By Shirley Hermiston
This series of blog will help us countdown to Christmas providing some useful information to those of you who are considering self-employment and hopefully get you on the right path to setting up your own business.
Your business is nearly up and running. You’ve completed your market research; understand your competition and your business plan is in place.
Now is the time to enter into the work of networking.
But which events do you attend? Is this the best use of your time as a start up? Shouldn’t you be busy building your business and getting ready to launch?
The basic idea behind a start up networking event is to help people connect. For example they can help a developer meet a designer. It gives start ups the opportunities to see what other people are working on as well as understanding the competition.
A networking event at its core is about expanding your network because when it comes to starting a business; though what you know is great, who you know may be even better.
There are various networking events you can attend and here are just a few.
The Mussel Club
Sunderland Business Network
North East England Chamber of Commerce
Attending a networking event for the first time can be a little scary, but when you visit the BIC’s start-up team the business advisers will talk to you about what would work best for your business and even take you along to any events being held here at the BIC.