Are you building a small business by yourself? It’s no easy task running a thriving business, and building a wildly prosperous one can sometimes seem impossible. As an entrepreneur, it’s important to develop a supportive network of other small business types. If you find yourself isolating too often, it can be bad for your business and your emotional state. How can a network of “business buddies” be helpful? It all comes down to the three C’s of small business networking: community, collaboration, and connection. Business buddies can:
- Be a source of referred business
- Provide emotional support when you’re overwhelmed, discouraged or lonely
- Remind you that you’re not alone (and help you feel less crazy)
- Serve as encouraging examples (or in some cases, cautionary tales)
- Share information
- Share the burden of a special marketing project or event, making it more manageable
A healthy network will include people both from within your industry and outside. Those from inside your industry can enhance your understanding of industry-specific issues and may be a source of industry news and trends. On the flipside, think about service providers in non-competing businesses who service the same markets you do. Look for opportunities for mutual mentoring, creative collaboration, expense sharing and cross-referrals. If you’ve already got a network, make it a point to reach out to others on a regular basis. It could be as simple as meeting for lunch or coffee. Or, if you’ve got the time and motivation, you might want to organize a cocktail mixer so all your buddies can get to know each other. Encourage guests to bring a friend – preferably someone you don’t already know. It’s an easy way to expand your network in short order. If you don’t yet have a network, make it a priority to build one. Get out into your community and mingle. Attend networking events, seminars, classes and other gatherings. Look for online communities as well, in places like LinkedIn Groups where you can interact with people in your geographic area, your industry, and with shared interests. You can even connect with graduates from your alma mater or fellow ex-employees from a particular company. You never know how a new connection might contribute to the growth of your business – and perhaps in ways you never imagined.
