Do small business owners have to network on their own?
Small business owners shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help. Simply asking for advice is a great way to foster a mentoring relationship, for example. Finding a mentor takes time. This is another benefit of joining local charitable, civic and professional organizations. Also, signing up for workshops targeted at business people is an excellent way to meet potential mentors. Sign up for business classes at a local community college to beef up your knowledge or as a refresher course and you could potentially meet your mentor there.
Don’t be afraid to ask someone to mentor you and don’t feel limited to people within your field. While it is important to have a mentor within your area of interest to emulate, there is a great deal of knowledge to be gained by someone in a different field. Success is success and a good mentor will be able to guide you regardless of his or her specialty.
What else should small business owners do to network effectively?
They should consult with other professionals. Talk to the people who can use their experience to help you make your business a success. For example, if you are looking to establish a new business development plan, connect with other development directors/executives through industry-based organizations. You should also maintain a strong relationship with your banker and be candid and timely in sharing what your business is experiencing. After all, your banker has experience with other clients with similar challenges and can assist you with new ideas and connect you with an expert who can help.
James Terrell is senior vice president, small business, for Comerica Bank in Dallas. Comerica Bank is a commercial banking subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA), the largest banking company headquartered in Texas. In addition to Dallas/Fort Worth, Comerica Bank locations in Texas can be found in Austin and Houston. To receive e-mail alerts of breaking Comerica news, go to www.comerica.com/newsalerts.
