Oxfordshire Business networking - is it worth it?
IN Business Support

Business Networking – Is it worth it?

As a business owner I’m sure you have already been contacted by a number of business networks or considered joining them. But as you know time is money and getting a return for your time spent doing this activity can be a challenge.

Below is a quick review on the value of business networking and the potential impact it could have on your business.

Things to consider

Price

What is the membership price and how much business would you need to generate to make it worth it? The most expensive is not always the best.

Commitments Time and Resources

How long is each sessions? How often are they? What do you need to prepare for each sessions? If you are busy and the amount of time required prevents you from doing other activities essential to your business it’s important you way up what is demanded of you and if its practical.

Location

Are the sessions online or do you need to drive? If you need to drive and they are early in the morning or late in the evening is this something you want to commit to?

Who are the other networkers?

If you are looking to work with specialists within a particular sector are the people attending the right people for you? What added value could you get by getting to know them?

What do you want to get out of it?

This is important to decide before you join – Are you look to get additional clients, raise the profile of your business or even find potential investors or partners?

Positives

Business networking is a great way to meet other entrepreneurs and talk about your business, but what other benefits could you gain by attending:

  • Opportunities to share and gain knowledge
  • Opportunity to promote services and raise profile locally
  • Get Fresh Ideas
  • Build your confidence – If you are starting out networking can be a safe space to chat with other professionals and get a feel for business questions you need to know how to answer.
  • New Perspectives – When you are starting out it can be beneficial to get a new perspective on your sector, the support you provide by

Negatives

Like an online presence it takes time to build your profile. Establishing relationships with people and gaining their trust is not a given by just attending networking sessions. Networking is not a magic solution to instant high value business connections.

Might not be effective – Its important to try before you buy to get insight into what the networking meetings are like. If the right connections are not involved it might simply not be the right fit for your business and have limited potential.

Oxfordshire Business Networks

With multiple members of the team having been a part of multiple business networks across Oxfordshire and on a national level below are ten of Oxfordshire’s most popular networks.

Are you looking to grow your business? Book your free business review session today and start discovering the opportunities at your fingertips. Book here or call us on 01993 225030 to find out more.

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