One of the results of good networking for your home business is that you will establish and build relationships with all sorts of people. A positive off-shoot of these relationships will be the opportunity to leverage these relationships for further business growth. But, what exactly does it mean to “leverage relationships”?
Let us say that you have a good friend who owns a small printing business. You take your brochures, marketing materials and other printing needs to this person and have built up a solid working relationship over the years. Now, let us imagine that you are at a holiday party, meeting new people and you meet someone who is a real estate agent and new to the business. This person needs to get going on their marketing materials but doesn’t know where to start. If you are a freelance writer, you can offer your own writing and/or design services, letting the agent know that you have just the printer to do the printing. When you talk with the printer about the project, you may even be able to negotiate a better rate or deal for the real estate agent since you are such a great customer, and you may get a “deal” for yourself as well for drumming up and referring new business to the printer.
I know that “leveraging relationships” can sound manipulative or sinister—but you can see how it can really be mutually beneficial to all the parties involved when handled with care and integrity. It is not enough just to network in your home business and meet new people—finding a way to involve those new people and businesses and start to build a true “network” is what makes it so valuable. The most skilled networkers are not those people who just “meet and greet”—but those who mix, mingle, match, and mate!
Also: “Don’t You Know Who I Am?!”
Gossip–Is it Good or Bad for Business?
Understanding That Customers, Clients and Colleagues Do Have a Life