We have all heard how beneficial networking can be to a small business. However, with the growing number of online networking platforms, we may be starting to ignore the benefits of face-to-face communication.
We would like to draw your attention to a recent survey that highlights the surprising number of ways in which a small business can benefit from attending face-to-face networking events.
Benefit one: Filling in skill gaps
The survey was held across the UK and included over 430 networkers.
As 87% did admin to looking for leads and referrals, 52% said they also used networking events to find other businesses to collaborate with and 44% said they provided a useful support network.
There seems to be a growing trend among small businesses to work with other small businesses rather that hire employees. This gives them a chance to fill in any existing skill gaps and potentially take on bigger contracts.
Benefit two: Self-improvement and motivation
Nearly 60% of survey participants answered that they networked to learn new ideas and a quarter gained confidence and motivation from networking. A lot of networking events these days also include mini-workshops, discussion groups or expert lectures. This provides wonderful opportunities for people to come up with new ideas for their businesses, whilst meeting new contacts at the same time.
Benefit three: Socialising (in addition to networking)
A notable side-effect of the recession has been the increase in the numbers of people running a business from home. It minimizes the overheads and gives startups a better chance of success. But there is also a downside, as by working at home you miss out on that essential office banter and communication. And that can make you feel isolated. So networking events can help you break out of the routing, see some new faces and share business experiences.
For full details of the business networking events benefits survey, visit:
www.findnetworkingevents.com/survey