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I am starting a new business early next year (once I can collect up some new certifications) but I am really really terrible at networking. Do people just scour companies that may need what they do and reach out to them on LinkedIn or their company websites? How feasible is it to meet these people in real life, most companies have controlled access and going up like a used car salesman does not seem like it would be fruitful.
You always hear about how someone is golfing buddies with the brothers uncles aunts cousin of some company but that seems to be relying purely on luck and building relationships like that takes years or decades and people dont wait decades to launch a business.
I am starting a new business early next year (once I can collect up some new certifications) but I am really really terrible at networking. Do people just scour companies that may need what they do and reach out to them on LinkedIn or their company websites? How feasible is it to meet these people in real life, most companies have controlled access and going up like a used car salesman does not seem like it would be fruitful.
You always hear about how someone is golfing buddies with the brothers uncles aunts cousin of some company but that seems to be relying purely on luck and building relationships like that takes years or decades and people dont wait decades to launch a business.
If you can't network, learn to do so. Take a Dale Carnegie class if you have to.
This is not optional if you own a business. It's an essential life skill. Because if you're not a good networker, the odds are high that you're not a good presenter either.
You stated you are starting a new business, so let me ask you this:
How much experience do you have running a business? I'm not talking about doing the job you are skilled in, I'm talking about your skills at managing the business.
Your scenario is why so many people who start a new businesses fail in short order, They are good at delivering the work, but rat's rear clueless about all the other items that goes into a successful business, one being drumming up business.
You stated you are starting a new business, so let me ask you this:
How much experience do you have running a business? I'm not talking about doing the job you are skilled in, I'm talking about your skills at managing the business.
Your scenario is why so many people who start a new businesses fail in short order, They are good at delivering the work, but rat's rear clueless about all the other items that goes into a successful business, one being drumming up business.
I have never run a business before, I am doing this more out of necessity due to a job loss and being unable to find a new comparable job. I have a lot of skills I just know how to drum up business. It is an engineering company, chemical and soon to be electrial. I am taking the summer to study for my professional license in electrical engineering to add to my PE in ChE. As well as an assortment of other skills such as 3D cad, CNC machining, etc.
I have a lot of skills I just know how to drum up business.
The suspicion is that the 'drum up business' stuff is the tip of the iceburg...
it's just the skill your currently/immediately aware of not knowing.
Quote:
I have never run a business before, I am doing this more out of necessity
due to a job loss and being unable to find a new comparable job.
Find an UN-comparable job instead. Something completely different.
Something that will expand/broaden your skill set to include Bus Mgmt skills generally...
but more critically the soft skills of personal contact work (like sales & marketing).
And get PAID to learn it.
I have never run a business before, I am doing this more out of necessity due to a job loss and being unable to find a new comparable job. I have a lot of skills I just know how to drum up business. It is an engineering company, chemical and soon to be electrial. I am taking the summer to study for my professional license in electrical engineering to add to my PE in ChE. As well as an assortment of other skills such as 3D cad, CNC machining, etc.
Most people with this education and skill set work for a larger company, and just do the things they're good at.
Those who open an office offering consultancy and contracting have been in the game twenty years or more.
In fact, I'll go one further. If you are trying to start a business at the beginning of 2020, the time to start networking is NOW. This is especially true if you are in a line of work or selling products/services with a long sales cycle. Otherwise, if you don't get serious about this at this very moment, you're going to be looking at a really long time before you see any cash fow.
It probably wouldn't hurt if you read The E Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber - Why Most Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It.
You need to fill a need, you need to figure out how to know what's going on in your field, what projects are going on, who farms out engineering work to one man firms like yourself. Look at your competitors and see what they're doing. Call them up and see if they need help. Call up your former work contacts and see if they're heard of any place needing help. You might look at government agencies too and see what projects are available to bid on.
In fact, I'll go one further. If you are trying to start a business at the beginning of 2020, the time to start networking is NOW. This is especially true if you are in a line of work or selling products/services with a long sales cycle. Otherwise, if you don't get serious about this at this very moment, you're going to be looking at a really long time before you see any cash fow.
I am doing it now, I am going to trade shows and trying to turn companies I apply to jobs for into potential leads get business cards etc. Most of my time is going to be spent getting my second professional license because I do have a few leads for jobs but they need me to have that second license for federal and state work.
Never the less it's still painful and slow going but what else am I going to do. I have applied to engineer sales jobs (essentially equipment sales jobs/vendor reps) they had me take personality tests and I was not offered the job even though I had the same alma mater as the owner (and its a small top tier school for the major). I think being a vendor rep would be cool but have not been able to pull it off yet.
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