Business Networking: The Relationships That Helped Me Build My Business

Why I still believe that building relationships, earning trust and helping others succeed are some of the most valuable investments you can make in business.

My journey into business networking started back in 2012, when I’d just started out in my previous accountancy partnership.

I remember being told that if I wanted to help grow our practice, I needed to get out there, meet people and join a referral networking group.

At the time, I didn’t really know much about networking or referral marketing. I certainly didn’t appreciate just how important it would become to my business over the following years.

I was invited to attend a new BNI group in Norwich, decided to give it a go and eventually became a member.

Looking back, that decision was one of the most valuable things I did when starting out.

It all started with building relationships

When I first joined BNI, my main objective was fairly straightforward. I wanted to meet people, raise awareness of our accountancy practice and hopefully gain some new clients.

And that’s exactly what happened.

I met some amazing people, developed relationships with other local business owners and started receiving referrals.

In fact, some of the clients I gained through networking back in those early days are still clients of mine today, more than a decade later.

But what I hadn’t fully appreciated at the beginning was that networking wasn’t simply about finding new business.

It was about building relationships with people who genuinely wanted to help one another succeed.

And that completely changed the way I approached it.

Networking isn’t just about turning up for breakfast!

Over the years, I’ve invested a considerable amount of time in networking and referral marketing, and that investment has certainly paid off.

Much of my new business now comes through referrals, networking connections and the relationships I’ve developed within the local business community.

These days, I’m a member of Pop Connect and regularly attend three groups that are working really well for me.

I genuinely enjoy being surrounded by like-minded business owners who are willing to share their experiences, offer advice and help each other grow.

But there’s something I always tell people who are new to networking.

You have to put the work in.

Simply turning up once a week, enjoying a cooked breakfast, delivering your 60-second pitch and waiting for the referrals to arrive isn’t going to achieve very much.

You need to get to know people, understand their businesses and, perhaps most importantly, find out how you can help them.

That means arranging one-to-one meetings, following up on conversations, making introductions and being genuinely interested in what other people are trying to achieve.

And you need to be consistent.

My own referral team

One of the most valuable things to come out of my years of networking is the small referral team I’ve developed.

We’re a group of business professionals who meet once a month, usually over breakfast or lunch, to catch up, discuss what’s happening in our businesses and explore opportunities to help one another.

These aren’t relationships that developed overnight.

Some have been built over many years, through countless conversations, introductions and opportunities to work together.

We’ve developed a level of trust where we’re comfortable recommending one another to our own clients and contacts.

And that’s incredibly important.

When I recommend another professional to one of my clients, I’m putting my own reputation on the line. I need to know that person will look after them and provide the same level of care and attention that I would expect myself.

That sort of trust takes time to earn, but once you’ve built it, those relationships can become an invaluable part of your business.

The benefits go far beyond winning new clients.

What networking has given me over the years

• New clients and business opportunities
• Referrals from people who already know and trust you can lead to valuable, long-term client relationships.
• A trusted network of professionals
• Having reliable people I can introduce to clients means I can help them with challenges that fall outside my own area of expertise.
• Opportunities I might never have discovered
• Networking opens doors to new contacts, collaborations, business opportunities and introductions that wouldn’t necessarily come through traditional marketing.
• Advice, support and shared experiences
• Running a business can sometimes feel quite lonely. Having other business owners around you who understand the challenges can make a real difference.
• Genuine friendships

Some of the people I’ve met through networking have become good friends. We support each other through the difficult times and celebrate each other’s successes.

The best referrals come from trust

Something I’ve learned over the years is that referral marketing isn’t about how many business cards you collect or how many people you can connect with on LinkedIn.

It’s about the quality of the relationships you build.

People need to know who you are, understand what you do and, most importantly, trust you enough to recommend you to somebody else.

That doesn’t happen after one meeting.

Sometimes it takes months, or even years, before a relationship develops into a regular source of referrals.

And that’s absolutely fine.

I’ve always believed that if you approach networking with the intention of helping others rather than constantly looking for what you can get out of it, the opportunities tend to follow.

Of course, you still need to be commercially minded. Networking takes time, and that time needs to deliver value to your business.

But I think there’s a big difference between being focused on building your business and treating every person you meet as a potential sale.

Would I do it all again?

Absolutely.

Looking back to that first BNI meeting in Norwich in 2012, I had no idea how much of an impact networking would have on my career.

It’s helped me grow my accountancy practice, introduced me to some fantastic business owners and given me a trusted network of professionals I can turn to when my clients need additional support.

It’s also given me the opportunity to help other businesses grow, which is something I genuinely enjoy.

And perhaps most importantly, I’ve made some wonderful friendships along the way.

For anyone who’s thinking about joining a networking group, I’d encourage you to approach it with an open mind, be prepared to invest your time and don’t expect immediate results.

Get involved. Arrange those one-to-one meetings. Make introductions. Follow up with people. Be consistent and, above all, be yourself.

The relationships you build today could still be helping your business grow ten years from now.

I know that because some of mine are.

And that’s something I’m incredibly grateful for.