How networking has become the new ‘Shop Local’

If you prefer to watch a video, here is a video version of the blog...

For the last couple of years, since I’ve been running my own small business, I’ve been going to networking groups. One thing I have noticed is that they are all very different, no two groups are the same. And you definitely need to find the ones you like and ones which suit you!

You also need to find the one’s which work for you!

I wrote about how you can find the networking groups which suit you in a previous blog called ‘Confessions of a Business Networker’. 
​
Most of the networking groups I attend are women only and I've started to notice some similarities about these women:

• Most of the members used to work in corporate businesses
• Most of them used to do a different job in the corporate business
• They ALL want to choose their own work/life balance

The Big Thing

But the big thing that I’ve noticed about these business owners is that they genuinely want to help each other succeed. They want to use each others businesses and they want to recommend each other.

They want other women in the same position to do well!!!

I’ve begun to notice this a lot. So, the other day I had a quick think about how these women buy from each other in one network group that I am a member of. 

Within about a minute I had connected the following businesses together. These are business owners who buy each others products or use each others services.

You know who you are??? And there are many many more connections just from this one networking group.

Shopping Local
What these women are also doing by using each others business, is shopping local. The more money you keep in the local economy the more money stays in the local economy. Keep doing this and the money goes round in a circle within your local community.

If we buy from big corporate businesses where does the money go? Who knows?
​
More than likely it goes out of our local communities and doesn’t come back. Gone!!!

Support Local Businesses

So like the women in the Networking group, lets all buy more and more local. Support our small businesses to keep the money in the community and help benefit us all.

The networking group has become the new 'local', so lets keep shopping more and more in our 'local' networking groups.

‘Share the Love’

This networking group definitely works for me and the other business owners in it. Wanting to help each other and keeping it local.

In my business I love helping other businesses to achieve their goals and be successful. If I can make them happy, then it makes me happy. It all has a knock on effect, they win, I win, everybody wins - Yeah!!!

If you want to make more money for your business and help to boost your local community - get in touch.

---