Tag Archives: networking

Touch Base Regularly With Prospects

This may seem like incredibly simple advice–but I am surprised at how often people sight “marketing to prospects” as one of those areas that needs to improve in their small businesses. We know that we need to do outreach and pay attention to marketing if we are going to build healthy home-based businesses, but we drag our feet. Or we get so caught up in the “every day” or going after the big sales, that we forget to nurture along our prospects. It might help if you set up a calendar and make it a priority to make regular, scheduled … Continue reading →

Relationships Are Important In Business–But Don’t Abuse Them

I often write about how important networking and relationships are to building a strong home business. Business really is ALL ABOUT relationships, as far as I am concerned, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into quantity or intensity. Sure, you want to keep broadening your sphere of influence, but there is such as a thing as putting too much pressure on your friends, family and colleagues and abusing those very relationships you need to sustain your business. I have mentioned before that I have an extensive background working in nonprofit management and fund development. One of the things I learned in … Continue reading →

Should You Include Alcohol in Your Business Meetings?

Business etiquette can seem like a daunting world to be understood—there are all sorts of unwritten rules and expectations to be learned when one goes into business. Some of them might be very unique to your field of industry, or to your local or regional area. One such consideration is alcohol—should you or should you not include alcohol in your business meetings and gatherings? In my years of working with various businesses and groups, I have found alcohol to be a very interesting custom. Working with performing arts organizations and businesses, alcohol was always present at just about every activity—from … Continue reading →

Geography Still Matters

I know that the world wide web has changed the way we socialize and do business. It is so much easier to make contact with people all over the world and this reality can lead us to believe that geography is no longer a factor in our business networking, marketing and other relations. But, I believe that geography is still a consideration we need to contend with when it comes to our home businesses. People still talk to people, and we still make face-to-face friends and have face-to-face conversations. We still throw and go to parties and we still strike … Continue reading →

Getting to Know Customers and Clients Outside of Business

Building customer loyalty is really about building relationships. Talk to any successful business person and they will likely tell you that success in business as a whole is all about personal relationships. We can’t really get to know our customers and clients, or build strong bonds, if we do not get to know them outside of the business transaction. There is a reason that lunches, recreational events, parties, and dinners are all mainstays of the business world. People want and need to get to know each other in other contexts—away from the negotiation table. This can be a challenge for … Continue reading →

What Can You Get from a Conference?

As someone who spends part of her work world organizing meetings and conferences, I am constantly hearing from attendees about what they “hope” to take away from a conference experience and what they actually do take away. The truth is, conferences can be a great way to energize your career, stimulate your passions, meet new and interesting people, and gain all sorts of specific training and information. The trick is to find the right conference for what you need. I’m writing today about attending a conference as a participant, not as an exhibitor (that is a whole different can of … Continue reading →

Finding Like-Minded Colleagues

Running your own home business can be an isolating endeavor. You no longer have the camaraderie or the natural support-system that comes from working in a larger company or department and you might also feel like you have lesson in common with former coworkers and colleagues now that you are an entrepreneur. It is still important, however, to find some like-minded colleagues to provide you with encouragement and support as you build you business. I think a support-system is more important than ever as you embark on building a home business! We need people to bounce ideas off of, share … Continue reading →

Recreation…A Great Time to Talk Business…Sometimes

There is a bit of a stereotype about all the business that supposedly gets conducted on golf courses, during racquetball games, and at the health club—some of this is actually true and recreational activities can be a great time to work on business, but sometimes it can be inappropriate. Recreation really can be a great time to make contacts and get some business done—people are relaxed and feeling open and conversational, there seems to be less pressure when you are out of the office having a meal or walking a golf course on a lovely sunny day. It does take … Continue reading →

Work Those Relationships!

I don’t think that enough can be said about networking when it comes to building our home businesses. And, while it is important to constantly be fishing for prospects and looking for new relationships that could benefit our businesses, we have to pay close attention to our existing relationships too. If there was one phrase of advice I could give to anyone thinking about or already operating a home-based business, it would be to work those relationships! But, what does this mean? What it doesn’t mean is to pester and try to slam people into being more involved with your … Continue reading →

Networking With Other Scrapbooking Friends

Networking with others is an important and essential task for most scrapbookers. Networking or sharing time with others who share a hobby or passion with you, can often inspire and drive you to create. A few things that any scrapbooker needs. Along with chocolate, of course. Why is networking important? Sharing your layouts, ideas, creativity and love for the hobby with others, can leave you feeling refreshed, invigorated and essentially inspired to create new layouts. It can allow you to bounce ideas off each other, get reviews for certain products, find new and innovative ways to use everyday items, and … Continue reading →