Well, if you don’t know by now, I am a firm believer in networking…offline and online alike.

Before, starting my online business, I co-owned a floor cleaning/restoration business with my husband, Morr Services, Inc.. Even with an offline business, I recognized how essential being online and networking would add to the publicity for the cleaning company. It created:

• More buzz about our company
• Questions from potential customers that would could add to our monthly newsletter **another tip…low cost create a monthly newsletter and have a “Question/Answer” section and ask people in your networking session to email their questions and state that if you pick their question, you will add a brief bio and their url in the section–create content for you, free publicity for them***

So, here is a brief article that I wrote last year about networking groups.

Local business networking groups
I would like to discuss with you about getting involved with local business networking groups in your area.
Here are the pros for joining:
1) Increase exposure for your business
2) Get to know other business owners - ***you never know when they may need you or you may need them
3) Get recognized and known for your expertise - the more you are known, the better you have the likelihood of being selected
4) Grow your business through collaboration - become friends with your competition, it is best to get some profit, then none.

Places you can contact for your local networking:

• Chamber of Commerce - try to see if there is something that you might be able to offer them or barter with them to decrease the fee *sometimes this may work
• City or County Offices - the fees for membership to these associations are *usually* cheaper and it provides closer demographic clients/partnerships/vendors/mentors
• Free Networking International - their website—I know you are thinking why am I giving you a website but this is a website that will lead you to local networking in your area and there are not any membership fees.

SPECIAL TIP**If there isn’t a local networking group you like… then form a networking group yourself. For instance, I noticed that there wasn’t a networking group for the industry that I am in currently (floor cleaning/restoration) so I am planning on creating a group. I would recommend contacting others in the industry to see if the interest in there for establishing a group, and if there is…go for it. Collaborate with others about time, dates and location for the meetings. Set up weekly or monthly meetings as is best suits the group.

Online Networking Groups

One of the great things that I have found about since working with my husband in our business is ….online business networking. The reasons for going online are similar to the reasons for local networking; however, there is one more advantage…national or global exposure.

Places you can join easily and inexpensively**I think these are mostly free:

• Yahoo or Google Groups - **special additive here - if there isn’t ones you like for your industry or if there isn’t one that “speaks” to your expertise, then you can start one yourself.
• Ryze - There is some wonderful networks on Ryze that will help spread the word about your business and share your expertise to others. See my previous posts about networking. Or you can sign up for the HER Mastermind Network
• Craig’s List -this is FREE to create a listing and you can offer your skills to gain possible clients and there is networking groups as well.
• Squidoo - *I have one (not so thorough) lens on Squidoo for my husband’s floor cleaning business,Morr Services, Inc. however, I have heard from others that it is a great way to expan your network
• Industry specified forums

Filed under: Writing & Speaking Business Lessons