Networking definition by dictionary.com:
“A supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest”
Why network? What’s the point? Do you and I really need it in order to move forward? Well in my opinion the short answer is YES! Definitely! Your business will be a tiny shell of what it could potentially have been if you do not actively participate in networking!
I strongly believe that the fastest way for you to get where you want to go is to find someone who is already there and knows the way. If I wanted to travel anywhere in the world the first thing I would do is find someone who has been where I want to go and ask them (even if it’s an online travel agent). Someone who can help you based on their experience is always going to be a benefit to your business and life, that reason alone is big enough to warrant networking as often as possible.
Encouragement is also a great reason for networking. It’s very easy to feel alone in whatever your doing and knowing that someone is going through the same struggle, whether it be making a business work, relationships or anything is always a comfort and gives us the strength not to give up and push on harder, faster and stronger.
The third biggest reason to network is to increase your available contacts in any area. You may have 10,20,50 or 100 different areas of your business. Some you do yourself and some you outsource. However all need to be done and as quickly as possible with great effectiveness and efficiency. Knowing multiple people that you can call on for each area increases your options and allows you to interface with other people who may be able to share their knowledge with you.
My final reason why networking is essential no matter what type of business your in is that it opens new doors to new ideas and opportunities. Especially in the entrepreneurial world its very rare for a successful entrepreneur not to be slightly involved in more than one business or more than one side of a particular business. That means that their business may be flourishing but they are still diversifying and creating new opportunities. It may be in your interest to connect with these people and find out what opportunities may be available for you in the future. An internet marketer may also be a property developer. By networking with them it enables you to find out more and an opportunity may arise that wasn’t there before.
I network as much as I can, as often as I can. These four points above are my main reasons why I believe that a successful person, or more importantly a person seeking greater success than they already have, should be making networking with like minded people a top priority.
Thanks for reading.
There is no doubt that any successful person I have ever learned about found a mentor who taught them the ways of the business in which they specialize. I think you are a lucky person if you come across an experienced person early on in your career. That makes you an apprentice by all accounts and the sooner you find a mentor, the quicker you will be on the path to a successful career journey.
Networking has to be one of the most challenging aspects of business for those who are introverts- and there are many self contained business persons. I know in my case, I have struggled to find a balance between networking in order to make a living and maintaining my privacy and anonymity. I am introverted in that sense, but not in an extreme way. Conversely, it must be such a natural thing for out going persons.
Net working is very important if you are marketing for a business. The more your network reaches out the more business you are going to have. Your article was very good and I hope that everyone that reads it gets as much out of it as I did. The more fingers you can put out there the more business you get the more money you make it is all rather simple.
I agree that networking is a good tool to use to get your hands in as many businesses as you can. This is something that I try to do as much as possible like you do. I am thinking of networking with this other site right now just to add some more business to mine but I haven’t made a decision yet your article I think is going to help me make that decision.