Entrepreneurs are seen to bear the burden of their business alone, but that’s far from the reality. Networking is a major part of being an entrepreneur because it allows you to learn about new techniques, seek business opportunities, and share the struggles of entrepreneur life. Throughout this article, we offer you six tips for networking as an entrepreneur.
Preparation is Key
You will hopefully already understand the importance of preparation in business, and the same goes for networking. Before you meet with new contacts, or attend an event, get prepared by putting together an elevator pitch to show off your business. Additionally, if you’re entering into relatively unknown territories, spend some time researching the area to increase your chances of success.
Search for New Communities
The digital world has meant that networking opportunities are everywhere, whether they’re online or not. Spend time actively searching for new communities – great places to start are LinkedIn and Discord. Alternatively, you can try a business growth hub like Inspirent, which facilitates the part peer-to-peer support.
Stepping out of the digital world, you should keep tabs on local business news, as you may find intriguing physical events to attend.
Attend Business Events
Making sure you attend events is a great way to capture the minds of people you may not have come across. These days business events are everywhere, both in the real and digital world – thanks to video conferencing systems. Remember, when you’re attending events, be sure to research the topic and keynote speakers. Above all else, make the most of the opportunity to learn something new, which you may be able to apply to your business efforts.
Make Detailed Notes
When you’re busy networking, on top of every other responsibility you have as an entrepreneur, your brain might become a little scrambled. Therefore, whenever you’re networking, make notes about details of meetings including names, niche fields, and relationship potential. By keeping accessible notes, you’ll never step into a meeting looking like a fool because you confused a professional with somebody else.
Look to Network Everywhere
We’ve already discussed the need to actively search for new connections and events, but what about when you come across potential networks organically? No matter where you are or what you’re doing, you need to have a networking mindset, which means being open to communicating with others to see where the conversations go.
Maintain Existing Connections
Networking for new connections is great, but the fun doesn’t stop after the initial meeting. You need to make sure you’re maintaining existing connections. You can do this by providing your contact details, including social media and email, so you can continue to connect long after the initial meeting. If things go well, you may have found a new potential business partner, which could do wonders for your ventures.
Knowing how to network effectively is an important part of being an entrepreneur. Actively search for new communities to get involved in, both on and offline, be ready to network anywhere, and always have a plan before networking.
