Owning your own business of any type is going to require some amount of networking. Networking is a method of building awareness of your business, among people who may be likely at one time or another to use your products, your services or to refer someone else to your business. Networking is all about getting to know other people, and locally your best bet in finding additional network contacts is going to be with other business owners.You can find many types of networking opportunities around you. Every club and every association that you belong to is going to be a part of your network. From there, every person you come into contact with and every person you talk with is going to be part of your network.
Make a lasting impression
You can make a lasting impression on the people you meet by talking about what you know best and talking about vital topics to your business. If you are not sure about a topic that is being approached during a conversation, ask questions. This will show you are part of the conversation and that you still want to know more. Just listening is going to keep you out of the conversation and will not make a lasting impression of you on any one.
Make your voice known
Join local chambers of commerce; join local men and women’s associations. Join the local PTA, the sports boards, and join clubs that interest you. If you don’t find a club locally that does interest you, create one and build your local network from that point. The more people you can put yourself into contact with, the more aware of yourself, your business, and what you have to offer. Even if you are selling online, you have to be proud of what you are doing and talk about it as often as possible to build a network of people that will call on you when they need your products or services.
Once you have built a good network you must maintain and set goals for yourself. As you have set goals, you need to keep them. This means that if you strive to meet one new person a week or make it a point to call one person you know each week that is not a current customer, you will increase your business. Think about this, for every five calls you make, and only one turns into a sale, that is one more sale than what you had. Increase exposure for your business, and use this for your success.
This article was written by Cathy A. Cooper the owner of CACooper Services, LLC. CACooper Services, LLC offers virtual administrative services to small businesses needing assistance. If you feel like you’re a low-level employee at your own business, check out CACooper Services to start feeling like you’re the boss again! Click on the link here to get more information.www.cathycooper.com. For more business tips to set yourself up for success, check out www.cacooperbusinesstalk.com.