May
I network a lot. I attend meetings both within groups and over coffee with individuals. I look for business development opportunities for my own business Executive Sales Support and also for opportunities to help my network through my expertise, or passing along opportunities I think might be a fit for others.
One of my network groups is HAPPEN in Mississauga, Halton and Peel Professional Executive Network. There are many wonderful professionals “in transition” in HAPPEN. They are a great group that offers help while they are looking themselves and also after they land. One member, in particular, who helped me through his public relations efforts, is Hugh Black from HMB Communications Group. Contact hughblack at cogeco.ca.
Within HAPPEN, conversations are around finding full time employment and within my business networking groups, the conversations are around finding new business development opportunities. Over the past months, I have noticed a difference emerging between the two groups. On one hand full time traditional employment seems to be going the way of the dinosaur and on the other hand, the members of the small business group are as busy or busier than before Christmas.
Yesterday, all the random pieces of networking came together. I had been networking with Hugh Black, putting forward my point of view that people were choosing self employment, then the new Canadian statistics for unemployment in April 2009 showed that unemployment stayed the same and there was an increase in the self employed numbers.
As a result of Hugh Black’s efforts; I was interviewed as an example of someone who had successfully transferred their skills and started their own business, Executive Sales Support. My business helps sales and business professionals get out of the office to see more clients and close deals. As a result of this interview, I was mentioned in an article on the front page of The Toronto Star’s Business section on Saturday May 9, 2009.
Yahoo, networking pays off for business development!
If you want to network with me I have a linked in profile. I look forward to helping you.
Here is the link to the article “Self-employment: The ‘do-it-yourself recovery’ Jobs increased last month, largely through people embracing self employment. The Toronto Star’s Business section on Saturday May 9, 2009.
Cudos to you Cheryl for sticking it out. Developing a small business takes time.
For me, too, this year looks like the year of the big breakthrough, where all of my efforts in developing a new line of business – in effect, reinventing myself as an entrepreneur – have finally come to fruition, after more than two years of 7-day work weeks.
Cheryl…great article in the Toronto star, very meaningful and you are right it is great to have a good network. Congratulations! You have a great blog, that I enjoy reading, great information and more importantly your story provides hope and shows what some hard work and flexibility can do.