Why join a business networking group?
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 23:06As we advance rapidly through the first quarter of yet another New Year, it’s been a good opportunity to reflect back on close to 2 years membership of the Manly chapter of the Business Referral Group and the journey that I have commenced since joining the group. As someone who works from home and who spends most of his time on the phone or online, our fortnightly meetings have given me the ability to get out there and mix with other entrepreneurial and like-minded, small business people with similar aims.
Amongst other things, we have had the opportunity to learn from each other, exchange ideas, strategise and troubleshoot (not forgetting a little socialising too!). As a result, I believe that we have become better at what we do and our businesses have grown stronger. Having been a guest at a number of other business networking groups, I also like the fact that we meet at a location where we can hear each other speak and are not constantly interrupted by the sounds of milk frothing or coffee grinders! Let’s not forget though, it’s horses for courses – if you’re looking for some guidance as to what to expect from this group or others that you might be thinking of becoming part of, feel free to reply to this post or contact me via the links on this site.
Giles Solomon – Send Out Cards.
Lisa - Beyond Creative says:
March 11th, 2011 at 12:05 am
I totally agree, I use BRG as a motivator to keep me moving forward in my business. The interaction with like minded people is a great sounding board for ideas and questions regarding my business. A good way to promote yourself is to get out and meet new people and other businesses, when I spend more time doing this my business increases dramatically coupled with the fact I feel like I have been out to see the world and not just looked at a computer screen all day. Our network group is a very important part of my business life and friends for life have been formed along the way.
Garry Robinson says:
March 15th, 2011 at 5:29 am
BRG is so different from other popular networking groups. The focus is on educating and learning how to become a better networker and business person. This in itself leads to more sustainable referral partnerships. I refer business to group members because I truly appreciate the uniqueness of their product or service. This is different from feeling compelled to because they are the represented profession at that chapter.
BRG is like teaching a man how to catch fish rather than constantly giving him fish. The topics of discussion at the meeting are always relevant and every meeting is an opportunity to consult with a board of business advisors, each with their own wealth of experience and knowledge.