Many savvy companies around the world are starting to see the enormous potential that is social networking.  Sites like Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, even YouTube, are no longer just for kids anymore, as Fortune 500 giants are breaking into the world of social networking.  Just like any new technology, there are ins and outs to know, as well as different strategies to use to correctly utilize these social markets.  But if you learn how to utilize this new technology wisely, and learn how to effectively connect to possibly millions of potential customers and clients all over the world, then not only will your business continue to grow, but you will stay steps ahead of your competition.

Remember that people on the internet, especially in social networking sites, hate advertising.  When they’re on the internet they don’t want to be solicited, especially when they’re on their favorite social networking site chatting with friends.  So how do you sell to customers, without actually selling to customers?  The answer is business networking.  What you want to do is build relationships.  Instead of trying to sell them something they don’t want to buy, offer something cool that is free, like an internet promotion, or product giveaways, to build trust with your customers.  But say you can’t afford any promotional giveaways at the moment.  That is fine.  Simply make a promotional video that your networking friends can share with other friends to gain attention and build excitement about your business.

The next step is to target your specific market base.  Evaluate the kind of customers you’re looking to attract, and choose a social networking site that can tailor to your needs.  If you’re a band, and you want people to hear your music, MySpace Music could be a perfect option.  Here you can upload songs and connect with friends who can listen to your music for free, and tell you what they think.  However, if you’re a high-level executive consultant for a large firm, and they hire you to tap into the social markets, choosing more sophisticated sites like LinkedIn or Ryze might be a better way to go.  Evaluate who your business is, and what is your goal for using social networking sites.

Keep in mind that there are two keys to success when marketing your business on social networking sites.  The first is to be specific, yet bring as much attention to your business as possible.  Find out which sites can be beneficial to your business, and use as many of them as you can.  Build relationships with thousands of potential clients, and gain their trust, and show them that yours is a reputable business they might be interested in.  The second is to be patient.  Social networking success does not happen over night.  It takes months and months to build a steady following, as well as get your name and business out there.  Be patient and stick to it and you, and your business will have great success utilizing what social networking has to offer.

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If you love books and enjoy meeting people, starting a book club could be the answer.  A club where you share similar interests makes it so much easier to get know each other because you have a common interest.  A book club discussion allows everyone to share their opinions and views in a way that does not intimidate or judge so strangers become friends very quickly.  It can also lead to other activities that you can share such as going to view a movie based on one of the books you have discussed.  If you think you might like to start a book club here are some suggestions for getting started.

Who will join your club?  Will it be for men or women only or a combined group?  Will it include all ages, just middle aged folks or maybe it will be a club for retirees only.

What type of books will you include in your discussions?  Will it be only for a certain genre or all types of books?  Will it be only fiction or nonfiction?

How will you decide which books to choose?  Will one person make the selection or will club members alternate who chooses the book?

How often will you meet to discuss the book?  Every week, halfway through or when the book is finished?

Where will you meet? Sometimes it is fun just to meet at each other’s homes, but don’t overlook other possibilities such as your local library, schools or recreation center.

How many members will the book club have?  This may be a function of how large a space you have for holding meetings.  Remember, you want to be somewhat cozy and comfortable for ease of discussion.

Who will lead the discussion? It is not always necessary to have a moderator for this type of club but it can help.  Some clubs simply delegate someone at the end of a meeting to moderate the next one.  This gives the selected person time to prepare, if need be, for that role.

Will you serve refreshments and who’ll provide them? It’s always nice to have light refreshments.  You can make it as simple as the person hosting also provides the snacks, or you could just put the names on a list and go in order.  If someone is going to be absent, it is their responsibility to call the next person on the list.

How will you advertise for members? Advertising in a meeting service will help promote your club.  You could also advertise in local papers or on bulletin boards.

One other item for consideration is how long your meetings will be and how often will you meet.

These are just a few of the questions you’ll have to answer to get your club up and running.

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Have you ever wondered about the measures that most successful business men and women have taken to gain the success they enjoy? There may not be a set formula, but those who have tasted such success would agree there are certain strategies that can have a dramatic effect on how well a business functions. We reveal seven secrets that could transform your business today:

1. The importance of networking
Many entrepreneurs will devote time to finding and cultivating relationships with key peers, mentors and advisers. These relationships are important for fueling future business and supporting the business with crucial needs. Make the effort to network with people who can help your business become better. Websites like Meeting Wave are being used by more and more companies as a means of business networking.

