How many network meetings do you attend a month?

[Chris Toombes]

Just a quick straw poll to ask how many network meetings you attend a month.

[Dianne Ragell]

This is Small Business Week (Oct 19 - 23) and if you are not out there networking you are losing precious ground.

I network every week with my BNI members, a group of 25 very dynamic business professionals that build relationships with each other. Each seat is worth $25,000 per year.
We meet on Wednesday mornings for breakfast in Richmond Hill and if anyone wants to join me as a visitor and to check out how BNI works, please feel free to contact me and I will give you the details

I have also networked at POWE events, Markham Board of Trade (too big), Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce (smaller than Markham), BizLaunch and Unleash PR events. I network online through LinkedIn.

At the end of each month - I look for networking events for the following month.
Networking is the lifeline marketing strategyfor my service based business.
The Event Planner

[Karrine (Kay) McFarlane]

In person absolutely NONE. My clients aren't local so its not a worthwhile use of my time ;) I'd rather attend conferences focused to a specific demographic.

Now online I am all over networking 'calls' and webinars which allow me to multi task ;)

[Fran Savage]

I'm a Member of POWE, which has a yearly Membership fee of a few hundred dollars. I usually attend 1 POWE meeting per month for a fee of $22. I'm also a Member of a Meet Up Group which charges no fees. I usually attend 2 of these Meetings a month. In addition, I host 2 other Meet Ups each month. While I find both the POWE & Meet UP Events effective for developing relationships and building my business, I prefer the Meet Ups because they're smaller & less structured, which leads to more one-on-one interactions and a freer exchange of ideas.

[Sandi Ashby]

I should revise my answer somewhat. My company has no weekly meetings, however, I go weekly to my BNI meeting, and once a month to a Chamber networking function.

[Sandi Ashby]

I do not attend any monthly meetings with my business

[Cindy L. Dow]

Hello, being a home based business I found I was craving contact with other people in business and found out about POWE and decided to attend a meeting to see what it was like...loved it and the ladies there so joined and look forward to our monthly meetings! I recently joined the local Home Builders Association and found the first meeting challenging as I knew nobody but once I got talking it was all good and I look forward to attending more meetings in the New Year!

I think it is good to "be out there" and hear about other business owners experiences, being active by networking rather than placing an ad and waiting for the phone to ring is more enjoyable and more productive!

I also find being involved in your community is rewarding in many ways...I belong to the local am aerobics and have met a great group of ladies there and feel awesome after the workout...great start to my day!

[Denise Franklin]

I attend 3-4 POWE (Power of Women Exchange) meetings a month and find the networking the POWE way is most definatley the best means of promoting my business that I have found. I also attend quarterly WSBN (Women's Small Business Network) meetings and any functions that I can to introduce myself and my business.

Denise Franklin
D's Bookkeeping Service
[e-mail]
www.bookkeepingbyd.com
Contributing Author - Power of Women United.

[Regg Struyk]

Used to attend 3 - 4 per month, however I find many of them not that useful. Being an entrepreneur time is limited and now I only attend 1 - 2 max per month. Maybe the question should be do you find networking events useful?

[Christine M. Corrigan]

I myself attend about 6 networking meetings in a month.

[Jeremy Tyrrell]

I attend Windsor Executive Association lunch once a week, the occasional Chamber of Commerce after biz event (2 a year max), my professional association stuff 6 times a year or more between Ottawa and Toronto, and professional conferences across North America. Does having dinner with the family count as a networking meeting?

[Rebecca Palmer]

I am currently attending 1-2 networking events per month, usually with the Barrie Chamber. I'm looking to attend more in the future when my maternity leave ends in January.

[Diane Coville]

My networking has changed over the last few months. Previously, I attended at least 6 networking events a month. I am a member of the BARRIE Chamber of Commerce, W.I.N.G.S. Canada (women in business), the Small Business Networking Association based in Barrie, BNI, and other network groups. I went every month to establish relationships with other new business owners as well as reconnect and build on relationships with people I have met in the last 4 years. As my "virtual assistance" business has grown, my networking strategies have had to change. I have now added CVAC, VANA, IVAA and several other prominent Virtual Assistance organizations on-line. Most of these organizations do on-line meetings, seminars and group events in the afternoons and evenings and sometimes on weekends. I have had to curtail some of my local networking in order to attend the VA meetings and, of course, I have client work to do as well. I still attend 6 meetings "at least" a month.

Diane Coville
ALTERNATIVE OFFICE ASSISTANCE