Networking Definition: the developing of contacts or exchanging of information with others in an informal network, as to further a career.

I think all business owners large and small know that networking is vital to the advancement of their career or growth of theircompany, but how many people actually do it and do it well?

Networking comes easy to some and not so easy to others. There are a number of things you can do to enhance the experience for all involved.

Maintain dialogue with many different people even if they can’t help you at the current point in time. Nothing looks worse than running to someone only when you need something.

Know what you can do and how it can benefit...

rcleland

As I mentioned in my earlier post I am using this time to get myself and clients organized for the busy year ahead. One of the key items helping me with planning is an editorial calendar.

Have you set one up for yourself yet? Do you blog or regularly contribute to a newsletter? If so, you should take a few hours now and implement an editorial calendar.

For those of you not familiar with what this is, it is a plan you create that outlines what topic you will be discussing and when. Seems simple enough…and it is, it just takes a bit of preplanning.

I love, love, love excel and created a spreadsheet for myself to track everything. Here is my version of an Editorial Calendar that you can easily adapt...

rcleland

The end of the year is a great time to reflect on past events and to get yourself organized for the year ahead. I always feel I have accomplished the most when things are organized.

The holidays are stressful for many people with shopping, cleaning and parties, but when you own your own business there are other stressors that are added to the list. Here are a few of examples of things that get lost in the shuffle and how I like to take the down time between Christmas and New Years to deal with them:

Business Check Up
Take some time to look at any advertising or marketing you did. Did you spend more time and money then it brought in? What new strategies would you like to try for the coming year?...

rcleland