your business is important if you want to further your goals. As the saying goes, no man is an island.

Networking creates a circle of people you can resource to find new customers, discover talent, and even get some wise words.

But networking isn’t just throwing a bunch of your business cards to different people and seeing what sticks. Forbes contributor Susan Guillory recently shared her secret to effective networking, and it’s not what you’d think.

Although Guillory shares her secret to networking in everyday business interactions, many of us find ourselves at industry events, and are thrown into the waters of networking without a life boat. Here are a few tips to navigate these stormy seas.

When you find yourself at an industry event:

  • Do your homework and prepare to talk to people about subjects they care about.
  • Be selfless. Look for ways to connect other attendees together.
  • Don’t sell to anyone. Nobody came there to buy anything.

And above all, follow up a day or two after the event. Set up a coffee to get to know each other better and build a solid business relationship.

Effective small business networking can enrich your business… and your life. You’ll gain new customers and build relationships with other entrepreneurs who get what it means to run a business.

Challenge

Find a high-profile person in your industry and connect to create a mutually beneficial business relationship with them.

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Let’s grab coffee soon,

Drew Horine
Drew Horine, Founder & Chief Creative