5 reasons why your business should be networking

  • ABG are looking for new members

Too often, networking is undervalued by businesses…standing in a room full of strangers, making forced small talk, thinking of all the productive tasks you could be doing instead.

If you don’t come away with at least one sale in the bag, it’s just a waste of time, isn’t it?

Definitely not! And that’s certainly not what ABG is about. Yes, we want to buy from each other and provide services to each other but we also focus on supporting each other too.
Businesses go through ups and downs, have queries, questions and worries and every Tuesday morning, we have the opportunity to share them with other members to see if they can help!

There are so many benefits to networking that can have a really positive impact on your business – and if you happen to gain some new business too – great!

  1. It’s not about selling
    Well, ok, obviously the ultimate goal is to grow your business and find new clients. But if you approach networking with the aim of making connections rather than sales, you’ll feel much less pressured and come across more relaxed and personable.
    Remember: No-one likes a push sales pitcher dishing out business cards like confetti!
  2. You’ll meet other people like you

Business can be a lonely place, especially in the early days or if you’re a sole trader with remote, freelance or no staff.
You might think that having your nose to the grindstone from 9-5 (and beyond!) is the best way to grow your business, but we’re all human beings and we need interaction.
Too few breaks lead to burnout. A networking event can be a great opportunity to meet people just like you and share experiences, talk business or just have fun socialising – (yes, you are allowed to enjoy yourself!)
Also, chatting to others and finding out that like you, they have occasional doubts and dips in confidence can be very reassuring. 

  1. It gets you out of your business bubble

We can all get a bit stuck in our ways at times. Meeting other business owners – even if they’re in a completely different industry to you – can be a great way of getting new ideas that help you refresh how you run your company.

  1. Form mutually beneficial partnerships
    You might meet someone who provides a service that complements yours – let’s say you’re an event organiser and you meet a caterer. If you get along well, you could agree to team up and work together. This opens up a whole new stream of potential clients and in return, you would do the same for them.
  2. Make friends and the referrals will come
    People do business with people they like. Try to be helpful to the people you chat to – think about what contacts you have that could be useful to them. In return, if you’re friendly and approachable, they are more likely to refer you to their contacts and recommend some of their trusted suppliers to you.
    And…don’t dismiss someone just because they’re not directly connected to your industry. We all need many different services and trades in business.
    For example, if you’re an IT consultant, don’t assume a plumbing and drainage business owner isn’t a worthwhile contact. Firstly, you never know when you might spring a leak but also, who’s to say they won’t be fixing a leak at the site of another business one day that is in need of IT support?!

We’re a friendly group at ABG. If you’ve not yet attended one of our meetings, do come along and find out what we’re about – and come and say hello, I’m always happy to meet new members!

We meet every Tuesday, from 7:30am at The Cave, Boughton, near Faversham.
Book your visit today – have a breakfast on us and enjoy meeting some fantastic East Kent businesses.


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