Networking - it's offline too

As an owner of a small business I've embraced networking as a means of business development and indeed of learning what I should be offering my present and potential clients.

What alarms me a little is the somewhat trendy notion of using social media for all of your networking.  Whatever happened to getting out and meeting people.

Social Networking is good...But....

Now, I'm not against social networking and all of the benefits it brings in the discussion with potential and current clients. In fact I think it's a fantastic tool.  It can help as part of your networking and marketing efforts and is especially useful  for the business to consumer market where it would be impossible to meet all of your clients personally.

I do however think that we should maintain our people skills, and broaden our chances for success, by getting out in the real world and talking to people too.

I've attended a mix of both paid for and free events over the last few months and have to say that it works well for my business to business model.  I've had some great experiences meeting prospects, opening up sales channels and even getting to know the competition a bit better.

Where to Network

There are a plethora of networking opportunities out there including of course Chambers of Commerce and other paid for networking clubs, but there are also numerous free opportunities at Business Gateway seminars and HMRC training events to name but two.  Business Gateway even have a free seminar on how to make the most of your "live" networking opportunities.

My advice; yes use social media but please don't forget to get out there whenever possible and meet people: you never know where it might lead.

If you want to know more about my experiences with networking and which events I think work, or to tell me about your experiences, you can contact me at Aperture Marketing Ltd.

Thanks for dropping by.

Brian