smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

Networking generally fails when you haven’t thought about what you want to achieve. Reasons for networking are varied but include: meeting suppliers, advisers, investors, customers; testing business ideas; getting feedback on issues from entrepreneurial peers, etc.

Different groups and networks will address different issues but once you have established your purpose for attending they won’t be arbitrary or random. If you have a clear product or service and looking for leads networks like BNI or BRE are specifically aimed at members referring each other work. More complex offerings generally work better elsewhere.

Sometimes, the best way to find customers and suppliers is actually through more arbitrary means. People like doing business with people they like. In general the worst thing you can do is to try to sell yourself. If people rate you and like you they will introduce you to people they know. You just have to be open enough to recognise opportunities when they arise.

You may not get it right straight away but it’s a learning process. Once refined, any successful entrepreneur will say the network they’ve developed is a pivotal part of their success. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again.