No Business Is an Island
Getting Your Networking Started
Getting the Highest Value From Networking
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No Business Is an Island
Everyone knows networking is the key to getting
ahead in any career. It is just as valuable for
small business owners as well. While the job seeker
is trying to find good job possibilities, the
business owner is on a never-ending quest for
connections to customers and for tips about how
to succeed in business.
Here are just a few of the benefits you receive by
networking with other businesspeople:
- You can find a mentor or mentors who will help
you put your business on a sound track.
- You will have access to areas of expertise you
may not have developed yourself.
- You will discover tools and resources that can
help you.
- You can get leads and referrals for sales.
- You can do favors that others return.
On its own, each of these benefits is valuable,
but, as an entrepreneur with a disability, you gain a
value-added advantage by building bridges and
making connections. When you network, you gain the
trust of others as well as their "seal of approval."
That makes your business stronger and more competitive
in the mainstream marketplace. When the deck is
already stacked against you due to your disability,
you cannot have too many aces up your sleeve.
But, networking is a lot more than just grabbing
business cards from everyone in sight, so to speak,
and filing them in a Rolodex. It means initiating
and nourishing relationships. A contact won't pull
your name and face out of memory unless he notices
and values you. To make an impression, you need to
be as much a gold mine as a gold miner. You need to
give as much as take. A bridge supports two-way
traffic.
While, of course, this means a thank you note,
card or gift is in order whenever someone helps
you out in any way, networking goes beyond that.
Networking is almost more a philosophy or way of
doing business than just a practice. It requires
your full involvement: your attention, your time,
your creativity, your talents -- or whatever reason
others have for networking with you!
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Getting Your Networking Started
Experts in small business networking recommend that
you start by assessing your own strengths and
weaknesses. That way, as you develop your network,
you can focus on building bridges to those areas
where you need help. For example, if you are weak in
accounting and legal issues, you can look for contacts
that can help you out in those areas. They will be
looking for your help, too, because other business
owners also have their own strengths and weaknesses.
Networking is not one of those areas where "less is
more!" The only limit is how much time you have to
network in addition to your more immediate business
responsibilities. Every new contact is a potential
source for connections. You never know who
knows someone you want to know!
"Don't overlook less obvious but possibly helpful
contacts, such as former teachers and friends of your
parents," advises Entrepreneur.com. Having a point of
reference, a connection, can start your networking on
the best footing. Entrepreneur.com also calls this
your "advocate list" and recommends contacting each
person on it about every 90 days. You can cull your
list, if anyone on it proves not to be a good source
of referrals or help.
Building or strengthening a business is also not the
time to listen to Mom's advice that "Fool's names and
fool's faces are often seen in public places." Modesty
has no place in networking. This is the time to build
your self-confidence and blow your own horn. No one
notices the wallflower at networking meetings. People
assume that enthusiastic, cheery individuals are also
successful and capable. Who knows, you just might
start believing it yourself!
Find local business and civic groups and start
joining them. If you want the advantages of "the old
boys' club," you need to join one! Then go to all the
meetings. Any networking expert will tell you that a
huge proportion of the contacts they make and the
revenue generated from contacts comes from these
events. Be sure to join groups not directly in your
line of work to broaden your own knowledge and
access to opportunities. Look for ways to get
involved in:
- Chamber of Commerce, women's business
alliances, neighborhood business councils and
other business leader networks.
- Professional organizations.
- Neighborhood and civic organizations.
- Volunteering, especially on boards and advisory
councils.
- Affinity groups, which can be political, hobby,
religious, recreational, arts, family or other groups
where individuals share an interest or value.
- Clubs such as Toastmasters International and
service clubs such as Rotary International.
Ask key people for informational interviews. Take
them to coffee or lunch and pick their brains. They
will love the attention, and the free meal won't hurt
their feelings either. And be prepared to give these
interviews, too.
Use your contacts as sources for further contacts.
Whenever you can, ask them for ways they have
used to effectively network. Learn their techniques
but also get the names of people they have found
helpful. Always get their permission before
contacting these leads, especially if you plan to
use your contact's name as an entrée.
Entrepreneur.com also has some additional advice for
those who are not as outgoing or mobile. "People with
home-based businesses, or those with a less
extroverted personality, find using the Internet an
efficient, effective means of networking. (Carla)
Gorman Newman (a communication consultant and
owner of CMcC Communications in Dallas) surfs the
Net to locate events she'd like to attend as well as
join mailing lists and discussion groups, and she
links her Web site with other sites, creating a
whole new way to network in the 21st century."
The Internet was born to network -- no pun intended!
Here are some good business networking sites:
- Allbusiness.com
- Biz Women
- Business Women's Network
- New World of Work Network
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce
There are several Internet resources specifically
for entrepreneurs who are disabled, blind or visually
impaired. They offer mentors and advocates who have
"done it all before." These are great sources for
advice and information and a must-do connection for
any business owner with a disability:
- eSight Careers Network's Entrepreneurial
Junction and soon-to-be-launched Small
Business Directory.
- BlindBusinessPeople
- blindinbusiness
- National Association of Blind Entrepreneurs
- blindbiz
- HOME-WORKERS, an online discussion group
- pwd_self-employment
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Getting the Highest Value From Networking
The preceding gave you ideas about where to get your
contacts, but just as important is how you win them
over. The notorious side of networking is the behavior
of pushy, self-serving and oafish people. Be one of
the Good Guys.
Be genuinely interested in gaining a mutual benefit
from networking. Don't just take; be prepared to give.
The latter will do more good for your business than
the former ever could. Especially as a person with a
disability who perhaps is facing the low expectations
of others, you need to put your value to others front
and center.
Have all the information you need about yourself and
your business easily at hand. This means attractive,
professional-looking and informative business cards.
But it also means having a succinct statement of what
you do at the tip of your tongue. Nothing dashes
confidence more than fumbling to explain.
Always be ready to network. In fact, I have a
saying, "You are never not networking." This means
never set foot outside your house without being well
dressed and coifed, without your ready response to
questions, and without your business cards and
calendar. As a blind or visually impaired person, you
are even more apt to be called into conversations
while you're in line at the grocery store, sitting on
a bus or waiting for your latte order. People are
curious about blind people who are doing "normal"
things. Comfortably and cheerfully answering questions
and giving out information can be a lead to a sale as
well.
From my own experience, I can tell you that nothing
will help your business more than actively seeking
leadership opportunities. Nothing adds luster to your
reputation than being president of a business group.
You need not start at the top, but, as your reputation
grows as a get-it-done kind of guy (or gal), people
will hear about you. You will not be judged "pushy,"
if you are willing to put in the time without
complaining. This will take hard work, but, if you
aren't cut out for hard work, you're not cut out to be
in business.
Remember that one of the benefits of networking I
listed at the beginning of this article was this: "You
can do favors that others return." If I personally
have any particular strength as an entrepreneur, this
is it. I naturally do favors for colleagues I like and
respect. Through the years, I've learned that these
folks were at least as kindly disposed to me. I have
received numerous favors in return -- favors that
expanded my business and improved customer relations
in general like I never would have guessed. Since I
figured it out, I've been a chief evangelist for doing
favors as a networking technique.
One by one, build bridges from your island to the
next, and you will see your enterprise's traffic
flowing right into your bank account!
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