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FIVE BENEFITS OF NETWORKING

MARKETING & SALES

As an entrepreneur, the benefits of networking are critical to your personal growth and business
development.

Small business is all about networking, building relationships and taking action.

Building a successful business takes a lot of time and drive, so it’s good to have a network of friends and
associates to draw energy from and keep you going. By surrounding yourself with people who share a
similar drive and ambition, you are more likely to move forward as a group.

But that’s not the only benefit of networking. In fact that’s only the beginning. Here are five benefits of
networking you and your small business can enjoy.

1. Shared Knowledge

Networking is great for sharing ideas and knowledge. Whether it’s asking for feedback or discussing your
point of view, it will help you expand your knowledge and allow you to see things from another
perspective.

It is also likely that within a group there will be those who have already been where you are today. This
provides you with an opportunity to learn and avoid some of the common pitfalls they experienced.

2. Opportunities

It’s natural that networking will result in opportunities. The thing you will not know is when or how they
will materialise. Whether it’s a referral, offer partnership or request for your service or product, it is
important to be ready to seize opportunities when they come along.
3. Connections

Remember you are not just gaining exposure to the people in the room, you are building connections
with their network too. If someone they know has a need that matches your business, if you have made
an impression, you will likely get a referral.

And remember it’s not just a one-way street. If someone in your network matches a business you
encounter at an event, don’t hesitate to share their details. It will only strengthen your relationship.

4. Increased confidence

By regularly networking, and pushing yourself to talk to people you don’t know, it will help increase your
confidence. This is an important attribute as a business owner, because your business growth is
dependent on talking to people and making connections.

5. Raising your profile

Being visible and getting noticed is a big benefit of networking. By regularly attending business and
social events, people will begin to recognise you. This can you help to build your reputation as a
knowledgeable, reliable and supportive person by offering useful information or tips to people who
need it. You are also more likely to get more leads and referrals as you will be the one that pops into
their head when they need what you offer.

Your Opportunity to Network with BC’s Best

The Small Business BC Awards Ceremony takes place ever February in downtown Vancouver. Each year
500 people join us to celebrate the contributions small business owners make to their local communities
and to the global economy. For further information visit the Small Business BC Awards website.
https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/benefits-computer-networks

Computer networking

Benefits of computer networks

Setting up a computer network is a fast and reliable way of sharing information and resources within a
business. It can help you make the most of your IT systems and equipment.

Advantages of computer networking

Main benefits of networks include:

File sharing – you can easily share data between different users, or access it remotely if you keep it on
other connected devices.

Resource sharing – using network-connected peripheral devices like printers, scanners and copiers, or
sharing software between multiple users, saves money.

Sharing a single internet connection – it is cost-efficient and can help protect your systems if you
properly secure the network.

Increasing storage capacity – you can access files and multimedia, such as images and music, which you
store remotely on other machines or network-attached storage devices.

Networking computers can also help you improve communication, so that:

staff, suppliers and customers can share information and get in touch more easily

your business can become more efficient - eg networked access to a common database can avoid the
same data being keyed multiple times, saving time and preventing errors

staff can deal with queries and deliver a better standard of service as a result of sharing customer data

Cost benefits of computer networking

Storing information in one centralised database can also help you reduce costs and drive efficiency. For
example:
staff can deal with more customers in less time since they have shared access to customer and product
databases

you can centralise network administration, meaning less IT support is required

you can cut costs through sharing of peripherals and internet access

Editors Note: This is a guest post written by Caroline Gilroy – Principal Consultant at Purple Lightbulb.
Her opinions are her own.

Ever since I was a small child I have seen the benefits of networking.

My father worked in mass market retailing and he used his well-honed networking skills to engage with
clients, suppliers and prospects to build his business. Some of my earliest memories of my father are
being with him at corporate events when he was meeting new people and building trusted relationships
with them. He was very successful in business because of it.

He was a great role model and through him I pursued an early career in corporate hospitality. My first
jobs were at White Hart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur’s homeground and then at Twickenham Rugby
Ground. Through these part-time roles I witnessed networking on a larger scale.

I have lived and breathed networking all my life and I highly value its importance for business people.
Investing your time in building and developing long-term relationships won’t necessarily translate into
immediate profits but it will build strong businesses in the medium- to long-term and provide many
other additional benefits.

How powerful is the statement: “I know someone who can …” when someone says it to you?

If you want it to be you that everyone knows, thinks of and recommends, you have to be a good
networker and be comfortable building relationships.
https://recruitloop.com/blog/eight-reasons-why-you-should-network/

Here are the eight key reasons to network:

1. Driving Word-Of-Mouth Recommendations

This is the essential reason for networking. The more people you know who know what you do the more
recommendations you will get. Successful businesses are built on referrals.

