COUNTY HOUSE RESEARCH Tip Sheet

YOU’RE ALWAYS ON

Otherwise known as

Everything You Need to Know About Networking

There is an old Japanese riddle: Is it the bell that rings? Is it the hammer that rings? Or is it the meeting of the two that rings?

Charlie Jones, an internationally known speaker on the challenging problems in business, tells us: You are the same today as you will be five years from now, except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read.

What does this mean to you, the business manager or entrepreneur?

The books you read simply means keeping up with all that is new, different, and exciting in order to continuously enhance your company’s business and your own mind.

The people you meet are important because they are part of your network. They include not only your present customers, but extend much further to those you meet at social and business gatherings, your local neighborhood, or shopping mall; the list is almost endless.

Networking is people talking to each other, sharing ideas, information and resources, according to John Naisbitt, author of “Megatrends.” He continues Networks are structured to transmit information in a way that is quicker, more energy-efficient, and more high-tech than any other process we know. You can network in your community by belonging to the local civic club, charity, and political group or by contacting industry members that you meet at conferences.

Many people are uncomfortable asking someone they just met for help in the future. The fact is most people are happy (and flattered) to offer help when asked. We have a “magic sentence” at these times: “I have a problem and I need your help.”

With that, you are telling the person that he or she is being singled out for advice. This person is likely to provide you with useful directions in order to keep his or her reputation as a leading authority intact.

We, like many of you, will be attending the Tampa Pre-Employment Screening Conference next month. As charter attendees, we recognize the long-term value in meeting with our fellow industry members, exchanging ideas, learning about both new technology and regulations and how to continue to propel our business upward to reach new heights. We look towards an exciting, educational, and yes fun, several days in the sun. Be sure to say hello, introduce, or reintroduce yourself, and let us all learn together and from each other.

Remember, the potential for growing your business extends beyond not only the walls of your business, but also the boundaries of your community.

With computers, modems, e-mails and Web sites, the world has become smaller, which allows you to tell more people who you are and what you do.

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