The Easy Ways To Make Great Connections As A Home Business, Running a home business can make the networking aspect a little difficult. Think about it: you barely ever need to leave your home! And that’s not great for showing your face and allowing people to remember you. However, before you panic, it’s not a lost cause either!
The Easy Ways To Make Great Connections As A Home Business
So, you may have been getting into a side hustle recently, or you’ve realised just how easy and flexible your life could be when you’re able to work from the comfort of your own desk. After all, a home business is a great way to boost your monthly income while still being there for your family, any hobbies, and to have plenty of time on the weekends – it’s a great fit for dads!
You just need to know how to use that virtual connection to your advantage. Here are our tips for ensuring you can make some great connections when you’re running a business from home.
Perfect Your Video Conferencing Setup
This is the easiest way to ensure you’re as professional and efficient as possible. And guess what? People like that! As a home business, you’re going to do a lot of stuff virtually, especially meeting with new people. This is your first chance to make a good impression, so take it seriously.
If your camera quality is clear, at the perfect height, and lit well with a lack of that grainy quality, people will love working with you. Be sure to invest in a good microphone as well – the touch button on a set of cheap earphones just won’t cut it here!
Recommend Suppliers to Other Businesses
Even when you’re online only, you’re going to need some vendors behind you! People to supply materials and equipment to you for your products and/or services, which are hard to make on your own. If you’ve got your own handyman business, for example, hiring someone to send out items like Pipe Clips on a monthly basis will keep your stock topped up.
But to make this relationship better, recommend them to similar businesses. Whenever you make a new connection in the industry, talk about who you work with and what makes them good. Word will get back to your vendors and that can help you score long term discounts and exclusive offers.
Send a Sample of Your Product
Samples are one of the best promotional techniques in business. You’ve got a chance to prove you’re the real deal, and sending out a sample of your product to the right people can build lifelong connections that really benefit you. After all, you’re willing to give as much as you can, especially as a small business, and there’s clear value in what you do.
A person or company can see that for free, and that can help up your sales by introducing you to a bigger customer base, even beyond this one lead. The social media coverage alone can put your name on the audience’s mind for a good few days at a time.
Set Up a Stall Whenever You Can
Trade shows, fairs, and markets are great for showcasing your wares. You can set up a stall for a couple days here and there, in prime local locations, and catch a good portion of passing trade. Not only does this help your overall profit line, but you also get the rare chance to market in person.
You’re the face of the business, and you can make that personal connection, both with new customers and other businesses around you. Having a friendly chat can go a long way – just be sure to secure their contact details before you leave again!
Take an Interest
Finally, do your best to be casual about the connections you make. Treat them as you would a friend, albeit a professional one. Send them regular emails asking how they are and what they’re up to lately. Set up annual dinners or a quarterly coffee date just to touch base with them in person.
In doing so you show you’re interested in other people, and not just out for yourself as a new, home based business. You’re not grasping, you’re genuine, and that goes a very long way.
A home business can still be uber-connected. And the more connections you make, the bigger the idea born in your living room can become. A few ideas like these can push you a lot further than you ever thought possible – they just take a bit of confidence to pull off!
