A reoccurring lesson I have learnt in business is, you need to get people to know YOU! Because it’s all great knowing people but if they don’t think of you when they need a service/product you offer then what’s the point? They don’t know you, you just know them.
Let me define what I mean by “people” these are people who you look up to in business, successful people you want to do business with and those who have access to decision making tables you would have never had a seat at if you didn’t know them.
As cheesy as it sounds, your network is your net-worth and if you can surround yourself with people who make things happen then you can expand your thinking, learn from them and grow your business.
So how does one do this? Here’s a couple of ideas.
1. Go through your Facebook, you must have a friend or two who are doing well or their parents/family members are successful and try have a coffee with them. If you click then that’s great, if not, then oh well, not everyone will like you.
This is just to make the connection and be known, don’t ask for stuff, that’s not what you are there for you need to be known- you are a stranger after all.
2. Find people you would like to meet on LinkedIn and send them an in-mail to meet for coffee. The worst they could say is no.
3. Attend events where people you would hang around attend. Introduce yourself and hopefully, you click with someone.
Remember, people do business with people they like.
Hopefully one day you can be the one opening doors for other start-ups with the network you build.