I am intending to start networking in February. I have lined up 2 or 3 to begin with, but as i have never done the network thing before, does anyone have any tips for me?

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VA-Karen
www.elite-va.com

First and foremost, be yourself. I would also recommend that you hone your elevator speech and practice, practice, practice. Go into each event with an open mind. If you feel it is not the right fit for you then walk away and find another.

They get easier as you go along so don't worry if you stumble just a little. Most attendees remember their first time and hopefully will welcome you accordingly.

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant

The November issue of the Virtual Entrepreneur magazine had an article with tips about attending networking meetings (page 12). The link to the magazine is here. This should help!

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

I'm taking time off and will market in my new city come spring. However, I have signage on my van and, along with groceries and running errands, I take my dogs to the dog park twice a day. I don't even mention my business as I'm in shutdown right now, but I'm getting well known there, make a fuss of the dogs and chat to their "parents". As dog lovers will attest, if you're "dog people" you're a really decent human.

It will stand me in good stead down the road. If it doesn't, it doesn't matter ... running my dogs in the peace and quiet of dawn feeds my soul. as it has done for so many years, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Lynne

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The Wordpro Wizard
www.wordprowizard.com

Be prepared to spend time learning about people. They will be more interested in you if you show interest in them. Networking, after all, is about building relationships so don't expect to get business straight away. It can take months and many meetings before people feel they trust you enough to refer business to you and/or until they discover they have need of your services.

ALWAYS carry business cards with you and they should look professional, not home made. Some networking I did in my early days didn't pay off till 6 months later but once it did, it was worth it. Today connections I've made over the years still come forth with new business and new working relationships even though I might not have seen that person for a few years.

P.S. People in dog parks are from all walks of life. Over the years in my previous city I've found myself walking with millionaires, retirees, lawyers, bankers, radio & TV personalities, stay at home moms, mailmen and cleaning ladies to name a few. Never promoted my business there as it was just a small sideline back then.

Bottom line, wherever you go, whatever you do, there are people to meet, contacts to meet ... even if it is at the end of a leash, in the grocery store lineup, a kids soccer game, anywhere really! The opportunities are endless.

WPW thinks she had too much coffee today

Lynne

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The Wordpro Wizard
www.wordprowizard.com

Thank you all. Looks like some very inspirational stuff there. My Business cards are due in the next few days so I am raring to go. Just heading off to practice in front of the bathroom mirror. Have a great day.

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VA-Karen
www.elite-va.com