Business Networking and Why It’s Important

Written by Manager on June 26th, 2015. Posted in Blog

Did you know that 54% of tenants at The Perfect Small Office do business with other tenants?

The value of networking cannot be overstated when you’re starting a business or for its further growth.  It means building up a network of people.  That might mean just having someone’s business card, or it might mean speaking with them twice a day on a conference call.  It will depend on the contact and the nature of your business relationship.

Why Networking helps

It’s miles easier to find the right service, investors, suppliers, partners, PR advisors, and everyone and everything else you need for your business when you know the people you’re dealing with or they’ve come personally recommended. It saves you days of searching through Yellow Pages and Google for what you need, and it is a much better guarantee of quality.  The more people you know, the more business opportunities you’ll discover – people do business with people they like. If you’re looking for investors or partners, there’s absolutely no substitute for personal contact.

Where to Network

There are always networking events going on for the sector you want to get in to.  Attend industry conferences.  The potential to network online is now greater than ever, and it’s a fantastic free tool – Facebook, MySpace, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter are great places to start.  Look online to websites like www.meetup.com – it’s a great place to find relevant groups. And www.gumtree.com might help too. Lastly your area Chamber of Commerce is also a great way to network and promote your business. 

What to remember at all times

Everyone is a potential business contact!  The more people you meet and tell about your business, the bigger your network will be and the more business opportunities you will have.  Carry business cards around with you everywhere, and practice describing your business succinctly. Don’t be overbearing or annoying; but gauge when someone’s interested and discuss how you could help each other.

CMC’s The Perfect Small Office offers free networking events for tenants.  Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to be part of a larger community!