More on this topic will be covered on day one of the ‘Planning & Coordinating a wedding’ 2 day training course... if you are interested in securing your place visit the wedding planning college website.
"Business networking is a socioeconomic activity by which groups of like-minded businesspeople recognise, create, or act upon business opportunities. A business network is a type of social network whose reason for existing is business activity"
In any business, networking is key!
A great example of this is summarised in the old saying...
“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”
So... where and how do you start to build a network of contacts?
The best place to start is on your own doorstep... visit your local wedding venues such as hotels, get to know the local florists and hairdressers, attend some local business networking events to meet other local businesses - although do check beforehand the list of businesses attending as a networking event full of financial advisors and solicitors wouldn’t really be that useful to a new wedding planner (unless you haven’t yet produced your terms and conditions, in which case a solicitor could come in handy!)
You might have already started to collect business cards and contact details from other related business that you have met in the early stages of planning the launch of your business... Keep these, as you never know when you might need them.
Top Tip: Invest in some form of storage to house all the business cards, leaflets and brochures you are now starting to accumulate, as you will become overrun with things if you aren’t careful!
Remember networking isn’t just simply exchanging business cards, its then what you do with this information.... I would advise sending anyone you meet at a networking event a quick email afterwards to say how nice it was to meet them then check out their website etc... and if you bump into them again at another networking event, make the effort to say Hello (remembering their name and what they do, will ensure they remember you for all the right reasons!)
Others will be wanting to network with you too so make sure you are friendly, approachable and can confidently chat about your business and always carry business cards as you never know when you will bump into someone!
Successful working relationships can take years to build, but if you ensure you are professional and friendly from the start you will soon find that businesses will be approaching you...
This is really just the start of building a network of contacts... Even after 5 years in business my network continues to grow as each wedding brings new suppliers, venues and contacts to add to my database.
To learn more about 'Building a successful network' book your place on the 2 day 'Planning & Coordinating a wedding' training course
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