Actual article date: May 28, 2013

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Networking is all about making connections and building enduring relationships. In a world where connection is everything, networking is critical and has become a springboard for success. Good contacts are a unique resource that can make a huge difference when doing business. People mainly do business with people they know, people they like and people they trust. To achieve that, networking is an unavoidable step. On top of that, it has been proven that 60% to 90% of jobs are found through friends, relatives and personal contacts. This presents as undeniable proof that networking is useful.

Networking is especially useful for start-ups and small businesses because of the need to conserve resources. It is a valuable way to expand their knowledge, learn from the successes and failures of others, attain new clients as well as tell others about their businesses. I have found four blinding benefits of networking which I would like to share with you.

Firstly, networking brings opportunities. Networking brings with it numerous benefits such as relationships and partnerships, client leads, sales, advise, advertizing knowledge, the list continues. It is thus important to choose the right opportunity to invest in, rather than jumping into all of them.

Secondly, networking brings connections with the right people. Knowing the right people at the right time might open you to some doors that you would never have dreamt of before.

Thirdly, networking builds your reputation. People will begin noticing and hearing about you and your business if you regularly network. While this may seem to be a double-edged sword, based on the type of reputation you project, it is not difficult to project a good reputation if you are sincere. Remember, a genuine interest in another goes a long way.

Finally, networking is a way of stimulating your creativity and approach towards different businesschallenges. Networking allows you to talk to different kinds of people from different backgrounds and aptitudes. They might see the issues that you are tackling with different perspectives. This would allow you to glean fresh insights that you would never have thought of.

While networking has a lot to bring, one has to keep in mind that successful networking takes real effort. To succeed you must continually connect with new people, cultivate emerging relationships and leverage your existing network.