Six months ago I decided to go out on my own as a small business owner. The following is my adventures in the world of networking, marketing and social media. The first step in the process was to create a “brand”. A couple of friends who have a wealth of knowledge in this area were priceless....a couple weeks later that aspect of business was done. Step two, a website; http://garzawebdesign.com/ created; http://boutiqueaffair.com/ . Step three armed with “real “business cards and a “real” website, I hit the networking scene but which group was right for me? Richmond has a large collection of professional organizations. The follow is a small sampling of the groups I have visited since July. I was already a member of RCEN, River City Express Networking group; http://www.rivercityexpressnetwork.org/ , NACE just kicked off a chapter in Richmond, National Association of Catering Executives; http://www.richmondnace.com/ , then there is NAWBO which is National Association of Women Business Owners; http://www.nawborichmond.org/ , AMAR which is the American Marketing Association http://amarichmond.org/; , PRSR, which is short for Public Relation Society of Richmond; http://www.prsarichmond.org/ and finally the Wedding Guide offers networking too; http://www.richmondweddings.com/ There is not enough time in the month to attend all of these meetings on top of holding client meetings….so which group should I join which meeting should I attend? I am still working on that question…..but each has its benefits; RCEN time is great and offers education, NACE has education but there is a great deal of overlap with The Wedding Guide, AMAR and PRSR both offer education elements but also have overlap…..NAWBO has an educational element and a chance to work with other enterprising women who act as your Board of Directors…..In July and December RCEN offer all networking sessions….NAWBO and AMA take the summer off to avoid burnout. There is also a company in town called Ignite who holds speed networking events throughout the year…..the next to be held Friday February 11th; https://www.ignitespeednetworking.com/events/eventinfo.aspx?id=20; they hope to set a World Record at this upcoming event. There are also events such as the launch party of the newest edition of GRID magazine where I meet great contacts. The Women Who Mean Business Summit brought to Richmond by the Metropolitan Business League, allowed business owners to interact with some of the most successful women in the state of Virginia with a Keynote address from the no nonsense Suze Orman.
Social media has opened up all kinds of low cost marketing tools to the small or emerging business owner………Facebook, Twitter, Blogging and Tumbler…..are all free tools. Did you know that Tumbler’s headquarters was located in Richmond’s own Corrugated Box Building; which has a very cool lounge brought to Richmond by C3. There is also a Social Media Club in Richmond; http://www.facebook.com/SMCRVA, follow them on Facebook to get notices of their month meeting which work to educate Richmond on the latest in Social Media.
Head spinning……mine too. I have created an old school excel spreadsheet and track what networking events I participate in, how much they cost, what connections I make and ultimately if they lead to new business. I am still trying to figure a way to track the success of social media efforts. Anyone willing to share their methods, any help is greatly appreciated!
All my best,
Jill
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