Once you’ve got your new business
idea pretty well formulated and you’ve done your preliminary research, it’s
time to talk it up. Whether its friends and family members, online communities,
or industry groups and trade associations, you’re going to need help to get this dream off the ground, and networking
is the best way to get it.
Networking is a never-ending process. From the moment your business is born to the day you retire, networking will be as integral to your success as any other aspect of the company. It’s how you learn. It’s how you connect with customers, suppliers, and partners. It’s how you find employees. And if you’re lucky, you may even meet a few friends along the way.
But first things first. When you’re soliciting feedback, friends and family are going to be your most
important networking resource. These are the people with whom you feel the most
comfortable and most connected. They will give you honest opinions. And you will
get some of your best contacts from friends and family. So do not dismiss them.
Even your crazy aunt up in
But don’t stop there. Your next step is to go online. Social networking has caught fire of late. Everyone is doing it. You can find everyone from grade school friends to global executives on sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. Even my aunts and uncles are doing it, and they’re barely computer literate.
Social networking may seem like a frivolous waste of time, but it connects you to a greater number of friends and family than you could ever manage in the physical world. In addition, you get a look at their friends, coworkers, acquaintances, etc. Instantly. It’s amazing!!
There are dozens of social networking sites out there and each one is good for something. But the most important element of any social networking site is that it connects a large amount of people. The bigger and more popular the network, the more powerful and valuable a tool it is.
Check out a few of our favorite
networking sites;
Facebook.com – the most popular site on the Web right now. Great for re-connecting with old friends and new colleagues. Works on both a social and professional level. Just be sure you understand the privacy settings before posting anything you don’t want the whole world to know about you.
Linkedin.com – This site is all business--strictly for professionals. Resumes and curriculum vitaes litter the site. Far less social in nature. People can recommend colleagues and acquaintances, kind of like a preemptive reference.
Twitter.com – This is a free social
messaging service that allows you to broadcast your every move to friends,
family, or other subscribers. It’s kind of like micro-blogging. You send short
text messages (usually less than 200 characters) that go to anyone who is
interested.
Youtube.com – This video posting
service is free and easy to use. You simply upload a video to the site and hope
it goes viral. The vast majority of the material on YouTube is social and
entertainment oriented. But marketing gimmicks have been known to go viral and
generate huge amounts of demand.
Myspace.com – With nearly 115
million members, MySpace is still a force to be reckoned with in the social
networking world, but Facebook’s simpler interface and broader appeal has
eclipsed MySpace’s early popularity. MySpace continues to attract a younger
crowed, and is useful for sharing music. But you’ll not find valuable business
networking going on here.
After you’re up and running on the
social networking sites, make sure you look into industry groups, organizations
or associations and join them. Even if your business is still in its nascent
stages, these groups are usually open to all who are interested. You’ll learn a ton, have
an opportunity to find out what’s going on in your industry and meet the people
in your field. Mingling in these groups, online or in person, will keep you
abreast of industry news, trends, and resources as well as expand your network.
Well? What are you waiting for? Get out there and start meeting some people.
Great ideas and fiscally sound as well. Do you have any recommendations about the best way for search engines to pick up your site?
Posted by: Kerry Anne Ducey | March 10, 2009 at 07:56 AM
Two great ways to optimize searchability are;
1)Update your content often and 2)link to other sites.
Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Posted by: michelle briody | March 17, 2009 at 09:45 AM
Thank you Michelle, I'll try that and keep you posted.
Posted by: Kerry Anne Ducey | March 17, 2009 at 05:48 PM