“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
African Proverb
Being a business owner, especially a solopreneur, can be isolating. We have our heads down, grinding
away, making things happen, right.
But at the end of the day, the greatest names, (Gates, Buffett, Carnegie, Jobs) no matter what era, will
tell you, they did not do it alone. They had others, a network.
As I say, it’s easy to be consumed and the next thing you know, months have gone by and we have had
little or no interaction with anyone outside our immediate team.
What is the Value of Networking?
I must admit, I am guilty of joining groups, like the chamber or a networking group, and then, because I
am bit of an introvert, find myself renewing memberships, and I have not attended one outing.
So, for me, networking has power, but I like to meet more one on one. Especially when the agenda is,
let us get to know one another, our needs, and how, when we are out and about, we can have our radar
on when someone asks about a service or product we offer, we can confidently refer each other to
them.
When I refer you, I can be more genuine because you and I spent time together and I was focused on
listening to you and learning more about you, versus in a group, and again, this may just be me, where I
may meet 10 people, exchange business cards and really fail to make the connection.
I began this process I call “Let’s Do Coffee”. It’s simple, relaxed and most importantly for many, time
sensitive.
The average “Let’s Do Coffee” runs 30 minutes. This allows each of us to get to know one another, ask
some questions, and share a bit about each of our businesses, what our ideal client looks like and then
we are done.
The cool thing about this 30-minute meeting is it can create the start to some amazing friendships and
great business.
So many people say, when I ask them, how do you get most of your business? And they say, “word of
mouth” or ‘referral”. This process helps expand and often, accelerate this process in a genuine way.
Wrap it Up
I will share with you a real-life example, from a book I read, just a few short years ago. The premise was
a local business owner was struggling. And they thought the best way to succeed was to work harder.
(Sound familiar?)
Then a friend, who was a successful business owner invited her for coffee. As they walked into the
coffee shop, where she knew no one, everyone knew her friend. You see, he spent more time building
relationships, as he built his business. Throughout the book, he shared example after example of how
his business was successful because of who he knew and who knew him, and not solely on how much he
knew.
People do business with people the know-like and trust.
I would love to invite you for coffee. Let’s get to know one another and like the gentleman in the book,
grow our net worth, by growing our network. I have included a link below, inviting you to select a time
and a day for our 30-minute coffee, or for me I love hot chocolate and to get to know one another. I would encourage you to click it and pick a time, as they fill up fast and I want to get to know you so, like
the African Proverb says, help you go farther, together.
Here’s the link https://letsdocoffee.youcanbook.me
