I have saved all the business cards I’ve been handed. Great networking is done by having business cards of other businesses to hand out.  By doing so I have become more efficient at networking with my contacts.  When someone asks me, if I know of someone who has a product or service. I have a stack to pull from. The process of spreading the word of other businesses, in your card stack,  you yourself become more knowledgeable. You learn what others are doing with their businesses. Your learn the business concentrations people have selected to focus on. You learn what’s hot in the market place, the new  business trends, and what people are the most in need of for services.

Your card stack is a sampling of the business types and the demographics of your community.  Which in itself may get you thinking. What type of businesses are missing in your area? Can you fill a hole or niche which is needed in your area?

Saving and recycling the cards,  to others is key.

I previously have taken part in a networking fundraiser and it was a wonderful event and worked well for all involved.  The goal in doing this type of event is many fold.  Everyone wins in some way.  The charity or nonprofit wins with increased revenues raised by the event.  You can donate or give a part of you earnings from the event to the charity or nonprofit. We each donated part of our earnings from the event, but you can set yours up how ever you like.

You win because your goal of networking with new customers and meeting new business contacts is achieved. You also win by meeting new people who may have never heard of your products or services before.  You are touching whole new market of people by having this one event.

To organize an event find a nonprofit group, suggest having one to them.  There are millions of  charities to choose from.  Find one near and dear to your heart.  Maybe someone in your family has an illness, start there you’ll be more vested in the success of the event.

We held ours in a local church for free.  The one which I was involved with had direct sales people, small businesses, and other non profits organizations.  I offered some products at a  greatly reduced price and the difference was given to the nonprofit, also.   We even held raffles at the event with the proceeds going to the nonprofit.  We offered some combination baskets with a mix of all of the vendors products.

Try it may help your business. Did  I mention the tax write off? I know you may really like that part as well.

Pick a charity or nonprofit and give it a try.

As you may have already guessed, I have a passion for networking.  Many of my friends are very creative business people with great products.  The key here is they are very creative and business people.  One often over rides the other, the creativity time over takes the time to run a business. Often what happens, the time needed for the creative juices  to flow, takes away time for running a business.  So they have a website, Great products and No customers.  AH, that’s were the networking comes in.  Networking doesn’t have to be dull, so use your creativity on the networking part as well.

Networking Wahm

Networking is a powerful tool and an integral part of business and professional development. Some people are natural networkers, although many of us find ourselves avoiding events because we don’t know how to take advantage of them.
It’s not all hard work. With the right method it can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Here are some ideas which you can use to help you get the most out of your network.
What is networking?
As described in the Collins dictionary, a network is an interconnected group or system. Therefore networking is the process of using a network or interconnected group to your advantage.

Why network?
Networking gives you the opportunity to gain insights into other businesses and contacts, and increase your exposure. At a networking occasion you are presented with the opportunity to tap into a wealth of information and experience in one room. A great asset of networking is that you never know what treasure is around the corner.
If time allows for it become involved with a networking organisation. This will open up even more opportunities. Budget and time permitting, organise to be a guest speaker or a sponsor as this will greatly increase exposure for you and your business.
How to network
This is perhaps the most daunting part of the process. Follow these tips to make it easier:
1. Make sure you have enough business cards to hand out and make sure you swap cards; this one of the most important items you can take from the event.
2. Look professional and dress accordingly.
3. Set out objectives for the evening. Are you looking to build your contacts or are you after a certain type of contact? Try and hit your objectives early, then you can generally mingle and increase your exposure.

If you do not find it easy to start a conversation pick a couple of current news topics you can use.
5. Take a colleague or business associate if turning up to an event on your own seems tough. Alternatively it could be a good opportunity to take a new business contact.
6. Take a look around the room – if it’s not a seated event look for opportunities to enter conversations.
7. Manage your time and don’t get stuck in one conversation. The room is full of ideas, so use the time wisely. Have a general rule of 15 minutes per contact.
8. Remember that everyone is there to network, so the person you are speaking to is also after knowledge and contacts. Think about what you can provide them. Even though you might not get an immediate return you might see potential in the future for a returned favour.
9. Don’t dismiss any opportunities – you never know where conversations might lead.

10. Set up future meetings at the event – it’s much harder for people to reject you face-to-face.
What to do with the contacts
So, what happens to all those business cards? Firstly you need to categorise them. You can then enter them into an appropriate database which can be set up in Excel or Access. Your database should include information such as contact details, where you met the contact and any special interests or insights you might have gained during your conversation.
Make sure that all ideas are written down in your database and that actions are documented straight away. Networking is mentally and physically draining so notes will ensure the benefits are not lost.
You then need to work out what to do with them – do you have any immediate tasks?
Reaping the benefits
The most important part of networking is ensuring you are able to learn and grow from the experience. The more you gain the better. By setting up some tools you can make sure you don’t miss any opportunities. Eventually what once seemed like the daunting process of networking becomes second nature and an important part of growing your business.

Claire McLennan is a business analyst  writes articles for Microsoft Small Business

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com