Business networking groups

When I first started my web design business eight years ago, I was helped a lot by joining a business networking group.

I stumbled upon my group when I joined the local Chamber of Commerce. On the desk of the person I talked with at the Chamber was a flyer for a "leads group", which apparently was a bunch of people who met regularly to help each other promote their small businesses. I had never heard of this type of organization before, but being eager to do all the right things in getting my business up and running, I attended a meeting. I loved it, and it soon became an important part of every week to get up especially early on Wednesday mornings and get to the Chapel Hill Leads Group meeting.

Over the course of a couple of years, I was a regularly attendee. The obvious benefit was an increase in business. Networking works! Each week we each would give a very brief (30 seconds!) presentation on our business, and as the weeks passed, we got to know one another's offerings very well. It became only natural to refer friends and acquaintances to the businesses of my fellow Leads Group members, and they did the same for me. I also did business directly with a number of other members, producing their web sites.

But I was benefitted in other ways as well. The group became a source of information on running a small business for me. Making the short presentations each week (and occasionally longer presenations, when it was my turn) helped my confidence. And I gained friends.

Because this group gave my business such a boost, I always recommend that other people starting out in the web development business try out a networking group. My only caution is this: not all groups are alike, by any means. Some are quite rigid and formal, literally requiring members to make referrals, which to me is ridiculous, since in our group, those referrals flowed naturally from the knowledge and respect I had for the other business owners. Some groups are just a lot less fun than the one I joined; I wouldn't have been able to keep up attendance as long as I did if my group had been as dull as some others I've attended.

So if you do want to explore this route, I recommend visiting more than one business networking group, if there are several available in your area. See if you can find one that suits your style. And once you do find one that you like at least a little, definitely give it three or four meetings to begin to work. Business networking takes time and effort, but it really can produce good results in bringing clients to your web design business.