I talk a lot about MeetingWave and how people can use the tool for their professional growth. I thought I would be a little more specific about how MeetingWave can be used based on some recent face-to-face conversations I have had about the site.

Small business owner: MeetingWave is great for small business owners. Not only is it free, but it also allows you to take your message directly to people living in your area. For example, if you are a financial planner, you might post an invite for a meeting about tweaking a portfolio to make the most of today’s stock market. It’s a direct way to provide valuable information to your community, and hopefully generate clients. Similarly, if you are an acupuncturist or nutritionist, you might post a meeting invite to talk about effective ways to reduce stress or eat better, and, again, generate clients.

Individual professional: In this economy, we should all be making sure we are prepared for change, and thinking about our next opportunity. MeetingWave is a great tool to help you connect with others to explore new opportunities. For instance, if you are looking to enter the alternative energy or healthcare markets, you can use MeetingWave to get in touch with people locally who are already in these fields, and understand how you might prepare yourself to enter them. Ideally, you can find a mentor who can help you define a path to your next opportunity.

Entrepreneur: Starting a business is exciting, and challenging. MeetingWave can help you connect with other business people who have already been through the process, and hopefully make you successful. When you post meeting invites, be specific about what you are looking for, whether it’s help with hiring employees, leases, legal issues, finding customers or working with manufacturers. You can also use MeetingWave to find business partners and investors. Remember, MeetingWave helps members arrange networking meetings with new people over coffee, lunch or other meeting activity for business, professional or social purposes.

MeetingWave Features:
* Control when and where you meet and whether the meeting occurs.
* Control who you meet and when to disclose your identity.

Offline networking is still the most effective way to find opportunities. Good Luck!

With so much uncertainty about the economy, jobs and the stock market, it’s worthwhile to devote some time thinking about your next steps and how to create a path to success in this environment. One way to explore options and get advice is to network with other professionals who may be in a similar position, or who are already doing what you want to do.

MeetingWave is a great way to connect with other professionals for networking, including discussing ideas, creating partnerships, evaluating business opportunities, or just supporting each other. MeetingWave is unique in that you can be specific about the type of people you want to meet, and you meet people face-to-face. Finally, since we focus on small meetings, you don’t have to worry about how to meet people in a room of 50 or 100 people.

Try posting an invite on MeetingWave – Remember to be specific about the type of meeting you are looking to have. You will be able to decline anyone who doesn’t meet your criteria, before you ever meet.

Good luck!

Tina