Are You Networking During the Pandemic?
As we’ve seen, COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. However, the importance of small business networking has never been greater. Networking increases your chances of business survival by developing partnerships, acquiring new clients, and growing your business.
By joining professional organizations, hosting virtual events, and sharing your knowledge, you contribute to your overall goal of raising your brand’s awareness.
Joining Professional Organizations
Professional organizations such as the Collaboration of Minority Women Professionals (CMWP), the Black Business Alliance (BBA), KNOWN Coworking, and Business Network International (BNI) are great ways to gain exposure, build connections, and get referrals to your business. Members of these organizations hold a wealth of knowledge and serve as a strong support network for you and your business.
When joining a professional organization, be ready to discuss your business, its value to potential clients, and your ideal customer. We’ll discuss networking tips in a future blog, but remember, when networking, your listener must be able to understand your business well enough so they can refer others to you also.
Hosting Virtual Events
Hosting virtual events makes it easy to increase your local and global reach, create unique online experiences, and stay safe. With virtual events, you can collaborate with other small businesses, make meaningful connections, and generate solid leads. Here’s examples of virtual events you can host:
Online summits or conferences
Virtual expos
Webinars
Networking events - Join CMWP, Wednesday, 1/27, 4-5:30 EST for virtual networking
Remember to host free and paid events to grow your virtual audience.
Sharing Your Knowledge
Sharing your knowledge with other small businesses establishes you as an industry authority, encourages innovation and development, and increases engagement.
Clubhouse has been instrumental in providing a platform where small businesses can talk, listen, and learn from one another. I’ve even met a few of you through Clubhouse! Make sure to follow me on Clubhouse @samsword and follow CMWP’s club @collab minority women professionals.
Not on Clubhouse? Here’s other ways you can share your small business knowledge:
Want to learn more about small business networking during the pandemic? Contact Sammi@MelanatedBusinessCoaching.com.
