Networking for

Mumpreneurs

“How to build a Brilliant

Support Network & make

Lasting Business Relationships”

Introduction For some people the very word ‘networking’ fills them with dread. They

believe it to be a very particular type of activity and assume there must be

some hidden art or technique to getting it right. And this makes them anxious

and afraid of getting it wrong.

At Mum’s The Boss we run networking meetings but we do things a bit

differently.

We don’t ‘do’ 1 minute elevator speeches; we don’t ‘do’ referrals; we don’t

‘do’ early breakfast meetings; we don’t ‘do’ expensive lunches. In fact we don’t

‘do’ anything costly, formal or intimidating.

What we do ‘do’ is invite people together to meet and chat over tea and cake

and help them build brilliant business relationships.

And much like our meetings, our Guide to Networking has its very own unique

perspective which we hope you will find useful.

In this guide we will look at the Who, What, Why, When and How’s of

networking:

Who needs to network & who might you find at networking events?

What is networking & what are your networking goals?

Why is networking good for your business & why you must follow up?

When should you network?

How to feel more confident at networking events & how to perfect your

‘So what do you do?’ response

What is ‘networking’? Networking is itself a rather abstract term. Having become a verb in its own

right it has somehow taken on a life of its own. But what does it really mean?

Well if you type the word into Google, you will find the following definition on

Wikipedia:

“Business networking is a socioeconomic activity by which groups of like-minded businesspeople recognize, create, or act upon business opportunities. A business network is a type of social network whose reason for existing is business activity. There are several models of networking activity that, when followed, allow the business person to build new business relationships and generate business opportunities at the same time. (blah blah blah….)

Now if all that leaves you cold and has you running for the hills, why not think of it more like this:

Don’t think of it as a verb - ‘to network’.

Think of it as a process – you are ‘building’ a support network

The MTB definition of Networking

There, don’t you feel better about the whole process already?!

There are no strangers here; only friends you haven't yet met.

William Butler Yeats

The MTB definition of networking

“To create a support network for you and your business by building lasting

business relationships and making friends”

Do I have to network? Quite simply ask yourself this - do you need to build relationships with other

business owners?

Of course you do – and for so many different reasons! You aren’t just looking

for clients. You are looking for suppliers, people to partner or collaborate

with, experts to mentor you or share their advice or expertise, or people who

can introduce you to all of the above.

But as a mum in business, particularly if you work from home, you need that

human interaction even more. When you are your business, everything is

down to you. You have to make all the decisions, you have to have all the

motivation and energy and you have to drive the business forward.

Sometimes you will need a sounding board – someone to listen to you. Often

just the process of saying your ideas or thoughts out loud will be enough and

you will know whether it’s right or wrong. Sometimes a fresh pair of ears and

eyes will see something that is simple and ‘obvious’ but that you have missed.

On other occasions you may need to have a moan, be congratulated or

inspired or just be with people who understand how hard it is to run a

business and manage all the other demands in your life.

By getting out and about you will raise your profile, increase your brand

awareness, increase your confidence, find answers and support and, most

importantly, become part of a community.

When you are part of a network you all become greater than the sum

of your parts. You are no longer X number of individuals working alone

– you are all cogs in an intricate wheel that has the potential

to take you absolutely anywhere.

How to Build Brilliant Business Relationships Be authentic – don’t pretend to be something you’re not. 1) it’s exhausting

keeping up a pretence and 2) in the long run people won’t take kindly to being

misled. If people are going to do business with you they need to trust you.

Be a fantastic ‘walking advertisement’ for your business – networking can be

extremely cost effective marketing because no advert can ever represent your

business as well as you can. Don’t let your ‘brand’ down though by being

poorly turned out, ill prepared or by using cheap business cards.

Create a memorable, strong personal brand – people buy from people, so

make yourself stand out and remember you for all the right reasons

Give before you get – in an ideal world you will build relationships with other

business owners before you need their help. Then, by the time you do need

them your relationship is already strong. Offer your help and support to others

from the outset – you will be amazed at how readily others will be prepared to

help you out at a later date.

Follow up – meeting people at networking events, conferences or seminars

isn’t enough. This is just the start of a business relationship. You need to make

sure you follow up afterwards with an email or phone call, to open the door for

a longer, stronger association. A nice way to do this may be to ask if there is

anything you can do to help them out.

Accept things take time – don’t expect results overnight. Building a network is

a long term investment. It takes time, just like building a wall, brick by brick.

The most important ingredient we put into any relationship is not what we say

or what we do, but what we are - Stephen R. Covey

Setting your agenda You can build your support network in lots of ways, both online and off. But

whatever medium you choose, you need an agenda and a clear and consistent

identity.

If you go into any networking situation with no objective or an inconsistent

message then you will be wasting your time. And when you are self employed

your time is a valuable commodity, so you should use it wisely.

If you are lurking on Twitter know why you are there and who you

want to follow and engage with

If you are attending a conference or networking lunch, be clear about

who you want to meet and why you want them in your network

Your agenda can be general – e.g. talk to x number of new people, reconnect

with people I have lost touch with

Or it can be specific – e.g. to find business owners in the same market to

collaborate with, to find a new supplier, to chat to a web developer about your

SEO or an accountant about your Tax Return

Exercise 1

Who do you need to meet?

