I heard Networking…so I came running.

I am not a fan of always being around people 24 hours a day but I don’t shy away from saying hello to people I have never seen before. I will probably not volunteer to be an event’s M.C. but give me the microphone and I will get a message across. I have never been the most social person, infact until about two years ago I would wash all the dishes at TGI Fridays (the restaurant) on their busiest night  just to avoid addressing an audience of 15 strangers. I won’t say I was shy, I just didn’t have a thing for interacting with strangers just for the mere purpose of it. If there was a reason for me to do it and it was a necessity then I would summon the courage and get it over with.

In college I studied Chemical Engineering as my first major, it was never important for me to speak to anyone in any of my classes. In reality we were encouraged to work individually as much as we could, so I did. I never had to write papers that I would share with my classmates for whatever reason, I never had to get in a group to come up with a routine for a performace like my friend Elena who was a dance major. I was just required to do some integrals and differentiation when necessary to determine the viscosity of an unnamed fluid. My classwork description never asked me to go beyond understanding the concept of CSTRs and the reactions that took place in them until I hit my last year when everything changed! I had to team up with 4 other people who I had taken classes with for 3 years but never had a conversation with. I was asked to come up with a 15 minute presentation every other explaining how I will produce ethanol from wheat-straw and Algae, right from the milling process to the purification of the ethanol. I had to start interacting.

That year and the year that followed were very important in how I came into my own as an Entrepreneur. A weak Networker will probably end up a weak Entrepreneur and that’s never going to change. The more I started interacting with my classmates, the more I started gaining an appreciation for learning from other people. In time I learned how to ask others for help, how to seek advice and how to make ‘friends’ with people who will add value to my life.

Any way you choose to look at it, Networking is a vital part of not only Entrepreneurship, but life in general. There’s no way you will go far doing it all by yourself. Eventually other people’s help will be required. The other day I was reading the importance of networking and how to vital it is to running a business, the truth is that every business runs on the support of other people. If you are able to attain a ‘legend’ status in the art of networking, there’s no measure of how prosperous you could be as an entrepreneur. There will be times when you require other skill sets than what you posses…how do you start searching? There might be times when you are running dry on cash…where do you turn to for a lifeline? what of the time when you need to gain fans/customers in a different demographic?

These days I have become a fan of networking. I love chatting with people that can be of help to me or I can be of help to. The emergence of the likes of Twitter and Facebook have only added to my reach, but ultimately I love to do most of my networking ‘offline’. I never want to get to that point where I have no one to grab a beer with, watch the movie ‘Hangover’ with or just seek physical help from. My ‘wolfpack’ has grown immensely over the past two years both online and offline and it’s down to me realizing (very quickly) how important it is to my business.

Put yourself out there. Networking is about not being so self conscious. Most people won’t look at me, say no and walk away if I asked them for help with anything as long as it’s not an outrageous request. I was never good at writing code but I love everything about the internet and business, so I asked for help. I learned from people who were better than me and now I am quite comfortable with it. Just remember you will always need help, and the earlier you start building a network of helpful individuals in your niche, the better for you.

It’s an investment. Networking always pays off in the long run. If today I need a ticket to go see Liverpool play Manchester United, all I need to do is place a phone call that will probably last 20seconds, save the pleasantries. If I need a social networking website coded in a few days, I can place a phone call and have it done for barely any money. My point is this: over the months I’ve got to meet people in my niche who are good at what they do and I built a relationship with them. The networking I did months ago has put me in this position, so never view it as a burden to talk to people, email, tweet them e.t.c. whatever you have to do. Instead see it as an investment for the future.

Real relationships take time to blossom. Networking and relationship building is very similar to growing a plant. It requires you to nurture it, leave it to sit (but keep an eye on it) and keep it away from thorns. You can’t force people to be cool with you. If you are genuine, people often appreciate that and respect you even more. It never hurts to ask to video chat, have lunch or go to an event with someone you found interesting and believe will add value to you. I personally believe offline contact go a long way in strengthening a relationship and network. It’s very similar to dating, long distance, ‘over-facebook’ romance never really cuts it for most people does it? not for me atleast. Nurturing a new relationship/network is very important.

These days my favorite ways to network online include Twitter, Facebook, web logs, and stumble upon. I am a big social media person and believe it will affect start-ups immensely over the next few years without a doubt. I have met and had chats with many amazing people in my niche over twitter especially and can’t quantify how useful these connections have been. I am currently working on my new start-up and all the people on board are people I have connected with in the last 6 months…except for my main partner who I have known for 4 years now.

Networking is important!! Always remember to exchange business cards with absolutely anyone you think will be of help to you or that you can learn from. Keep a list of e-mails, phone numbers e.t.c. of these contacts and always remember to follow-up with them every now and then. You won’t regret it. I was once told that life is full of ups and downs and some people you see on your way up earlier might be people you will need on your way down.

As usual, I would love to hear your thoughts about Networking and building business relationships.