2. Encouraging Mentors

Networking helps you to find people with lots of business experience who are often very willing to share
their knowledge with you. Successful business people are usually generous with advice particularly with
people open to listening.

3. Finding Suppliers

Networking is a great way to find the best suppliers and to build value-for-money relationships.
Whatever sort of supplier you are looking for, whether it is an accountant, copywriter, recruiter, web
designer, or insurance broker you will come across them all in your networks. Finding suppliers that
network often provides opportunities for two-way business.

4. Understanding Market Opportunities

Networking is a great way to broaden your thinking and to find new ideas to find potential clients or see
different target markets that you hadn’t thought of. People you meet networking often can help you to
identify new market opportunities you might not have thought of. Some people you meet may offer
synergies with what you do.

5. Getting New Ideas and Innovations

Meeting other business people and talking about business is a fantastic way of learning new ways to do
business. Every business is different and all business people have their own ideas. Finding out how
people in other industries, other markets or with different products get business helps you to generate
new ideas and perhaps adapt other people’s innovations to your own business.
6. Finding Inspiration

Entrepreneurs share a common energy. Mixing with people who have to rely on their own resources to
survive and who have to think outside the square to get the edge on their competitors is always an
inspiration. Meeting business people who have the same difficulties but are willing to share their
solutions is a great encouragement.

7. Improving Your Communication

Getting out there and introducing yourself and your business to strangers soon teaches you the best
way to get your message across. At first it can be very hard but practice and familiarity soon makes it
second nature. I have seen some people transform from shy beginners to confident crowd-players as
their experience builds.

8. Making Great New Friends

Although we focus on business, networking can also bring you wonderful new friends. It can’t fail to!
You share your ideas, your goodwill and your enthusiasm for business with like-minded people. Strong
friendships combined with strong business alliances are very powerful forces in building your network.
http://www.packetworks.net/blog/5-reasons-to-use-a-network-management-provider.htm

5 Reasons To Use A Network Management Provider

Monday, October 3, 2016

Using a network management provider can provide business owners with increased peace of mind and
solid advantages over their business rivals. Network management provides more than a simple internet
connection - they match it to your requirements and intentionally manage the connection. Listed below
are 5 reasons to use a network management provider, including benefiting from customized solutions,
proactive management, cost savings, staff benefits, and expansion benefits. Contact us at Packetworks
for more information about our network management services.

Contact Us Now!

Phone: 519-579-4507

Toll-Free within Canada: 1-866-723-7703

Email: [email protected]

1 Your Business Will Benefit From Customized Solutions

Customized solutions are one of the chief benefits of a sophisticated network solutions provider. Experts
will assist you in determining the specific needs of your business and propose custom solutions. The
implementation of these solutions will be accomplished in a way that works with your business needs
and not against them. Ongoing solutions will be proposed as technological capabilities and
organizational needs change. A custom solution is the ideal way to address your network requirements.

2 Your Network Will Be Proactively Managed

"I have found Packetworks to be innovative, responsive and helpful. We are always looking for ways to
improve our business, and Packetworks works with us, helping to identify possible improvements and
find ways to make them happen. Packetworks is an excellent network and internet service provider, and
both management and staff have been most supportive of our business."

-Jeanne Brown, Owner

Pike Lake Golf Centre

www.pikelake.com

3 Your Business Will Save Money

A professionally managed network solutions team will save you money. As experts in their field, they are
knowledgeable and resourceful. They will be current and aware of all technological trends in their
industry that can create savings opportunities for you. This may include assisting you in transitioning
from a CAPEX model to an OPEX model. In addition, by being proactively involved in your network, you
can be confident that you will be experiencing less downtime and greater staff productivity.
4 Your IT Staff Will Benefit

Your IT staff will benefit from having a networks solutions team available to provide assistance. You may
find that your IT staffing costs will be reduced, while your existing staff become more knowledgeable
about networking technology and solutions. The added availability of a 24/7 customer support team will
ease stress on your existing team and provide them with the assistance they need when problems do
arise. Your IT will be able to focus on their regular activities while the customer support team deals with
the connection issue.

5 Your Business Will Be Poised For Accelerated Growth

The support provided by a network solutions provider will help your business to become poised for
additional growth. With a customized, scalable network solution in place, your business will be able to
respond more quickly when opportunities for growth arise. Your IT staff will be secure in the knowledge
that there is a team of experts to assist them in transitioning to a larger scale operation.

Packetworks Managed Networks

The Packetworks team of experts creates and manages the networks that connect your people and
locations to the Internet, the telephone system, and remote data storage. We can custom design, build,
and manage secure networks that incorporate existing large carrier network infrastructure, IP-based
technologies, wireless networks, and fibre optic cables, including those that we own and install
ourselves. Our growing reputation in Southwestern Ontario means that you can be confident of
receiving outstanding customer service and a lightning fast, reliable, and secure network connection.
Contact us for more information.