Networking For Business
The past two years have seen most events take place online due to the pandemic, but now we’re finally enjoying in-person meetings, events and activities. It’s brilliant to see the return of business networking events, these events are really beneficial for meeting other businesses, business owners, and connecting with the local business community.
5 Reasons To Attend A Business Networking Event
1. Meet Your Local Business Community
Business networking events present the perfect opportunity to meet your local business community and connect with potential customers, suppliers or businesses to collaborate with.
2. Stay Updated
Local networking events are a great way to stay in-tune with everything that’s going on in your local area and get advance notice of future events.
3. Learn and Get Advice
In some cases, networking events will also include a guest speaker / learning opportunity, it’s amazing how many nuggets of advice are given away for free.
4. Free Business Marketing Feedback
By attending networking events you can get fantastic marketing feedback from the questions the other attendees ask you about your business. This can then be used to improve your website information or marketing messaging.
5. Improve Your Communication Skills
Conversing, listening, questioning, they’re all elements associated with networking. It’s all good business practice.
Remember that you are your brand / a representation of your company, make sure that you are memorable and make an impact.
I always try and make an impact by giving people a unique fact about me.
Top Tips For Successful Networking
- Listen, Listen, Listen – take the time to listen to what other people have to say, it’s amazing how much you will learn.
- Be Memorable – whether it’s an interesting fact about yourself, wearing a bright colour or giving away free advice – make an impression.
- Get a Business Card Holder – I believe that there is still a place for physical business cards, they’re a super way to showcase your brand and logo. Keep them in a business card holder and they’ll be easy to access and it will look professional.
- Know Your Quick Business Pitch – it’s really important to be able to say who you are and what you do in an interesting and succinct way. E.g. Hi, I’m Zoé, I own a bespoke freelance Marketing business offering SMEs a reliable and flexible marketing solution.
- Speak To The Event Organiser – a lot of work will have gone into organising the networking event so it’s always nice to take the time to thank the organiser.
Where To Find Networking Events Near You
Once you start looking for networking events, you’ll be amazed at how many events are going on in your area. There’s something to suit everyone; breakfast networking, day networking and evening networking.
Visit Eventbrite
Check out Eventbrite to discover what events are going on near you. They have a great filter option to reduce your search area/ dates.
Check Social Media
LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are all good sources of networking events. I’d recommend to use some hashtags #NetworkingEvents to refine your search.
Local Business Growth Hub
Lots of areas have dedicated business support teams that run a series of events and workshops. Find a Business Growth Hub near you.
Why networking has been successful for me
Networking events are a brilliant way to invest your time, and can lead to a significant return on investment. For me, networking has led to an increased number of connections, has created lucrative business partnerships, and has generated business.
See what events are going on near you today, and get booking and attending!
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