One of the most important things for any entrepreneur is the network that they can tap into. Being able to find business minds, mentors, partners, suppliers, and the like can help you get get a business running, and the quicker you can access them, the better. This is part of why networking is so important but what if there’s no network around you? You’re not likely to be the only business mind in your area wishing that there was one. As such, here are a few ways you can start paving that path.
Show some thought leadership
If you want people to be interested in networking with your business, and other businesses in general, then you need to make sure that you’re able to give them a good reason to stick around. Business leadership, in the form of inspiration, advice, and the stimulation of conversations that matter to entrepreneurs and business leaders, is going to attract those people seeking business excellence like moths to a flame. However, it’s not something that can be faked. Work hard on developing thoughts and addressing questions in your market, creating content such as speaking opportunities out of them, and if the product is good enough (and marketed well enough) then you are going to start attracting people to it.
Get them talking in the same space
You don’t need your potential network members to all be in the same physical location. The online world is filling many gaps at the moment, and it can fill the networking gap, as well. Wider social media can be great for finding some people near you or in your industry who offer engagement and insight, but you should also consider one of the apps to build an online community. If you can form your own community, even online, it can create a sense of a purpose-driven space that better fosters relevant conversation. Manage to do this successfully and it will inevitably lead to in-person networking events, which is where the gears tend to really start spinning.
Start your own business event
One of the biggest networking opportunities for a lot of business owners and those who work in their industry is that of the trade show or the conference. Now, organizing one of these can be pretty difficult for any small business. However, you can start the basis of one by, instead, launching your own business event. Whether this is celebrating a launch, creating an awards night, or otherwise, business events will start to attract others who are interested in making connections with businesses in the same or in related industries. If things go well and you manage to make a semi-frequent thing (such as an annual event) you might be able to start talking with others there about setting up a genuine trade show or conference for the area.
It’s not easy to be the first person to start a movement, but if you build it, they will come. This is always true of entrepreneurs, at the very least and the tips above can help with that.
