by Mary Klaebel

Created on: December 20, 2006   Last Updated: February 24, 2007

Networking can be intimidating for the small business person. The idea of meeting a group of strangers and trying to win their support or assistance creates anxiety. But it doesn't have to be difficult or intimidating.

The first step is to find the time for networking opportunities. Finding time to step away from the day-to-day operations of your business is no easy feat. What you have to do is find ways to automate some of the functions of your business, freeing up at least an hour a week. Just an hour? Yes. It's amazing how much you will be able to accomplish in this short amount of time. However, if you have more than an hour, it will only speed up the return on your networking investment.

Once you have carved some time out of your already busy schedule, the next step is easy. How do you network? The conventional wisdom says to join an organization that pertains to your business or an area of your business where you want to improve and grow. I disagree.

Instead, join a group where all the members share a non-networking goal. Toastmasters International is one a great organization for networking. The reason it is so great is that everyone is there for the same purpose - to improve their public speaking skills. As such, the emphasis is not on networking. Rather, as you work on building your speaking skills, you also build relationships with people in all different fields and from all different backgrounds.

The reason this sort of networking works so well is that you meet people you would not meet if you only joined groups related to your business. For instance, if you have an organic farming business and only join groups related to organic farming, then you might never meet the person who is head of marketing for the local cable station. Since you never meet this person, you never learn that he has a passion for organic foods and would love to help you promote your produce through his connections at work.

Toastmasters is not the only group that offers such an broad base of members. Any local group focused around improving a personal skill or sharing a hobby will have members from a variety of backgrounds. Do you like to read? A book club that meets once a week might be a great networking group. Conventional wisdom is all well and good, but it often pays bigger dividends to branch away from it.

Once you select the organization to join, just be yourself and enjoy the growth and learning opportunities the group offers. Let the relationships develop naturally. Don't try to force things. Ask members questions about themselves, what they enjoy doing, and what line of work they are in. Be sure to reciprocate when you are asked similar questions. Also, be thoughtful of others and pay sincere compliments.

While this method takes time, it is often more effective and the connections stronger than if you simply join a networking group where everyone is trying to work their own angle.

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