With start-up businesses facing the mammoth effort of survival, business networking is, in my opinion, an underdeveloped channel of growth.

Networking with other businesses and individuals that operate within your own sector (or perhaps not) can be one of the best ways to market your own products/services, develop collaborative relationships and expand and share your own knowledge.

How do I improve my business networking?

Right now, this very second if you are reading this or any of the other threads on this forum, you are networking with other businesses and individuals. How worth while it is for you, depends entirely on you. Online communities are just one example of business networking, attending trade shows, meeting suppliers, collaborating with other businesses in your sector and joining groups are all other avenues to develop your business networking.

What can you do differently?

Are you taking advantage of business networking? If not, why not?

Has anybody had any good/bad/indifferent experiences with business networking? Let's get some opinions on the table!

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www.OpenBC.com or called www.Xing.com is one of the good plateforms to expand your business network.

Reciprocity is one of my favorite words. I guess in the largest sense it could come down to the Golden Rule of do unto others as they would do unto you, but I think of it more in the business sense. I buy from people who buy from me. I'll even pay more as long as it's a resonable price. I don't want to be taken advantage of.

For me, this has been true for decades. Long before the Internet and forums. But it still holds true today, over a much broader world than I ever imagined when I opened my first gasoline filling station.

I've always believed that what goes around, comes around and that dealing with those who deal with you is all part of the circle.
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Originally Posted by Pete

I guess in the largest sense it could come down to the Golden Rule of do unto others as they would do unto you, but I think of it more in the business sense. I buy from people who buy from me. I'll even pay more as long as it's a resonable price. I don't want to be taken advantage of.

I have to agree with Pete 100% here - as a buyer I would expect to pay a fair price for an item - as a seller I would expect to receive a fair price.

If I squeeze the person I am buying something from to the point where they cannot run their business then I would have to look for a new supplier, I will have benefitted for a short time but then in the long run I might be worse off.