Business Networking

How Networking Works

Networking involves interacting with others for assistance and support.

When you network for business purposes you will have the opportunity to do some of the following:

• meet in organised or informal forums
• receive news bulletins and invitations to events of general interest, eg exhibitions, lectures by prominent business people or industry experts, participate in debates on topics relevant to your industry or field of business
• participate in or contribute to surveys or research in your field or business sector

You stand to gain from the experiences of other businesses and share new ideas on a variety of subjects including:

• training and recruitment
• talent management
• new products and markets
• industry developments
• industry laws and regulation

You may meet customers, competitors, suppliers and service providers who are all looking for similar benefits and to widen their contact base.

When choosing a network or partnership to join, you will need to think of your primary requirements, eg market information, training and development opportunities, or expert advice. Aim to balance your needs with the level of participation and involvement you are prepared to commit.

For example if you cannot spare the time to attend functions and events, you might focus on finding a network hosted on the Internet. Similarly if you do not think you will proactively pass information on or help someone else in return for advice etc, stick to joining a more passive network that supplies newsletters and bulletins (possibly for a subscription) and hosts online debates, rather than an events-based one.

Read about networking effectively on the British Chambers of Commerce website