“You must network if you want to be a successful business owner.”  This has got to be the most common advice given to entrepreneurs.  However, for many business owners, like me, the prospect of networking fills us with trepidation.   As networking requires a certain amount of brazenness, this is especially the true for introverted entrepreneurs. Though many would consider me an extrovert, I recently realized that I have a latent “alter ego” that emerges whenever I have to network. This person easily engages in inane conversations about a myriad of random topics (people’s personal lives, pop culture, current events, etc.) – all with apparent interest and a smile. Though this “alter ego” allows me survive the many conferences, seminars, cocktail parties I attend, it does little to help me build the long term relationships every business needs.

That is why I was so happy to find today’s featured post from Scott Allen’s Entrepreneurs Blog; this article features advice from “networking expert, and author Thom Singer on how to network a big multi-day conference.” After reviewing the piece, the thing that jumped out at me is the level of preparedness that is required before and after each event.  It made me realize that engaging in inane conversations at these conferences, etc. is a colossal waste of time.  Instead, I need to: (i) focus on preparing a networking strategy before the event, (ii) impress the other attendees with my knowledge (garnered from research) of them and their business at the event, and, (iii) take the time to follow-up with the attendees with whom I conversed after the event.

As I will be attending two conferences this upcoming month, I will soon get a chance to put Scott’s tips into practice. I think you should review the piece and try to do the same at your networking events. I mean really, what do you have to lose?

Scott's Entrepreneurs Blog

By Scott Allen, About.com Guide to Entrepreneurs since 2002

Top 10 Conference Networking Tips

Friday March 13, 2009

I just attended a session at SXSW Interactive by networking expert and author Thom Singer on how to network a big multi-day conference. Thom had a handout with his top 10 tops, which he's graciously allowed me to share with you.
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One of the main reasons that people site for attending a conference is the networking opportunities. Yet they often leave the event feeling they made few or no connections. Here are 10 Tips to help you get the most out of connecting with others at a conference:

1. Have a plan. Know in advance whom you want to meet (directly or the type of people), which speakers you want to hear, and what tradeshow booths you want to visit.

Read Entire Article

As you know, I closely monitored the debate surrounding President Obama’s Stimulus Package.  After the bill was finalized, I wrote a post to this blog that, along with the accompanying article from CNNMoney, provided an in-depth analysis of the ways in which small business owners can benefit from this Bill. (See February 18th post, titled “Breakdown Of Your Cut Of The Final Stimulus Bill”).  Though the February 18^th post provided an overview of the provisions in the Bill that are geared toward you, wouldn’t it be even more helpful if you were able to get some FREE advice from the experts? Well, you are in luck!  Intuit (the manufacturers of Quickbooks) will be hosting a virtual townhall on the Stimulus Bill this Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 3pm Eastern Time. 

If you are short on time, don’t worry about it.  As we live in a virtual age, all you need to “attend” this meeting is a computer with video and audio capabilities.  Once this prerequisite is met, simply use Facebook to sign into the Intuit Community site. If you are interested in "attending" and want more information about the panelist, agenda, etc., check out the featured post from Small Business Trends titled, The Obama Stimulus Plan and Small Businesses - Join Us for a Townhall Meeting.

Good Luck!!

This past Valentine’s Day, I came across an interesting article on Huffington Post that, not surprisingly, was focused on love.   The piece, written by Russell Simmons, Hip-Hop mogul-turned-philanthropist, began like this:

“Valentine's Day is here and we are thinking about love. Not the passionate, intense, anxiety-producing am-I-worthy/are-they-worthy kind of love. Not the dim the lights, cue the Al Green music, heart pounding, getting lucky kind of love that can leave you electrified or electrocuted by the object of your desire.

Today we are thinking about compassionate love. The kind that comes from empathy, affection, care, trust, and, above all, a shared respect for all people. This is the kind of love we are after, the kind you see when an elderly couple spend their time joyfully helping each other through aches and pains that escalate to terminal illness and end-of-life small gestures to insure that dignity and love are the last things they share. The kind of love that is everyday business as usual for teachers, physical therapists, nurses, well-diggers, and just about anyone of any profession who has the ability to be kind in handling their affairs no matter the chaos they may be living in.”

Though during my younger years I was more interested in the first kind of love (aka “romantic love”), I now place more value on the second kind – “compassionate love”. After I experienced paralysis six years ago, I was astonished by the goodwill that was shown to me not just by close family, but also by friends, acquaintances, treatment specialists and strangers. It gave me an insight into the immense human capacity for empathy and, touched by having received so much, I decided that I had a duty to “give back”.  It is this desire that led me to Queen Community Mediation Services – and my surprising career as a mediator.

So how does this affect you and your business? Well, I am going to recommend that you too utilize your own capacity for compassionate love not only to give back to society,  but also as a means to lure customers to your business.   As I stated in my February 10^th post, I was surprised to find out that the best thing each entrepreneur must do right now is step up their marketing efforts.  However, in today’s economy, we all have to focus on value – i.e. getting as much as we can for as little expenditure as possible.  Well, nothing provides more value than volunteering for a worthy cause.  Listed as one of four overlooked business strategies in my January 27^th post, I highly recommended volunteering because it gives business owners the chance to network and show the advantages of their products and services to people who are more open.  Also, as you can imagine, it is much easier to make real connections with people if you are all focused on a common cause of helping others.   

Some may wonder if their self-interested motivation will detract from the value of their good deed.  Well, from a spiritual perspective (especially for Buddhists) the answer may be “yes.” Personally, however, the author and I disagree on this point: I do not believe compassionate love and a desire to be successful are mutually exclusive ideals.  Yes, I admit, much of my volunteering efforts in the field of mediation provide me with the opportunity to network.  However, that does not diminish the joy I take in actually being of service to to the people I assist during these mediations. (Talk about a valuable use of time!)  So, aside from ethical concerns, I say go ahead and do what you need to do to help yourself as well as others. 

If you are still concerned, then ask yourself, "will the recipients of my service really care what my motives are?" If you take the time to pick a cause you really care about, and you are really committed to actually being of service, all the recipients will see is the genuine compassionate love you are extending to them. For those who are short on time, don’t worry – every little count.  And, in this era of email, facebook and linkedin, relationships started while volunteering can be easily maintained online. Also, as we are all cash-strapped these days, our time might be the only thing we have left to give.  So, go ahead and start researching a charity that you want to be a part of - it is one of the cheapest, most valuable marketing tool available to us as small business owners.

P.S.: Though I don’t consider the Russel Simmons piece to be a “featured article”, if you are interested in helping to fund the education of African Students in poverty stricken diamond producing countries, then feel free to click on the link to continue reading.