LIVE LIFE UP HIGH

photo credit: BAIA

Networking is a fantastic way to build your business, not only by expanding awareness and your customer base but also by giving you professional resources to enhance and strengthen your skills and knowledge. 

Not only should you network with other professionals in your field but you should network with your customers, your suppliers and people who can provide administative support.

Networking actually takes many forms including offline networking with local associations and organizations like the Chamber of Commerce.  You can also network online in forums, chat rooms and social networking sites.  Here’s how:

Step One – Understand what your networking goals are.

For many, their social networking strategy evolves around building relationships – and there are many different relationships networking can create and build including:

* Joint venture partnerships
* Vendor relationships
* Mentor relationships 
* Friends and resources
* Customers
Whether you’re creating a social networking strategy to find new customers or you’re seeking partnerships or mentors, or a combination of the above it’s important to have your strategy mapped out before you begin networking.

Step Two – Create Your Networking Plan

Answer the following questions:

* Who is your target audience?
* What relationships are you looking to find and build?
* What do you have to offer them?
* What networking sites or organizations will you participate in?
* How are you going to represent yourself online?
* How often are you going to post/participate? 
* Will you create specific promotions and offers for your networking audience?

Step Three – Choosing your networking mediums – websites and organizations

Whether you’re looking to join a local networking organization or an online website, the most important thing to keep in mind are your goals.  Determine if the organization is going to be able to help you reach your goals before taking steps to join.
For example, if you’re looking to create joint venture partnerships then a professional networking site, forum, or chat room devoted to your industry may be exactly where you need to be.  However if you’re looking to build your customer base and expand awareness then a popular social networking site would fit the bill. 
Often, networking sites are valued by the number of members they have however it’s also important to make sure the audience matches your audience.  For example, if you’re marketing to seniors or baby boomers then MySpace is probably not the right social networking site for you since it caters to younger people.

Step Four:  Participate

Networking is only effective if you participate.  Here are a few rules of interaction when it comes to online and offline networking.

Get involved. Networking is about connecting with others. This means communicating with your audience in a manner which they will respond to. This is accomplished by using their language, addressing issues which they will be interested in or concerned about and providing them with information and resources which they will benefit from.

Update frequently. Online, in order to develop a following and to stay connected to your audience, it’s important to update regularly. Because many people have made a habit of networking online at least once a day (some people maintain access to their social networking site of choice all day long), it’s important to stop in and say hello. If your time permits, update at least once a day. If you don’t have time to commit to updating daily, consider outsourcing your social networking.

Be professional. Networking is about giving and receiving – not selling.  Keep the sales pitches to a minimum.  Networking is more about offering benefit to others than making sales. 

Networking, whether online or off, is a valuable way to grow your business.  Create a strategy and goals and remember you get what you give – become active in the right group and you’ll reap the rewards.

I look forward to hearing your comments.

photo credit: milena mihaylova

How we think affects every aspect of our lives. This is no truer than it is in our businesses.  As entrepreneurs our habitual modes of thought shape what we accomplish in our business. If we learn how to think right we can accomplish great things.

In this post and the subsequent post, I will share with you 7 modes of thought that will lead you to entrepreneurial success. Here are the first 3:

Think Big – I am sure you have heard this before but it bears repeating. It is important to think big in terms of your entrepreneurial vision and the number of people you can serve. For example, you may be thinking about creating one location for your business. How about thinking about 10 locations or 100 locations? Remember you don’t have to do it by yourself nor do you have to do it all at once. People often overestimate what they can do in one year but grossly underestimate what they can do in 10 years. Thinking big serves you well because it will propel you past pettiness and small obstacles. I encourage you to look at your current business reach and multiply it by at least 100.

Think Small -This is not a contradiction to our other mode of thought. Thinking small is thinking about distinctions. What makes your business different from your competitors. What distinctions can you make in your business that would be hard to copy? Remember several small distinctions can make a huge difference.  Look at your business and your competition, what are 5 small distinctions that you can make to better serve your client base.

Think without Fear – Ask yourself this question- what would I do as an entrepreneur if I knew it was impossible for me to fail? This powerful question helps you think in terms of possibilities. Many entrepreneurs limit themselves with fear-based thinking. They focus on what they can’t do instead of what they can do. In your current business or in the one you are planning to start, answering the question presented above will take your business to a new dimension.

Please stay tuned for Part 2 of this series.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.

photo credit: faster panda kill kill

It seems like every working person’s dream is to leave the office and set up shop at home.  Before you get too used to the idea, however, think it through and know what to expect so the experience is as great as you imagine.

1.  What kind of work will you do at home?  It is never a good idea to leave a job without a plan.  Setting up a freelance business means a time lag between contracting with a client and getting that first paycheck.  Line up work ahead of time so your business is already on line before you leave your day job.

2.  Can your finances survive the move to a home office?   If you are quitting a day job in favor of starting your own business, sit down with the family and gauge your financial situation.  Consider establishing an emergency fund to cover any unexpected expenses or normal household bills until the home business starts bringing in money. 

3.  Where in your home will you work? Set office space apart from the rest of the house.  You might have visions of sitting in your pajamas at the kitchen table while working on the computer, but that gets old really fast.  Your productivity will likely give way to cleaning the kitchen, fixing breakfast, and watching television.  A room dedicated to your home business is the best way to maintain your focus on work even though you are at home.

4.  What equipment is needed to run a home office?  Before you pull up stakes, be sure to purchase all the items you’ll use in the home office.  The basic essentials include a separate telephone line, a printer, a fax, a computer devoted to business, and of course a desk and chair.  Hit the ground running with your home business.

5.  How will you manage the children?  Moms who start their own home business get to spend more time with their kids.  But, as good as that sounds, the kids can also distract you from doing the work you need to get done.  Decide how you will handle work time and family time before you come home.

6.  Who will handle the housework? The battle between housework and office work is never ending.  Just because you are at home doesn’t mean you have time to do all of the chores.  Your primary concern is getting the home business off the ground.  Between you and your family, discuss what is expected of each person.  You might be home but it is in a working capacity.  Everyone can pitch in with the work.

 7. What hours will you work? Clearly delineating what hours you will work will save you a lot of hassle. If other people live with you it will be important to manage their expectations. If they are not used to having you home they may interrupt you often. It is important for you to let everyone know when you are working and when you are available. Be sure to set-up and post specific hours as work hours. This is important even if you live alone because if will help keep you honest.  It will help you in two ways. You will know when to start working and equally important when to stop working.

8. Who will you be accountable to? Just because you are working from home doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. Actually, it is very important to establish an accountability relationship. Find someone else who is in a non-competing business and exchange your weekly goal lists. Connect with you accountability partner once a week to review what goals you have met and what goals you’ve missed. Just knowing someone is checking in on you will help you meet your more of your goals.

9. Who are you networking with? Working from home can be lonely.  It is important to get out and network. Meet with you clients face-to-face sometimes if possible. Find and join networking groups. Get out and walk around your neighborhood. Not only will this refresh you but you may get some great ideas for your business.

Working from home has its benefits but they come from being prepared.  Before deciding to leave the work force and come home, know what to expect.