3 Small Small business Networking Myths ? ArticleConstruct.com

Many of the most successful business owners in any given area all seem to have a few things in common. These business owners have almost always built at least a moderate network of contacts and support infrastructure with other business owners. These infra structures provide information, supplies, products, referrals, etc. Like an ancient master of some hidden art from a forgotten land these business owners flow from task to task like a martial artist or a legendary swordsman from form to form.

While it may have taken them years to build up their networks, it?s not an impossible feat. The reason why so many people fail at this task is because they overlook the basics with their eyes on the end results. In order to commit yourself to small business networking you have to take your eyes off that end goal, focus on where you?re at now and let go of some of the common myths about small business networking.

1. If I?m not Outgoing I Can?t do Small Business Networking

It really doesn?t take a lot of social expertise or aggressive pursuit of contacts to build a good network. Those of us who are less socially inclined, as individuals can still accomplish the task. It also isn?t a podium hopping job with massive public speaking requirements. As time goes on you will eventually become more comfortable with speaking with vendors and suppliers. As you go, you will undoubtedly begin to transition from a personal approach to a more businesslike approach to dealing with your contacts. (the ones that aren?t personal friends, anyway) The longer you are doing business, the easier it will become to act businesslike.

2. Individual Business Referrals Are Old Fashioned

It is true that word of mouth referrals have been around since the dawn of trade and transaction. This doesn?t necessarily make it ?old fashioned?, classic is a better term. Word of mouth is still the defacto standard for referrals.

Business is obviously done on a larger scale now, and encompasses broader customer bases and much larger demographic areas. Personal connections might seem a little old fashioned but they still have the ability to fuel your business.

Imagine if a personal connection and referral turned out to be a major vendor you?d been after ? a vendor worth thousands of dollars in business each month. It seems old fashioned until it?s in your face and clearly viable. For all intents and purposes, referrals are a tried and true practice with a long term pay off. As Wayne Gretzky?s father once said ?Skate where the puck is going, not to where it?s been.?

3. You Can?t Measure the ROI of Small Business Networking

It?s true that you can?t really measure the value of every contact or lead because you never know how far down the rabbit hole goes. In the same vein though, rabbit holes have lots of forks and you could find yourself in a deluge of great contacts just from one chance referral that hooked you up with the right business owner. Networking isn?t taught in colleges because it isn?t something that can be quantified fully but every successful business owner has or does leverage what they have with networking to keep a steady flow of business leads going to keep their business running as smoothly as possible.

Referral Vault is the number one source for Small Business Networking groups. If you want to build better working relationships with other businesses and improve Virginia Business Networking today.

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Source: http://articleconstruct.com/3-small-small-business-networking-myths-2/

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