2. Be 100% customer focused
First identify your customers’ needs and wants. What can your business do to make their lives better? Then be committed to delivering the best customer service possible. Master these two things and you will help form a loyal customer base on which to grow your business.

3. Know your weaknesses and strengths
Evaluate what your business strengths and weaknesses are. Don’t place the majority of your efforts into resolving your weaknesses. Instead, focus on your strengths and help your company become one that excels in these areas. Mastery will gain attention from potential and existing customers.

4. Be adaptable
Nothing is ever certain, especially in the business world. As the world changes, so do people and their needs. Make your company one that is able to change and adapt according to these needs. Be willing to do things differently or offer different services if you see the need arise.

5. Keep looking for better ways
High productivity is a key function of successful businesses. Evaluate the way your business works and always look for ways to improve productivity. Examples of methods used to achieve this are technology, automation, outsourcing and improving business processes.

6. Balance your business lifestyle
It’s easy to become totally consumed with your business. Many successful entrepreneurs agree it’s important to maintain a healthy balance between business and personal pursuits. Plan your time well and you will develop a business life that is more enjoyable.

7. See failures and problems as opportunities
When you come up against a difficulty or failure in your business, turn it into an opportunity for growth. Problems are a regular part of business life but how you deal with them could be the difference between true failure and success.
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If you were asked about your local community, would you describe it as a place you live in or something you feel a part of? Sadly, a lot of people today say they hardly know the people who live in their own neighborhood. Many fail to realize that getting to know people in their community can present a vast amount of benefits both to themselves and the people around them. Here are just some of the reasons:

Feel safer
Neighborhoods where people are familiar with each other often feel more secure. If your neighbors are your friends, they are more likely to notice if there is any suspicious activity around your home. These communities are also more likely to have a neighborhood watch schemes in place which makes the whole community feel safer.

Improve your community
Forming or being part of a community group also presents the opportunity to hold discussion groups or meetings regarding problems or needs in the local area. It gives you a chance to have your voice and opinions heard and a way for the community to work together to resolve them for everyone’s best interest. Community groups are also great launching pads for projects that help improve the neighborhood, e.g., graffiti clean-up or campaigning for better local services.

Club together
If you know people in your community, you might be able to arrange carpools - saving you money and helping the environment too. You will also have people to rely on to feed your cats or keep an eye on your house if you go on vacation.

Enjoy socializing
Knowing people in your community can be enjoyable, too. You could discover some great friends who live in the same area and your community might even arrange block parties or barbeques that are fun for all the family and help build community spirit.

Feel happier
Lastly, a lot of people would agree that knowing others and being known in your community makes it a friendlier and happier place to be!

So how do I get involved in my local community?
If your community doesn’t already have its own group or clubs to join, you might want to try forming some. Why not post an invite for other locals interested in bringing your particular community together? You can connect with and meet people in your local area who have the same desire. Once your meeting takes place, you can discuss your ideas to start a local group and help bring your community together.

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“Knowledgeable people know facts.  Successful and prosperous people know people.”  John Demartini

Networking has been recognized by many business leaders as one of the best ways to be successful socially and in business.  It has been described as the highest form of service; people getting together to help each other for the benefit of all.

For someone who knows about networking, it becomes an inexpensive marketing tool, assisting him or her in getting new contacts, meeting the right people, finding a great job, or discovering new ways to be the best.

Business networking is an attitude, a way of seeing life that helps people relate in a new way to other people and to the resources available.  Remember the saying: “It is who you know, not what you know”?  It is absolutely true, and networking is the proof.

It has been proven that a referral is 80% more efficient than a cold call, that over 70% of jobs are secured through networking, and that for most people who have more than 250 contacts on their lists, hiring costs are virtually null.

So, what is the secret behind networking?  How do you make it work for you?  Very easy, help others succeed.  When you do this, people will look for you.  Here are some tips to improve your networking skills, increase your contact list, and become stronger professionally and personally.

