This week is all about building meaningful connections to help you start and grow your creative business.…
Building your networks and making connections is one of the most important aspects of building a successful business. Building networks is about creating trusting relationships and friendships with other business people. Word of mouth marketing is still hugely important for most small businesses. Networking also allows you to meet and interact with other small business owners, helps you keep up-to-date with trends and new developments in your sector, find out about opportunities and learn from your peers. It’s important to make as many connections as possible not just with likely customers or collaborators, but also with other people and businesses who can refer business to you, or recommend you positively to people they know. It can also be useful to make contacts with people who provide products or services you may need for your business.
HOW TO BUILD YOUR NETWORK
Begin by considering what your goals are - who do you want to connect with and why? E.g.
Like-minded creatives - to share resource, inspiration and support
People from a specific industry - who have specialist skills, knowledge and connections
People of a similar life stage - for peer support, or to make friends
People with specific interests - who could be potential customers.
People from a specific geographic area
Start small and begin with your current network - everyone has a network of some description, family, friends, previous co-workers, employers etc. Talk about your business with all of your current network, this will help you become more confident talking about your business in a safe environment. It also means your network can keep you in mind for future purchases and they can also spread the word about your business to their network. Or if you have a specific person you want to meet e.g. an accountant or solicitor use your social media or people you know and trust if they can connect you to whoever you are looking to meet.
Get involved with local organisations - research local organisations and create a list of all those that you think are interesting or could be useful. Follow them on social media, join their newsletters and attend some of their events. If you find somewhere that seems like a good fit, see how you can get involved e.g. volunteering, joining boards or committees.
Ask for introductions - through your existing contacts, ask them who in the community would be good for you to know and ask if they would mind making an introduction. Make sure you follow up and thank both your contact and the person you have been introduced to for their time.
Think big - consider if there are any national or international organisations that might benefit you to join.
Pay it forward - remember where you started and as your business grows pay it forward to others who are starting out and growing their networks.
TIPS FOR MAKING MEANINGFUL BUSINESS CONNECTIONS
Make sure you can articulate what you do - practice your elevator pitch, and make sure you are comfortable and confident talking about your business.
Practice your small talk - small talk serves an important purpose - it helps build the foundation for authentic conversations and deeper relationships down the road. Begin by asking people questions about themselves, open with compliments and remember most people feel uncomfortable in networking situations and will be glad to have someone to talk to.
Improve your listening skills - approach conversations with genuine interest, listen carefully to people and provide thoughtful responses.
Ask open-ended questions - for longer and richer conversations
Be positive - avoid speaking negatively about competitors, former companies or anything really it will just make you look unprofessional.
Help other people - successful networking is about give and take. Try to look for ways to help other people, rather than always asking for favours.
Be kind to yourself and remember confidence is a skill you can learn - to accomplish anything worthwhile you have to put effort in and be willing to fail and make mistakes. If you feel you haven’t done something well, take a few minutes to reflect and think about what you have learnt or could do differently next time then let it go and move on and try again.
Use this exercise to help you build meaningful connections for your business, with self-compassion and confidence.
week 21 book
This week’s book Brave New Girl - Seven Steps to Confidence by Chloe Brotheridge will give you practical tools and tips to help you harness your inner stength and confidence.
week 21 podcast
This week’s podcast The Calmer You by Chloe Brotheridge will help you manage your anxiety and become more calm and confident.