Answer: It’s great way to make friends, spread the word about your company and get more business in the process.
As I have mentioned in the past, joining several networking groups is a great idea for your cleaning business.
One of the networking groups I joined about a year ago (a local small business association), asked if I would like to be on their board of directors. Obviously I was honored to be considered for the post, but I did have some reservations.
My thought process went like this:
- What’s involved?
- Am I ready for this next step?
- How will I manage my time for this commitment?
But the more I thought about it, the more my thinking started to change. After a few days of mulling this over, I realized that my fellow members thought enough of me personally to ask me to represent their association (which is a real honor).
So how could I say no.
This meant I would stop worrying about it, make myself ready mentally for the challenge and find the time needed to make the most of this opportunity. I’m happy to say I did all three!
I was sworn in last Wednesday along with the other board members and I must say felt pretty good about it. It’s my first time being on a board of directors of any kind.
This is going to be taking me into new unfamiliar territory, but the way I see it, if you don’t explore new territory you will become stale and unchallenged (which is not a good thing).
The business association will have a many events during this year, and I will get to participate in each of them on some level. Committees are formed to handle each individual event, with each member playing either a leading role or a being part of the supporting cast.
By doing this I will get my name out in the community (and our cleaning companies name) in ways that were not available to us before. This my friends is one of many low cost ways to get your name out there (and grow your business).
At the end of the day, the more people who are exposed to you (and your company) the better. This is because each time you meet someone new, you get exposure to that persons circle of influence (friends, family and co-workers).
So lets review what joining just this one business association has just done for our cleaning business in the past year.
- I know virtually all the members of the association (and more importantly, they know me).
- I have expanded my businesses reach in a low cost way (only $95.00 per year).
- I have made many friends, with many becoming customers (one job alone gave us $700.00 in profit).
- We are listed on the associations website (which adds credibility).
- The effort does not take a lot of time (roughly 2 hours per month), yet it provides a proven financial benefit.
- Became a board member, which opens the door for even more exposure.
Now keep in mind, I’m not saying you should be on the board of directors, as that may not be your cup of tea. But you really do need to just join a business association (several preferably).
Just a few hours of your time each month will help you to get known in the community, which is exactly what you need in the early stages of your business career.
Should you have any questions about how to go about it, just visit the contact page and put “networking question” in the headline. I’ll help you out the best I can.
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