5 Networking Tips to Grow Your Small Business

These days, no matter which business you are into, everyone needs a network to get the word out to the right audience and to attract business. Networking is one of the most valuable tools in a small business arsenal even though it is also one of the least understood. Networking for business relies on proven strategies for effectiveness. These practical strategies if well applied help small business owners build stronger professional relationships, attract the right customers, and turn new connections into opportunities.

These here are five tested strategies available to small business owners who want to turn meeting people and conversations into lasting relationships and business growth.

1. Understand How Networking Works

To profit from a network, you must fully understand how networking works. Sometimes, networking, promotion, and sales are often treated as interchangeable. But, they’re different. All three constitute three distinct stages of marketing, each with a different purpose. Understanding this difference is what really separates good business owners who close deals from those who do not.

As experts like to explain, the purpose of networking is 'to create acceptance’. The purpose of promotion is to create an ardent desire for one's products/services. And, the purpose of sales is to collect the money in exchange for a product/service. What this really means is that you do not try to sell before you have earned someone's trust. A prospect that is not yet comfortable with you may not be ready to take what you are offering, let alone pay for it. If you get this sequence right, the sale stops being an uphill push. It becomes the natural next step.

2. Handle Networking Follow-ups as Hugely Important

In networking, meeting someone is only the opening move. The real opportunity is always after the introductions. This is when most relationships either fade or start to gain traction. An overwhelming majority of sales always take place after repeated follow-ups. Just like networking itself, effective follow-up is something you can improve with persistence, organization, and an intentional approach to staying in touch without overwhelming your contacts.

3. Prioritize Precision Targeting Instead of Volume

Technically, a larger network does not always translate into better results. The strategic allocation of your time carries far greater weight than the size of your network. It is not the number of people you talk to that really matters. What matters is the right people you talk to that are likely to have interest in what you are selling. So, rather than attending every networking event you can find, you can identify your ideal customer first. Then seek out the organizations, events, and online communities where those people already gather. It is not about casting the widest net possible, but casting the net exactly where the fish are. 

4. Apply the Same Principles in Every Network

Even with the advent of many hugely popular social media platforms, there really is no new playbook about networking. No matter the platform, the basic natural laws for people's interactions are the same and do not change. The media platforms remain means to achieve an end while people still interact by face-to-face meeting, phone communication, internet use or virtual meeting. So, irrespective of whether you are at a 500-persons event/seminar, sitting in a hotel lobby or repeatedly posting a message on your social media handles, the cardinal rules of human interaction apply equally. The media and tools may evolve, but the fundamentals of human connection remain the same.

5. Always Apply the Two Cardinal Rules of Networking

Experts have technically reduced effective networking down to two guiding principles:
1.    Genuine interest in others and
2.    Always putting your own agenda last.
Small Business owners who set their personal agenda aside and pay attention to the person in front of them easily outperform those frantically chasing the next pitch. If you form the habit of asking thoughtful questions, listening actively, and genuine at all times, you can become an effective networker.  Granted this is much easier said than done, but practice makes progress even if not perfection.

8 Practical Tips for Online Business Owners to Grow their Business

Becoming your own boss always comes with plenty of freedom to make decisions as you please. It also means you're responsible for everything from winning customers to paying invoices. That’s awesome responsibility in the life of a business. This in addition to many competing priorities, it can be very tough running a business. There’s hardly enough time to relax and make proper assessment of your business and how it is doing. Of course without regular performance assessment, it is difficult to plan on how to really grow the business.

Following are 8 things to check, change or challenge in your business operations if you want to enhance its growth.

1. Invest in your skills and knowledge: Because the internet evolves daily, every online business owner no matter how successful must be prepared to learn daily. Staying informed helps every business owner to identify opportunities and adapt to change. Learning practical skills like digital marketing, customer service, financial management, emerging technologies, business planning and strategy can be really helpful to grow your business.

2. Build a strong online presence: Building a strong online presence can significantly help your business to grow. Having your own website and joining popular social media platforms can be really helpful. You must however make efforts to really focus on ensuring your business information is accurate and up to date by maintaining an active website and social media presence and encouraging customers to leave reviews. Make sure your info and data are accurate and consistent throughout the platforms.

3. Strengthen your cash flow management: Cash flow remains one of the most common challenges for small businesses. Creating good habits now can significantly reduce stress later. Be sure to maintain clean business records that can be easily accessed to plan and make important business decisions. If you have a clear visibility over your financial position at all times, it makes it easier for you to make informed decisions and prepare for unexpected events.

4. Build your network and support system: Working independently can sometimes feel isolating. But, building connections with other business owners can provide valuable support, ideas and opportunities. In this wise, you can consider joining local business groups, participating in industry associations, collaborating with local businesses, attending workshops and networking sessions, connecting with other entrepreneurs online. Strong networks can lead to referrals, partnerships and practical advice when challenges arise.

5. Stay on top of your tax and business details: Tax obligations can change as your business changes. This is why it is important to understand what applies to you and how to keep your records up to date. Many business owners only think about tax when a deadline is approaching. If you form the habit of taking a few minutes throughout the year to review your details, it can help you avoid surprises and make tax time much easier. Good record keeping can help you understand how your business is performing, reduce administration headaches and ensure you're meeting your tax obligations as and when due.

6. Focus on your most profitable work: A busy business doesn’t always mean a profitable business. A product/service might bring in sales but still deliver a poor return once you factor in costs and time. If you keep an eye on your current expenses, the amount of time spent on each job, changes in supplier costs, and comparable pricing within your industry, it becomes easier for you to work on profitability. Pay special attention to how much profit each product/service generates and whether your prices reflect what it costs to deliver them.

7. Deploy technology to work for you: This is presently the in thing in online business. With AI, you can spare yourself valuable time by automating some of your business processes. The right digital tools can take the repetitive tasks off your plate, giving you more time to focus on what really matters. You may therefore consider using these tools to send invoices and payment reminders, manage appointments and bookings, track expenses and receipts, create marketing content, and organize customer information. The time saved on admin can be more productively redirected towards serving more customers, developing new products or growing your business.

8. Protect your business from cyber criminals: Don’t kid yourself, cyber criminals are on the prowl in the internet 24/7.  Cybersecurity is hugely important for the growth and profitability of your online business. Regardless of the size of your business, a cyber incident can disrupt operations, impact customers and create financial costs. Therefore, you must always consider some simple cybersecurity steps you can put in place to protect your business. It is good to take such steps as using strong and unique passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication where available, keeping software updated, backing up important information regularly, and educating yourself about common scams. Always treat cybersecurity as an essential part of running your business, not an optional extra. Keeping your business secure will not only protect the business, it will preserve it for growth and profitability.