1.    Help others meet their goals.  If you help them, they will help you back.

2.    Host some networking events and make sure you meet everyone there.

3.    Hand out business cards to everyone.

4.    Keep in touch and follow up with calls, assistance and appropriate gifts.

5.    Be grateful for any help you receive, acknowledge the giver appropriately.

6.    Decline events that are meaningless to your goals, but do it politely and with class.

7.    Ask for help in a direct but courteous way.

8.    Request advice from your new contacts as to who could help you with a specific project or idea.

9.    Become a member of professional organizations that promote networking and skill development.

10.     Become a renowned networker with a valuable and respected network.

Today, networking is recognized as a lifestyle, as a way of doing business and as a way of helping other people reach success.  It is a direct way to care about others and support them, creating long lasting relationships, quality connections, and even friends for life.

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With women business owners and women business professionals expanding their influence everyday, it is no question that meeting other like-minded women business professionals makes great business sense.  The goal to networking is to meet professionals in your industry that can make your business more powerful and competitive.  But women know that it may sometimes be harder for them to rise through the ranks as fast as men, and women might face some added discrimination that men don’t face.  Because of this, it is even more important to network with a group of like-minded women professionals in your industry so that you can share tips of the trade and offer a support system that you will find invaluable.

Business women, especially women executives have a distinct advantage when it comes to business networking.  Women have been found to have distinct talents in communication, multi-tasking, and strict attention to detail, which are all crucial in developing business networking relationships.  Women have a distinct ability to build relationships with people and to build trust and understanding.  Women can use these professional and personal skills to win over new clients and contacts, not to mention regain the loyalty of old customers.  Women make the perfect business networkers.

There are plenty of business networking groups and organizations that cater specifically to women.  You can find many of these on the internet or find listings at your local chamber of commerce.  Some are organizations where you meet every week, or every month, with other women business professionals in your area that have a unique expertise in your industry.  Or you can network across the world with many online networking sites specifically designed for women business professionals.  Here you can form new relationships, learn from women you have already “made it”, and learn from women who may be starting out like yourself.

If you are a woman trying to get established in a man’s business world, it is not always wrong to seek a little bit of assistance.  And that’s what networking with other women business professionals can do for you.  Try to meet with other women business professionals once a week, if not once a month.  Have your women networking associates make lists of other women professionals that might be interested in networking and go from there.  It is important to build a large network of strictly women networking associates so that you can stay ahead of the competition.  Being a woman in today’s business world can be challenging, but with the right support system and the right network of like-minded associates you will rise to the top of your game as a woman business professional.

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We all have to do it at some point, and for some of us, talking to strangers is a walk in the park, while for others of us it’s absolutely terrifying.  Some of us have skill and others are left floundering.  Being social is something that never hurts in any part of our lives, and if we do it well it can have a positive impact on our careers, social life, home life and the connections we keep therein.  Here are a few pointers on how to talk to strangers:

Timing is key. Trying to stop someone as they’re running to catch a train, getting up to leave, in the middle of a transaction or in any private situation is always the wrong time to try to strike up a conversation.  Instead, look for opportunities where there is a lull in the everyday world, like while seated on the bus, waiting in line, or engaging in a leisurely activity like shopping.  Chatting at a bar, a party or a club is for the most part always okay, whereas at other restaurants or coffee shops discretion should be used.

Keep it light. A first meeting is no time to talk about politics, religion or death unless circumstances suggest it.  Keep conversation on light topics and engage your partner with more questions than answers.  Avoid asking overly personal questions such as age, family situation, or home life and focus instead on hobbies, interests and work.

Compliments are a great start, but be careful. Complimenting a scarf, necklace or a pair of shoes is a fantastic way to start a conversation, but even when talking to parties of the same sex (and especially of the opposite) talking about a person’s appearance will certainly imply the conversation is meant for a singles hook-up and not to improve your business networking!  Even if your intention is to meet singles, young women especially often don’t respond kindly to men who immediately focus on appearance.

Don’t force the conversation. If it’s not happening, be prepared to let it go.  Not every conversation you enter into leads to more friends, and not everyone will appreciate your attempt at conversation. Closed body language and short answers are both big signs your conversation partner doesn’t want to talk and when you pick up on that, make your exit gracefully.  Being courteous and reading the signs now, may make them more open to you in the future.

Smile. Just like you should respond to body language with your conversation partner, they will respond to you.  Smiling is the smallest thing we can do with the biggest impact.  Keeping your body open and relaxed, as well, will help avoid an unwanted bad first impression.  Also keep in mind that displays of emotion such as nervousness or shyness can often be seen as being cold, distant and anti-social, all of which turn off a potential business contact for conversation as well as any future dealings.

Keep these things in mind and you’ll be establishing social groups locally in no time!

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