Networking… what method do you prefer?
I have been doing a lot of networking in the past few months. As a new business owner, it’s a real good way to get the word out about your business and services, especially to the local business community. I also do quite a bit of online networking, and I must say both have paid off.
So far I have landed one client from online networking, one through Twitter, and participated in a very interesting “Looking to Hire a VA process” also through Twitter. Local networking has seen more understanding and interest spread about virtual assistants – and I have also landed a client through word of mouth/referrals.
Networking can be daunting at first – especially if you are not extremely confident in your abilities – and many people starting a new business are not. I joined a local Business Breakfast Club (BBC) to start small, get practice with my “Elevator Speech” and it has really helped. I have branched out and now regularly attend a few other informal drop-in type networking sessions. You never know what networking will bring.
It was by attending these groups and talking to others about networking, that I received a bit of local press coverage – Community newspapers are the best!
A fellow colleague, Richard Black, started a networking group in Dartmouth, called DartNet, and my connections and networking with him lead to me being contacted by a journalist doing an article on the networking in Dartmouth.
I personally believe, especially with a virtual business you need to do both types of networking, local and online … curious how others in this type of work situation do their networking? What method do you find successful and why?
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Kathy, I agree with you that both forms of networking are important. Even though most of my clients aren’t in my area, it’s good to get out and meet other local business owners, and I have picked up some work that way. As virtual professionals we’re lucky that we can take full advantage of social networks, unlike people who provide strictly in-person services and rely much more on face-to-face meetings.