WHERE THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD!
Join, Join, Join
Your first order of business is to join local business groups that meet on a regular basis. In Rochester, NY we have the Small Business Council, High Technology of Rochester, the Chamber of Commerce, and more. Each industry often has an official networking group. You can find yours by checking your yellow pages or doing a Google search: i.e."marketing groups your city and state"
I also belong to Business Networking International. BNI, which has chapters all over the world can be found online at www.bni.com.
Mingle, Mingle, Mingle
It isn't enough to merely join a networking or business group. You have to attend the meetings and you have to MINGLE. This is what many people tell me is their hardest task. Social gatherings and business seminars attract many people you might want to count as colleagues, but they also attract people you might want to count as clients.
Mingling isn't hard. Prepare an elevator statement (a 30 second introduction to your business), and make sure you're up on the latest in news and current events. Then, find a small group of individuals that don't look too frightening, smile, and offer a comment to the conversation. There, you're on your way.
Who said: Drive your business lest your business drive you?
Computer Jokes
A computer is perfectly reliable until the moment you switch it on.
A programmer is someone who solves a problem you didn't know you had, in a way you don't understand.
A customer comes into a computer store and approaches one of the salespeople.
"I'm looking for a mystery adventure game with lots of graphics. You know, something really challenging," he says.
"Well," replies the salesperson, "have you tried Windows 98?"
How many IBM PC owners does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
Only one, but he'll have to go out and buy the lightbulb adapter card first, which is extra.
to build your online business
"Sometimes I wish I was what I was when I wished I was what I am."
Anthropologists discovered the value of communication when they uncovered changes in how man developed tools, over 50,000 years ago. The advent of newer, better, more precise tools, came shortly after man began using language to communicate. Sharing information led to technological improvement and an improvement in living conditions.
It's so true that everything old is new again. Yes, the computer changed the way we conduct business. And the Internet has allowed us to speed good to traffic, to communicate in real-time, while giving some advantages to small businesses that they didn't have before. But, it's still all about communication. And communication is about reaching out to the community.
Each of us, each individual, exists in several communities. Within our home we are a community of two or three or more. Within our neighborhood we are a community of ten, twenty, or a hundred. Within our town or city, the community enlarges to vast proportions.
Regardless, our success in life and business, depends on our level of communication within the community we belong to. Home, neighborhood, city or nation---it behooves you to get involved. Foster communication by building your network of contacts. Be proactive.
Care about your community. Your fellow man is counting on you.
1. Attend a seminar on a subject you would like to learn more about and strike up a conversation with the person on either side of you. Remember to exchange business cards. Make it a point to write or call the person the next day.
2. Be prepared to discuss current events, including the latest books and movies. Idle conversation can easily lead into a business introduction.
3. Practice your listening skills. Let the other person talk about their business. Take their business card and follow-up within 48 hours to arrange a time to talk about your business.