The true value of putting yourself out there and networking as a small business owner!

Is networking part of your visibility strategy?

Visibility is an ongoing conversation in the small business world. The more you put yourself out there, the more people know about your business and become interested in it. Interested enough to buy from you. There are all sorts of techniques to make your business visible such as social media marketing and SEO practices (all of which make me yawn I have to confess!)

However, I do love a bit of good old-fashioned networking. Yes, it can feel more intimidating because you can’t hide behind a pretty Instagram photo but it can be really impactful.  You’re giving potential clients, referral partners and supporters the opportunity to interact with you as a person. It’s a memorable and impactful way to be visible and for me, it's made the biggest difference to my business growth.

I hear a lot that you have to make sales when you go networking or it's pointless, but I believe making direct sales isn’t the only reason to do it. In fact, putting pressure on yourself to get a new lead from every networking meeting can put you off from networking at all - I would never go if that was the case. I tend to get the best results when I take a more holistic approach to networking. Of course, I’m looking to get new business but I’m also going to enjoy all these additional benefits too. 

Confidence

Whilst I hate to use the term "Imposter Syndrome", I hear it a lot and sadly I've noticed it seems a common theme among small business owners. We don’t realise how amazing we are! It doesn’t help if you are alone in your venture and the only indication of whether people resonate with what you are putting out is social media likes. Pushing yourself to talk to other business owners about what you do can have a massive payoff. Seeing people react positively leads to a bumper confidence boost. It’s also a chance to prove to yourself that you can do it - you can present your business to other people in a compelling way. 

Hone Messaging

Networking is a great practice ground. If you’re not sure exactly how to describe what you do in a way that entices your ideal client, come up with some ideas and try them out at networking sessions. You can get feedback and suggestions then and there from their reactions (or just ask them!). For me, I found the more I was having conversations about my business, the quicker I clarified my message too. As people ask you questions to find out more about you, you get a greater understanding of what your audience wants to know about your business so you focus on the key points and stop the waffling, which many of us feel we do!

Collaboration 

I’m all about collaboration over competition. Why can’t we rise together? There are plenty of opportunities for collaboration at networking as you build relationships with other people in your industry, adjacent to what you do or who serve the same target audience. The possibilities are endless when it comes to how you can join forces to help each other grow. It could be something as simple as going live together on social media or as elaborate as running an event together. The people you go networking with are your professional network. Make the most of each other’s connections. 

Reputation as the Go-To

The more networking you do, the more people you get to know and they will remember you.  You want your name to come to mind for them first when it comes to the problem you solve. So if your fellow networking attendees or someone they know needs help in your area of expertise, they are going to ask you first before looking for a professional on Google or social media. Networking is an opportunity to build your reputation. Continued meetings build trust and cement you as the go-to person to turn to when your area of expertise comes up, whether that’s in a couple of weeks, a couple of months or a couple of years. 

Support System and Community Knowledge

Being a small business owner is tough. You have to juggle everything while weathering the ups and downs of running your own business. It’s quite a unique position so it can be hard to talk to friends and family who aren’t business owners about your business. When you go networking, you find people who you can talk to because they get it. Be open to making friends at networking who you can rant to when you need to get it out. What’s great is that you meet people with different skills, expertise, experience and connections. So it’s almost guaranteed that there will be someone in the networking group who can help you with a problem or knows someone who can. Together you can share knowledge, brainstorm ideas and give each other feedback.

On this note, I'm just going to digress and drop in a quick link to my networking group called Small Business Vibes that I run with a fabulous friend of mine.  We created it as we couldn't quite find the right group to tick all our needs, so we made it happen!  We want to build a community of businesswomen who genuinely support each other and drives each others business success.  You are welcome to join us if that sounds like something you're up for.

Anyway, back to my thoughts on networking!

Making the Most of the Value of Networking

I know that a lot of small business owners toy with the idea of networking, seeing its value, but never get around to it. I don’t want that to be you! I don’t want you to miss out on all the opportunities it can bring. So during the month of February, we are exploring networking and making connections in the Find Your Vibe Business Club. The journaling prompts, workshops and community conversations will help you explore how you view and feel about networking, what, if anything, is stopping you from doing it, consider other ways of making connections for your business and how you can make networking and connections work for you.

Expect to uncover those mental blocks, experience lightbulb moments about growing your professional network and feel enthusiastic about taking powerful action and making meaningful connections and change. Join the club in February to deep dive into networking with us. I believe you can smash networking and make connections that will boost you and your business. Let’s get you to that point too.