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.

Tags: grow business, networking, referrals

This entry was posted on Monday, September 15th, 2008 at 12:10 pm and is filed under Marketing Tips, Networks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.