I’m gonna get myself connected
As a young entrepreneur with a new business, I thought I’d best do what other small business owning entrepreneurial types do - Network. For those unfamiliar with networking, it is an opportunity to meet up with likeminded individuals who run successful businesses and swap business cards. Success can be gauged by the quantity and more importantly, the quality of referrals gleaned from attendees. Or so I was led to believe…
You see, my first experience of networking was with a group called The Profit Club which fell perfectly into the generic description given above… many people wore suits (with the omission of a tie indicating that the wearer was in ‘smart-casual’ mode), the speaker used powerpoint animations to their full potential and phrases such as ‘Blue Sky Thinking’ and ‘Crystal Clear Clarity’ were put to regular use. If I heard the name ‘Colin Client’ less than twenty times, i’ll be a monkey’s cousin. I turned up a tad late so missed the food (which I am told is fabulous) and although I met some very nice people I will not be attending again - it’s just way too marketing focused for me; everyone seemed to be in marketing, even the guy who made signs for a living!
So… from that you may think I have given up on networking? Not true! Karen Oehme put me in touch with an independant networking group called Synergy. They meet every Friday at the Riverside Farm pub in Nottingham at 7am and have a full English breakfast and a cup of tea before any banter begins. I felt at home immediately; no marketing jargon, no sales reps, nice sausages. I hope I will be able to frequent the Synergy meeting for some time to come and the people there will become less ‘an opportunity for referral’ and more ‘friends and colleagues’.
My point here is that networking is a good thing but try a few different groups before you join and you may find long term work relationships that flourish.
