networking activities and join networking groups. Through networking you will build up a professional relationship with other business owners. Since they will be networking with others as well, you will in time be connected to hundreds and sometimes even thousands of individuals. Through recommendations and word of mouth, many of these people have the potential to become future customers. The great news is that the referrals that you get through networking are normally high quality and most of the time are even pre-qualified for you.
calls but through advancements in travel. Faster trains and faster planes mean international summits and conferences are now the norm. It creates an interesting juxtaposition whereby local
connections and traditional networking remains critical and a popular mode of developing opportunities, yet at the same time, the very notion of what networking means – and what it can lead to – is being dramatically redefined. A graphic design company could be taking part in a
networking event in their city one day, be pitching their services to a potential client in person in the USA the next and identifying tender opportunities in Asia the day after that. One thing’s for sure – collaboration is now a truly global concept. So how do we concisely identify the all-round benefits of
networking and collaboration – from local connections forged at small networking events to international conferences and everything in between? What are the tangible benefits that make networking and collaboration so effective, so universal and so necessary? There’s a great piece written by South African-based
Succeed Group which breaks down the benefits into five key categories, which are:
OPPORTUNITIES It is expected that networking will result in opportunities. You will however not know when or how they will happen. There are always plenty of opportunities that come from networking and in fact this is where the advantages of business networking are huge. The opportunities that you get involved in should align with the vision you have for your business. If this is not the case, you might find that you are chasing opportunity after opportunity and getting nowhere.
ADVICE Networking is a wonderful way to tap into advice and knowledge that you would not otherwise be able to get hold of. Having likeminded business owners to talk to also gives you the opportunity to get advice from them on all sorts of things related to your business or even your personal life and obtaining that important work-life balance. Just make sure you are getting advice from the right person – someone that actually knows about what you need to know and is not just giving you their opinion on something that they have no or very little experience in.
NEW BUSINESS This is without a doubt the most obvious benefit and the reason most business owners decide to participate in
58 business network March 2019
GROWING YOUR PERSONAL PROFILE Being visible and getting noticed is a massive advantage of networking. By regularly attending business and social events, society will begin to recognise you. This will assist you to build your reputation as a knowledgeable, reliable and supportive person by offering useful information or tips to people who need it. You are also more likely to get more leads and referrals as you will be the one that pops into their head when they need what you offer.
FRIENDSHIP Many friendships form as a result of networking because you are all likeminded business owners that want to grow your businesses. You meet and help each other regularly, so naturally strong friendships tend to form. Although this advantage is not directly applicable to your business, do not overlook the simple benefit of having friends in the business world with no strings attached. You need to know someone has your back, that you have people who are there for you.
The full article can be viewed at
bit.ly/SucceedGroupArticle So while the way we do business and the tools available
to us continues to evolve and provide previously unseen opportunities, the notion of networking and collaboration has remained a constant; a bedrock and foundation of business success. Community, Corporate Social Responsibility and shared
values with clients, customers and stakeholders continue to gain in prominence and businesses spanning from the aforementioned family-run local bakery to global corporations will ultimately be judged on the connections they create and the relationships they forge with all their stakeholders. Walt Disney also once said that “I only hope that we
never lose sight of one thing — that it was all started by a mouse”. For a business – no matter what size - success could all
start with a conversation and there’s arguably never been a better time to have one.
CONNECT WITH THE CHAMBER To understand the many ways the Chamber can help connect you with contacts locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, visit
www.emc-dnl.co.uk/connecting-you
‘The notion of networking and collaboration has remained a constant; a bedrock and foundation of business success’
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
