I WOULD struggle to work in an office after tasting the self-employed life, but one thing that you can miss out on is the exchange of ideas and new possibilities.
Although online community websites can help, there is still something about chatting over a pint and a few nibbles, so that is one of the reasons why I went along to a networking event in Altrincham last night hosted by the Venture Business Club.
It was a good opportunity to meet people from a wide variety of backgrounds and a chance to pick up pointers and ideas, as well as pass on new avenues of possibility to a few people.
I have written in the past about using the internet to help get a little extra from networking events (see Web can take strain out of networking), and like many emphasised last night if you give you often receive.
One of the ways to do this is to highlight some of the people you meet, practically everyone has a website address on their business cards, so here is a collection of links from the cards I collected:
Stephanie Burnett - Angel Photography
Eric Appleby - Premier Leasing Options
Jane Howitt - Words4theWeb
Catherine Burns - Personal nutrition
Mike Hollinshead - Estate planning and wills
Nigel Cartner - Lymetek business solutions
Rob Ward-Dutton - Key Computer Applications
Next week I am giving a bit of a talk on all things blogging and networked communities for members of the club, so look out for some interesting links and observations.
I agree with you and like the fact that you mention others and provide a link to them. GREAT idea. Blogging is such an easy way to Pay It Forward to other great professionals.
As The Professional Networker and speaker on the art and skill of Boomerang Networking, I find face-to-face meetings the most valuable. I like to see someone's body language and see what type of impression they will make on clients I refer them to. For me, nothing beats a one-on-one in person.
Posted by: Sharan Tash | July 20, 2007 at 15:21
Hi Sharan, many thanks for your comment, as you highlight using both online tools and face-to-face impressions of people can help you greatly.
All the best, Craig
Posted by: Craig McGinty | July 20, 2007 at 20:42