As a small business owner you learn to multi-task. Accounting, invoicing, filing, promoting in the beginning can be quite overwhelming. Through the years I have come to realize that being a good business owner is knowing when to let go of things, especially the things I am not good at.

I hate accounting, not my fort?. However by planning a small budget I was finally able to let go of that task and actually ended up saving money in the long run. Letting go of this task gave me more time to really concentrate on growing my business. Networking was something I wasn’t fond of either, however no one can sell me like me, so I decided to go do a bit of networking.

Most prospects at neworkers always have the same thing to say, “Wow I don’t really like these networking things, hate coming to all these functions”. However networking doesn’t necessarily always mean going to your local chamber function. Networking can be as simple as having your friends and family members refer your business or refer someone they know that can use your business or services. Take a good look at your client base. Tap into those long and prosperous relationships. Invite them for lunch, make a phone call to find out how they are doing. Don’t be afraid to ask if they can refer anyone to you. I often ask my own clients what other ways they are bringing in business. Your local favorite restaurants are also a great way to get business. I often meet my clients at a local restaurant and not to long ago, the owner approached me and asked what I do. Not only did I get his business, but he also referred me to someone else.

Another point to remember is encourage your networking members to attend the networking functions. A networking function is only as good as its attending members. Help grow your groups. I carry cards with me. Who ever I meet pay be a potential source of business. The more you network, the great your referral source grows.

We all know (and some of us dread) the idea of business networking. It conjures up an image of stuffing ourselves into a suit or pantyhose, going to events, wearing a sticker with our name scrawled on it, approaching and introducing ourselves to strangers, and trying to remember to keep our cold drinks in the hand we don’t shake with.

Aaaah so fun to be a business owner, isn’t it?

When I tell people offline that I do much of my business networking online, they usually look puzzled. As I explain to the uninitiated, networking online is the same as networking offline, in many ways. You want to make contacts, build relationships, generate leads and meet prospects, and spread the word about your business. Relationship building and networking takes time offline, and it is no different online. So, here are some pointers…

Depending on how you wish to network, you can find networks to join in a number of ways. The most effective would be to ask people you know on or off the web if they recommend any good networks. For example, if you’re a web designer in Manhattan, your colleagues might tell you about the World Wide Web Artists Consortium mailing list – an industry related network that has been in existence for many years, based in NYC. If you know another business person who operates online, they might tell you to check out Ryze.

Get on Google and do some searches for keywords like “online networker” or “discussion boards” and include your industry or interests in the search. For example, if you are a freelance writer, you might search Google for “freelance business forum” or “writers mailing list.” It really depends on what you want to accomplish, who you want to network with (colleagues? prospective clients?).

Now just because you find a network doesn’t mean you will necessarily want to join it. Search the discussion forums, look at participation. How much traffic does the site seem to get? Is it well organized? And how many, and how recent, were the posts? Don’t waste your time joining if it doesn’t seem like anyone ever comes there. Once you join one make sure you fill out the personal profile. The profile is your chance to explain your business or service. It’s a good idea to add a photo of yourself. A photo that looks professional, even if you need to get one professionally done its well worth it. Describe your service in detail and add the most important elements such as blog or website address, contact numbers and email. If using instant messaging services is your choice of contact, add your Messenger ID or IRC Chat name.

Networking online, by its very nature, takes some time. If you decide to pursue this avenue for building your business, you will find that it is easy to become overwhelmed with emails to read, or have difficulty finding time to browse the forums. There are some things you can do to make this simpler and easier to do on a regular basis. I myself like to get a cup of joe, sit down first thing before i start my day and peruse my favorite networking sites. I update info, look at new members, send them a quick introduction, welcome them and introduce my business. Virtual volunteering is also a great way to get your business name out there. Contact the admin of the site and see if they could use your services and volunteer yourself a few hours a week in exchange for advertising or sponsorship. You will be surprised at how many businesses are willing to trade services.

Below are some online business networking sites to check into and remember the best thing about online networking is you can do at your convenience, 24 hours a day, from the comfort of your home and best of all no stuffy suit to endure!

Linked in

Ryze

Women Business Owners

Meetup

Konnects

Networks are a great place to promote your business, not only do they help you build relationships with the business community but also establish credible referrals. Effective business networking is the linking together of individuals who, through trust and relationship building, become walking, talking advertisements for one another.

1. Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine and authentic, building trust and relationships, and seeing how you can help others.

2. Ask yourself what your goals are in participating in networking meetings so that you will pick groups that will help you get what you are looking for. Some meetings are based more on learning, making contacts, and/or volunteering rather than on strictly making business connections.

3. Visit as many groups as possible that spark your interest.Notice the tone and attitude of the group. Do the people sound supportive of one another? Does the leadership appear competent? Many groups will allow you to visit two times before joining.

4. Hold volunteer positions in organizations. This is a great way to stay visible and give back to groups that have helped you.

5. Ask open-ended questions in networking conversations.This means questions that ask who, what, where, when, and how as opposed to those that can be answered with a simple yes or no. This form of questioning opens up the discussion and shows listeners that you are interested in them.

6. Become known as a powerful resource for others. When you are known as a strong resource, people remember to turn to you for suggestions, ideas, names of other people, etc. This keeps you visible to them.

7. Have a clear understanding of what you do and why, for whom, and what makes your doing it special or different from others doing the same thing. In order to get referrals, you must first have a clear understanding of what you do that you can easily articulate to others.

8. Be able to articulate what you are looking for and how others may help you. Too often people in conversations ask, “How may I help you?” and no immediate answer comes to mind.

9. Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honor that and your referrals will grow.

10. Call those you meet who may benefit from what you do and vice versa. Express that you enjoyed meeting them, and ask if you could get together and share ideas.