HOW NETWORKING
WORKS
Networking involves interacting
with others for assistance and support.
When
you network for business purposes you will have the
opportunity to do some of the following:
• meet in organised or informal forums
• receive news bulletins and invitations to events of
general interest, eg exhibitions, lectures by prominent
business people or industry experts
• participate in debates on topics relevant to your
industry or field of business
• contribute to or participate in surveys or research in
your field or business sector
You stand to gain from the experiences of other businesses
and share new ideas on a variety of subjects including:
• training and recruitment
• talent management
• new products and markets
• industry developments
• industry laws and regulation
You may meet customers, competitors, suppliers and service
providers who are all looking for similar benefits and to
widen their contact base.
When choosing a network or partnership to join, you need to
think of your primary requirements, eg market information,
training and development opportunities, or expert advice.
Aim to balance your needs with the level of participation
and involvement you are prepared to commit.
For example if you cannot spare the time to attend
functions and events, you might focus on finding a network
hosted on the Internet. Similarly if you do not think you
will proactively pass information on or help someone else
in return for advice, you might prefer a more passive
network that supplies newsletters and bulletins (possibly
for a subscription) and hosts online debates, rather than
an events-based one.