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 business. Instead, I’m talking about cultivation and nurturing and making sure that you stay in contact on some level with everyone and anyone. Let everyone in your world know that you have started your own business (friends, colleagues, former coworkers, family, church members, people in your book club, exercise group and your child’s soccer team–EVERYONE)–this can be done with some subtly and class, you don’t have to be a loud braggart about it. This is one of the main reasons that people get business cards so they can hand them around to everyone they know. But business cards are just the tip of the iceberg–if you are going to be successful in business, you need to actually follow-up and nurture those contacts into relationships, and relationships into clients or customers.
You can use e-mail, the phone, personal contacts, your web site, snail mail–all of these can be great mediums (and rather accessible, traditional ones too) for keeping in contact with people. Consider having lunches, throwing parties, inviting people to community activities–all of these are traditional ways that business people work relationships and keep themselves in contact with an ever-growing sphere of influence. Just think “social” and “contact” and use your creativity and manners. Relationships and connections are the glue of a successful business–and it’s up to you to work the relationships in your life to benefit your business.
See Also: Don’t Overlook the Power of Small Talk
Researching Job Targets–Where to Begin
Networking With Writers–Share Those Leads!