Networking Tips for Small Business Owners

When small business owners need to wear a lot of different hats, networking might seem like one hat that isn’t necessary. Networking can be advantageous to the business, but it can also be enjoyable connecting with other professionals in your field and potential clients.

Here are a few networking tips for small business owners:

Set Networking Objectives

To maximize your efforts, sit down and think about why you want to expand your network. Do you want to recruit new talent to join your team? Do you want leadership skills development advice? Maybe it would be nice to talk through how to solve common issues with another small business owner in your field. No matter what you want to achieve, it is important to target your objectives.

Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

When you’re speaking with people about your business, it’s helpful to have a concise and catchy blurb. Whether you are talking to community leaders or potential clients, it’s essential to represent your business well. In your elevator pitch, make sure you include who you are, what you do, and what makes your business different. Most importantly, make sure you represent your business passionately; passion is infectious.

Find more tips to craft your elevator pitch here.

Establish an Online Presence

Like it or not, social media is here to stay. An exorbitant amount of people’s time is spent on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to name a few. There is ample opportunity to network, and maintain connections, with peers and colleagues online. By posting about your business and new opportunity, you dispense information about your company and push your brand a little further. It also helps to get creative.

Talk, But Also Listen

While networking, it’s easy to get carried away about your objectives and mission—and that’s important. It’s also important to lend an ear to your peers. Not only is it polite, but other small business owners are a wealth of information. Networking is as much about learning and expanding your knowledge base as it is about furthering your business.

Follow Up

If you have a meaningful conversation with somebody, it’s acceptable to follow up the next day with a polite email. If you both connected and had a productive conversation, they will want to hear from you. Reaching out – while it might seem uncomfortable – is flattering, not pushy. The other person will appreciate the thought and follow through. Following up is a good way to start maintaining the relationships you are forming. Follow-ups can turn a networking event into an established professional relationship.

Join the Sartell Chamber

It’s easy to get involved and join the Sartell Chamber. We pride ourselves in providing quality networking opportunities – where we would love for you to put these tips to work. Get involved by joining an event committee. We have five with spots open in each. You can also become an event sponsor, volunteer at an event, or simply attend one of our events. By sponsoring a monthly meeting and buying lunch for our members, you receive 20 minutes of presentation time.


There are so many ways to get involved and to start networking now. A year from now, you will wish you would have started today!

The Importance of Personal Networking

The sayings, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”, and, “It’s not what you
know, it’s who knows you” are true. It’s a big world, full of opportunity, and the
more people you know, the bigger your chances are of landing that opportunity,
or at least finding one. The best way to grow your network is to do just that:
network.

Building relationships is extremely important in becoming successful. Think
about it. Would you want to do business with someone you don’t like or trust?
Not likely. Take advantage of meeting new people because whether you end up
working with them, or not, you can learn from them in some way.

To put things into perspective, did you know that according to the Pew Research
Center, the average American has approximately 634 contacts? Now, that may
seem like a lot of people; well, it is a lot of people, but those contacts mainly
consist of friends, family, ex-colleagues, and/or ex-classmates. That said - there
is plenty of room to grow and broaden your network.

Personal networking isn’t just about how many Facebook friends, Twitter
followers, LinkedIn connections, or acquaintances you have, it’s about how many
actually know who you are and what you do, and vise versa.

The best way to build your personal network is to nurture your contacts and the
people in your network. Here are some of the ways you can do this:

1. Stay in touch 

2. Be interested in what they do

3. Be reliable

4. Share resources

5. Attend social and networking events

6. Share your connections with other people

Before you know it, by growing your network, those 634 personal contacts you
have could double, or maybe even triple, and if you’re really good, the numbers
will just keep going up from there.

What is a Chamber of Commerce?

A community’s chamber of commerce is so important, yet many don’t understand exactly what they do; in fact, the term “chamber of commerce” is one of the oldest and most well-recognized brands in the world, but there is significant misunderstanding of its meaning, so we are going to answer it for you.

A chamber of commerce is a local association to promote and protect the interests of the business community in a particular place, which, in our case, is the community of Sartell, Minnesota. A chamber of commerce is made up of businesses seeking to further their collective interests, while advancing their community. In addition to promoting local businesses, a chamber of commerce also sponsors local business and networking events.

There are many different reasons why people decide to join their community’s chamber of commerce, including the following:

• Wanting to support their community
• Wanting to influence issues important to them and their business
• Wanting to take advantage of Chamber resources, including discounts
• It would benefit their business and act as a publicity boost
• It’s a great networking opportunity
• And so much more!

The Sartell Area Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1994 and began with a membership of 30. Throughout the years of volunteers promoting Sartell and its area businesses, and strong leadership, the Sartell Chamber has grown to a membership of over 170. 

Our members say that their membership with our chamber has proven to be invaluable for their businesses. By joining the Sartell Chamber of Commerce, you and your business will be able to take advantage of the following membership benefits:

• Link and listing on the Sartell Chamber website
• Networking at monthly meetings and social events
• Promotional community events
• Annual Chamber Gold Outing 
• Free lunch at monthly Membership Meeting
• New Release and Hot Deals Advertising
• Free radio advertising package equates to 20 30-second commercials
• Membership window decal to display your support
• Membership dues are tax deductible

Well, did we answer your questions? We hope so. What are you waiting for? Join your local chamber today!

For more details, visit our website at www.sartellchamber.com.

Finding a Job During the Holidays

During the holiday season there is abundant family time, year-end pressures at work, and overall business. This makes it unlikely to find a job during the holidays, right? Wrong. It is actually more likely that some will find work during the holidays for a few key reasons...

