WomenTIES Newsletter

Surround Yourself with a Great Network of People

As a small business owner, we have to figure out the best way to market ourselves and our business.  From going to networking events and speaking with other business owners and my own clients, I have found that surrounding yourself with a great network of people is the best form of marketing your business or services.   That way both people can help each other out and it is a win-win situation.  But most often, people do not even think about doing this.

For myself, I go to as many networking events as I can (Women TIES, WBOC, Syracuse Chamber events, etc.) so I can meet and talk with other small business owners and other people in business.  Once people get to know you and feel comfortable talking to you, they feel better referring people they know or even clients they have your way.

I try to have a great network of people so that not only do I benefit but so both people can benefit from the relationship.  For example, I offer accounting services.  I have relationships with banks, insurance companies, investment people, payroll companies, etc.  These are the type of relationships that I know my clients might sseek and I probably cannot fulfill the need.  If a bank cannot give a customer a loan or the person/business needs better recordkeeping of their finances then that is where I can help.  When I have a client that needs a loan, is in need of insurance, might need assistance with payroll, or just some good investment advice, I have people that I can trust to turn to and feel comfortable referring my clients to because I know that they will be taken care of.

I hope after reading this article that most of you are trying to think of people they know in other lines of business that they might be able to form a relationship with.  Think of it this way, this is probably the cheapest way to advertise and the best.  I know that when someone is referred to me from someone that I have been doing business with for awhile and have built up trust in them, then I am more likely to call that person and want to do business with them.