Of the my favourite things about being self-employed is the opportunity I have to network.
Sounds odd? A lot of people I know who run their own businesses absolutely HATE networking, but once you start, and build up the confidence, it’s great.
Unfortunately for me here in rural mid Wales, it’s a little tricky getting to a lot of these amazing networking events that happen across the UK in terms of digital, social media and websites. I often end up travelling across to Bristol or London for them (Digital Women, Social Media Week, Social Day being just a few I make an annual trip for), but it’s worth it.
The joy of attending networking events and conferences for me is two fold – I get to meet amazing, inspirational people along the way, and I learn so much.
It’s so easy to sit here in the office every day and assume you’re at the top of your game, but the reality is, digital is changing every hour. There’s no way you can be at the top of your game, or have all of the knowledge, without going to these events and sharing and learning with others in your field.
So, it’s important for me and my business calendar to get out there and network regularly. I really love going to the events in the cities, because it’s a fantastic way of making sure you’re keeping up with the trends.
Locally, I’ve found that a great way of networking comes from being actively a part of your community. I’m a board member for a local organisation who arranges key events in Aberystwyth over the year, as well as being a secretary for our local Place Plan campaign, and generally just proactive for anything “business” or of interest. Working on being proactive in the community really has made a difference in terms of the network of people who recommend me or my business for work.
So it really is about “getting out there”. Nervous? Why not get in touch and we can chat about it.