Networking for Small Business

Patrick Greer had an interesting comment about networking groups in the Greenville area that I thought I should respond to. There are many more groups that meet on a weekly basis all across the Upstate. BNI is one that has several clusters. However, I have found that many of these groups meet on a weekly basis. Truth be told, I do not generally have a lot of quality leads to share that often. What I have done is to look at the people I know and meet to assemble a growing group of network minded people that I can meet privately (one-on-one) once a month or once every other month. In that time, I have better referrals to pass along, and they have better ones for me. If a good connection comes up in the meantime, I pass it along without waiting for our meeting. This process may be a viable option for many small business owners that are trying to grow but are often pressed for time.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 14th, 2008 at 2:07 pm and is filed under Networking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Networking for Small Business”

  1. Patrick Greer Says:
    February 14, 2008 at 2:43 pm

    I hear what you are saying and you make some good point in terms of sharing leads.

    The concept of sharing leads is interesting and can work if done well but I admit it’s not the primary reason I network and I dare to say it’s not the primary reason others network as well. The reasons I network are as follows;

    1.) Word of Mouth and developing trusting relationships

    2.) It gives me a chance to learn from other businesses and how they do things and dare I say, learn about the competition I have out there.

    3.) To get feedback from potential customers. People will tell me all kinds of things in a network meeting but it would be rare if they would shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment on my blog.

    4.) I often get a chance to give a presentation and share my knowledge about my particular business or an aspect of it.

    5.) Sometimes I will not give leads at a meeting but to be honest I often “draw a blank” when asked at a meeting Later on down the road I can quickly remember someone I know and refer them as needed.

    PNC and BNI definitely have a leads sharing aspect or “power networking” as part of their program but it only a part of the networking. The others I mentioned in my original article are more educational or one on one networking events.

    Time is precious to me as well. I will go to a networking event if

    1.) I can do double duty and eat breakfast, lunch or dinner

    2.) I can learn something and ask questions

    3.) I will have a good opportunity to at least pass out a business card or share my web address.

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