Networking For Small Business Owners
One of the most game-changing business decisions I’ve made in the last year was prioritizing my network. Especially when you’re just starting out, being an entrepreneur can feel lonely and scary. Learning where to meet fellow business owners and entrepreneurs, and more importantly, learning to filter through to find genuine connections, are absolutely crucial to the networking process. If you’re looking to grow your business by expanding and cultivating your network, keep reading!
Where to Meet Your New Business Friends
Personally, I refer to the people in my network as my “business friends”, because it feels like a better description than just “my network”. These are people who I’ve been able to open up to about my insecurities as a business owner, and I’ve learned so much about them and from them. Supporting your friends is a natural thing, not something I have to “work” to do, so maintaining my network then becomes something I want to do rather than something I feel like I have to do. There are tons of places you can meet new business friends, online and in-person. Here are some places I’ve had success:
Instagram
Facebook (specifically Facebook Groups)
LinkedIn
Girlboss Networking Community
Clubhouse (a little less so now, but it used to be the ultimate networking app)
Mutual friends (do your current business friends know anyone you should meet?)
IRL friends (do your current friends own a business or know another entrepreneur like you? tell them you’re expanding your network and you’d like to meet them!)
Acadium (Digital Marketing community)
There are also tons of online communities built to help you find business friends in your niche, so don’t be afraid to look around. Once things fully reopen and business conferences are available again, I’m excited to meet new business friends through those as well!
How to Weed Out Bad Business Friends
The minute you open your business LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook account, you’re bound to get tons of messages from people wanting to pitch to you or “network” with you. It’s really important to learn the difference between someone who wants to sell you something and someone who genuinely wants to get to know you. I definitely fell victim to several fellow entrepreneurs who slid in my DM’s asking how my business and I were doing, only to have them hit me with a sales pitch an hour into what I thought was a great conversation. When that happens, don’t be discouraged, just kindly let them know that you aren’t interested but that you enjoyed the conversation you had! A lot of times, people will at least do you the favor of starting the conversation with a sales pitch so that you know to ignore them, but sometimes they won’t, so don’t get discouraged if a promising conversation ends like that, it happens to all of us. My advice is not to waste time on people that just want to sell you stuff; to them, you’re a potential customer, not a potential friend.
How to Make New Business Friends
Now you know who to ignore, but how do you actually make friends through these sites and apps? The important thing, as cliché as it is, is to put yourself out there. No one will know who you are if you just lurk in Facebook groups or Clubhouse rooms, so be an active participant in groups or online spaces. If you see someone you want to get to know, send them a friendly (not sales-y) message letting them know that you like their work or their energy, and that you’d love to talk with them about something you guys have in common! For me, those messages usually go something like this: “Hi (their name), I’m Grace! I’m from (the place I know them from, Facebook group, website, app, etc.), and I loved (something I saw them do or say that I liked, a post or comment they made, etc.). If you’re able to, I’d really like to set up a time to chat about (something related to our mutual niche, something I think I could learn from them, etc.). Let me know if you have the availability for that, I’d absolutely love to get to know you and (the name of their business)!” Obviously I tweak it for every person I send it too, but that’s the gist of it. The point is to be genuine and try to make a connection with them through your interactions in whatever space you’ve chosen, whether that’s commenting on their posts in a Facebook group, reacting to their Instagram stories, or celebrating their business milestones on LinkedIn.
So that’s how I’ve made some of the amazing business friends that I have today. I hope that you find this helpful and are able to grow and nurture your network like never before. And if you’re looking for new business friends, send me a DM on Instagram, I’d love to get to know you!
