Can You Hear Me Now? Good!

Verizon, America's largest 3G network, has figured it out. Building a large network will be vital to your business success. It is not always about what you know but rather who you know. Social networks on the web are a great way to meet new people and provide a great channel of communication. It is important to be careful on the web, but these social networks can be of a great benefit when trying to build your network. Start small by making a goal to meet one new person each month that you can stay in contact with and that person could potentially provide you with valuable help/skills in the future. Then once you begin to learn how to network, try meeting a new person every two weeks. Business cards are a great way to swap information with someone and nearly everyone has a business card.

Keep in contact with as many people as you can as often as you can. Remember birthdays, names of children, anything you can about someone because in the future you never know who can be of value to you. It may be that the girl with glasses and stringy hair from the front row in third grade will have a skill set you will need at some point. By keeping in touch with as many people as you can, you create opportunities to enter their network as well. People that are in your network may have a network of people that you could not gain access to without that person. Somebody in your network will know a guy who knows a guy that can help you if you grow your network.

Having a large network will help you obtain employment and start your own business. Use your network often and tap into the networks of others; it may surprise you at what kind of contacts people have. Do not be afraid to ask around or to say hello to strangers. Strike up conversations whenever possible. The more people you have in your network, whether they are currently valuable to your or not, the better. A network grows exponentially. When you add a new person to your network, you are also gaining contacts with people that they know as well. Take every opportunity you have to expand your network and keep in close touch with those that will potentially be of value to you.