Well let me say this if you try to live in a bubble, you most likely will die in one. If you’re building a business you do not want to lose your biggest investments, Time and Money.
In today’s world it’s all about being connected. It may be something you don’t want to do, but you really have to. You can say I have a website that’s keeping me connected, but what is it doing there? Is it like an old phone book keeping the door open or is it more like keeping the door shut! There are so many things your website can do to help grow your business but that is for another conversation. I want to talk about what you can do to help others and then in turn everybody prospers. Like they say, what goes around comes around. I’m a part time Musician and I get paid to play, one thing I’ve always tried to do is hang out with better Musicians. As a Musician, my goal is not only to have fun but mainly to learn something. So that’s why mentors are so important, even in business. And don’t forget you have talents too and you should always be willing to help others, we all have mistakes and successes to share. You know “Givers Gain”!
So you ask yourself, how do you do this? Well you need to schedule some time out of your week to get out there. Get out and be involved with Chambers, BNI chapters, go to after hours events and what ever else it takes to make personal connections. Once people get to know the person behind the company name you can start connecting across different social media platforms. I’m sure you’ve heard of the main ones like LinkedIn and Facebook, these are great to advertise on and get your name out there. With your Facebook account you’ll want to create a separate page for your business, keep business and personal separate. The more you connect with people and become like minded you’ll discover the best social networks to connect with and what works for you. These new connections and business associates will have something to offer, it’s called experience and you can do the same for them. One of the biggest things is to be real and be honest, better to be yourself it’s always easier to remember the truth.
You want to become the “Needs Repair Guy” wouldn’t you love to be able to solve everybody’s problems. Say they’re looking for a good Lawyer or Plumber, you can say “I have a guy for that”! So as your network grows you understand different associates abilities and you can refer them out to someone who needs a good qualified person/business. What I’m really trying to do here is “Burst Your Bubble”! By getting involved with different social media platforms, being involved personally, and invest time with a community of business people, growth will come. You want to get your name out there and keep it there and the internet will do just that. When you use these platforms to prove to people you are the expert in your field, you will stay top of mind with your client base. So regular blogs, newsletters and basic interaction will keep your business out in front of people and make it fun. You want to create your brand that people will remember. So whatever social media platform you pick you must embrace it, hold on tight, learn to love it…. and it will love you back.
So if you are living in a bubble, Burst it and get out there, because that’s a start.