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Special thanks to Mary Shannon for this great article. Thought we should share it on our blog.
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Most of the success of any venture, be it professional or personal, is based on relationships. The most fruitful relationships are the most positive ones, and if you want to be popular or win in life, you need to have a wide circle of acquaintances and friends.
No matter your age, engaging socially with other people is crucial. Socialization helps us change our perceptions, boost our knowledge, acquire new skills, and also have fun. Interpersonal relationships are usually the most crucial part of a person’s life, and the mental stimulation they offer is always welcome.
Starting Your Venture
If you have the time and energy to occupy yourself with a startup, make sure you do your research beforehand. Researching your competitors will help you understand their tactics and how you can advertise your product or service to start on the right foot. On the other hand, understanding what your prospects are looking for in a product can help you develop a fantastic solution to the problem.
Among the most important things to solve when starting any enterprise is choosing a business model, which can influence how much liability you have, tax benefits, and more. For instance, when forming an LLC in CO, small businesses benefit from various tax deductions, flexibility, and limited liability. The process can be tackled by a formation service.
Tap Into Networking
Networking is a fantastic tool, whether you plan to start an enterprise, launch a nonprofit organization, volunteer, and especially if you are looking to start a business. There are a few things you need to know about networking so you can take advantage of all its benefits.
Know Where to Network
If you’re planning to start a business in the same industry you used to work in before retirement, you could use previous professional contacts to establish leads. Such a professional network will carry you places and help you meet the right people to help you build and expand your business. A good word from someone you know means more than a well-built resume, so leveraging your prior work contacts is one of the smartest networking moves you can make.
People are fortunate today because, compared to decades ago, there are more places, platforms, and venues where they can network. Besides conferences, trade fairs, and workshops, networking is now easily done over the internet, mainly thanks to social media platforms delivering faster and tech solutions that make it easier to connect.
Building a strong online presence is a networking move and will help you reach your business and professional goals. If you’re not familiar with social media, there are resources that help you learn how to navigate the platforms. Basically, you need to establish a presence on social media sites and online communities and stay committed to posting and checking for impressions regularly. In a business setting, however, you can hand this task to a social media manager.
Provide as Much Value as You Can
A relationship cuts both ways, and a productive one is where both parties receive and offer value and benefit from it. Before entering a network or creating one, you need to know what you can bring to the table, either personally or professionally. This is so you can reinforce your position as a contributor to the network. Again, if you’ve spent years in a certain industry, this can be knowledge and experience, as well as professional leads.
Be Open-Minded
It makes sense to create a network or integrate within one in your industry, but you can gain much more by expanding your reach. Accept more diversity and talk to peers from a different background or work experience. Do not expect all your contacts to have the same perspective, mindset, or set of values as you. The key to being more open-minded is to learn from other people’s experiences, even though they might be younger than you. Also, soliciting feedback, though not always comfortable, can help you think differently and come up with new ideas.
The Bottom Line
Building relationships and constantly nurturing them can be easier said than done for most people. However, these are the difficulties you must overcome if you want to reach your goals. The tips above can help you get started and cultivate productive relationships, whether you plan on starting a business, launching a nonprofit company, or just volunteering somewhere.