What advice or support do you need?

Where can you find these people and the answers you need?

How to feel more confident when networking Be yourself – it’s far less effort to be authentic than to try to be something

you’re not. Dress so that you feel comfortable and confident. There are no

rules – when you run your own business you are your business, so how you

look should be an extension and an expression of that.

Be Interesting - if you are interesting, enthusiastic and passionate about your business you will leave a more lasting impression on the people you meet. If you have a great story behind your business idea, then so much the better.

Concentrate on the other person – take an interest in their business, their

successes and their challenges. Ask if there is any way in which you can help

them. If you are approachable and friendly when you meet people, chances

are people will remember you and be more willing to help you out in the

future. A warm smile and taking an interest in people costs nothing at all.

Fake it ‘til you make it – confidence is an illusion. Everyone, however confident

and outgoing they seem, has worries, concerns and anxieties – they are just

better at hiding them or putting on a good act. You need to do whatever

makes you feel confident – this could be your clothes, hair & makeup, it might

be calling to mind a time when you felt really proud of yourself or did

something well, or it could be using positive affirmations or breathing

techniques – whatever works for you. And remember to smile

Prepare – if you’re going to an event, try and find who else is going so you can

do a little research beforehand. Practice what you’re going to say when

someone asks you ‘What do you do?’ And prepare some questions you could

ask other people.

Life is like a mirror, we get the best results when we smile at it - Anon

Exercise 2

Which items of clothing in my wardrobe make me feel fabulous?

What is interesting, unique or topical about my business that I can bring up

when talking to people?

What would I like to find out about the people I meet? What questions can I ask

“I am what I am, and what I am needs no excuses….”

How to perfect your ‘So what do you do?’ response You will be asked this question over and over again, so it’s worth preparing and

perfecting your answer. As they say, you only get one chance to make a first

impression so you don’t want your answer to be hesitant or self-deprecating,

nor do you want it to be too long or over-complicated.

Your response should encapsulate WHO your market is, WHAT their problem

is, WHY they have a problem, WHAT you do to solve their problem and HOW

your customer benefits.

For example:

I/we help [insert target audience] who have a problem [insert problem] due

to [reasons for problem]. What we do is [how you solve their problem] so that

[how your customer’s need is met].

Case study: Mum’s The Boss

We help business mums who have a problem accessing business networking

and events due to high costs and childcare issues. What we do is provide

affordable events during school friendly hours, with a crèche, so that business

mums can access high quality advice and develop a support network while

their children are being safely looked after in the same building.

Exercise 3

Write your SWDYD response here and practice it until it sounds natural and

effortless

When do you need to network? The simple answer is you should never stop networking whatever stage of

business you are at. Yes, you will always be on the search for new clients or

customers. However you may be building other types of relationships at

different points in the life cycle of your business. For example:

New business

When you are starting out you may be looking for suppliers – a web designer,

bookkeeper, accountant, lawyer – to help you with your new business’s

infrastructure. You could be looking to meet Introducers – people who are well

connected locally who can suggest useful contacts for you to meet. You may be

seeking out promotional opportunities or ways of joining forces with business

owners to cut down your start-up costs. You might be looking for peer support

or a business advisor to help answer specific questions. You may even be

looking for other business owners who would be prepared to barter their

services to help you get your business up and running as professionally as you

can.

Growing business

You may be looking for a mentor or business coach to help you drive your

business forward or other business owners to collaborate with. You might be

seeking out people to outsource work to or people to employ to expand your

team. You may need specific financial or legal advice, or just want to talk to

people who are further along their business journey that you, for a little

inspiration.

You never know who knows who…..

Of course, business networking events are just the tip of the iceberg – anyone

you meet in any situation may know someone who could help you and your

business. So use any opportunity to talk to people about your business – it’s

good to practice and you never know who knows who…..

If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you

want and copy what they do and you'll achieve the same results.

Tony Robbins

Final Checklist Hopefully, after reading this Guide and completing the exercises, you will be

feeling more confident about networking. As a final reminder, here is a

checklist of things to remember next time you are heading off to a networking

event:

Wear something that makes you feel confident on the outside

Do something to make yourself relaxed & confident on the inside (e.g.

visualisation, breathing)

Practise your ‘So, what do you do?’ response

Remember your business cards

Know who you want to meet today and why

Take an interest in others & ask questions

Make yourself memorable

Be yourself

Smile

Mum’s The Boss is a support network for mums who work from home, run their own business or who

would like to set up on their own. The group, founded in September 2008 by Sam Pearce & Helen

Woodham, runs monthly networking meetings (currently across 5 counties), complete with

inspirational speaker, crèche and cake! Their blog is a comprehensive online resource for business

mums, offering informative and motivational tips for working mums. In 2010 Mum’s the Boss won

the Best Business Support Award at The Mumpreneur Conference & Awards and were Business

Parent of the Year finalists at the mumandworking awards.

All Rights Reserved… Content Copyright © 2011 Mum's The Boss