There is less competition. The assumption that November, December, and January aren’t ideal months for the job hunt is shared by many individuals. Because of this assumption there aren’t as many people to compete with for jobs during the holiday season.

People are in a good mood during the holidays. Although there is some stress associated with the business and the deadlines during the holiday season, people do tend to be in a festive mood. This festivity will contribute to some generosity by employers during the holidays!

There are ample networking events. With all of the different holiday parties and gatherings there are more chances to network and find new job opportunities. You get to meet many new people who can potentially provide new prospects for jobs! Be aware of this so that you can take advantage of these social events and so that you are professional! You may even encounter familiar faces who slipped your mind to contact while job hunting.

Not only are there parties and gatherings hosted by family and friends but there are also events held by professional organizations! Businesses and Chamber of Commerce groups tend to have holiday events which can draw even more individuals with whom to network! Check out the Sartell Chamber of Commerce website for some of our Chamber’s upcoming events! Details for the Chamber Holiday Social can be found on the flyer below.

Interview Tips

We all get nervous about interviews from time to time… or always. Doing the proper research beforehand can help to ease some nerves and also lead to greater success. There are the basic tips like dress professionally and don’t show up late. We have seven unique tips that are easy to implement but are commonly overlooked when preparing for an interview.

1. Don’t schedule your interview for early on Monday’s or late on Friday’s.

Sometimes you may not have control over this. If the employer asks if you’d prefer Monday at 10:30 or Tuesday at 10:30, go with Tuesday. Studies show that peoples’ minds may not be fully engaged in work early on Monday’s and late on Friday’s so you are better off with mid-week interviews.


2. Aim to be 10 minutes early

Don’t be too early to the interview because it can cause more anxiety while you wait to interview and it can cause the interviewer stress and pressure because they feel as though you are waiting on them to begin the interview. You do not want to be anxious and you do not want your interviewer to be stress. 10 minutes is the perfect amount of time because it shows that you are serious because you are early but it does not create boredom and anxiety for you nor does it add pressure to the interviewer.


3. Leave your phone in the car.

This may seem like common sense but you would be surprised how many people bring their phones into an interview. You may have your phone so you can watch the time or have something to look at while waiting for the interviewer, but you should just leave it in the car. Even the slight glance at your cell phone can lead the interviewer to believe you aren’t serious about the job and it can be seen as a sign of disrespect.


4. Wear color.

Of course you do not want to be distracting with too much color and flashy jewelry but some color is important. It seems when you wear color people think that you are happier and friendlier. Do not go with all neutral tones or you will not stand out. It is a delicate balance between too much and too little. You are your best judge but we recommend incorporating color in a professional way into your attire for an interview.


5. Notice the time-table of the interviewer’s questions

If the interviewer is asking questions in a future manner that is a good sign. If the interviewer is asking you about your future plans and where you will see yourself this is because they are naturally picturing you in their organization in the future and they are curious whether your plans align with their ideas. The further into the future the interviewer frames questions or conversation, the better.


6. When answering a question talk for no less than 20 seconds and no more than 2 minutes.

This is important because you do not want to leave awkward silences by giving an inadequate answer but you also do not want to exceed about two minutes and dominate all of the discussion. Studies show that during most successful interviews the dialogue is about 50/50- 50% the interviewer and 50% the interviewee.


7. Send a thank you note or email after the interview.

This point is one that is so easy yet so many people neglect to do it. Not only does a thank you note make you look thoughtful but it is also a great way to follow up! You do not even need to hand write a letter, email is sufficient. Sending a thank you is a great way to make you stand out. If an employer is on the fence about whether or not to hire you, a thank you note may sway them in your favor.

Creating Your Own Brand

In the job marketplace we all know that networking and professionalism are important, but how do you want to be seen by others? You don’t want to be the same as everyone else. That is why you must create your own personal brand. Within your brand you can focus on your strengths and how you would be a valuable asset to any company. You must set yourself apart from the crowd. We have compiled three major steps in formulating your own self-brand for the business market.

1. Figure out who you are and who you want to be. 

Think about yourself, your values and your principles. You want to portray yourself as you are so that you find a company whose values align with yours. Think about who you’d like to be in a business. Are you a leader? How so? What types of tasks are you best at? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Take a personality assessment such as “The Big Five Personality Traits” so that you understand what type of organization you would fit best into based on your personality style. 

2. Develop your strengths and weaknesses and be able to speak to them.

Think about what comes naturally to you. A great tool to use would be the StrengthFinder application. This assessment helps to identify major areas of strength and why/where/when these strengths would be useful. Identify your weaknesses as well as your strengths. Think about how you can utilize your strengths to help you to improve upon your weaknesses. Think about this in a way that you could explain to an employer when being interviewed or networking. The ability not only to admit to a weakness but also how you can improve upon it is very valuable to any employer. 

3. Define your goals.

What is your dream job? Why is this job your dream job? Incorporate the first two steps into your goal. How can you utilize your strengths to reach your goals? Think about your values and beliefs and use that to figure out what type of organization you’d like to work for. Create your own personal mission statement. Your goals should be SMART or Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound. The more concrete you are about your goals with yourself and your potential employer, the more likely you will accomplish them.

The concept of marketing yourself or “selling” yourself may seem slightly tacky but it is actually one of the most genuine ways to be honest about who you are & what you want, and it will help you to find an employer who is interested in those things. Creating a personal brand will help you to become more appealing to employers because of your individuality and it will help you to find an organization whose values align with yours!