Networking, for many small business owners, is the only way to get client referrals. Fort Wayne Biz, with its headquarters in Fort Wayne, IN, is a network of local referral companies that provides business owners with the chance to build and grow their customer base. This is done by allowing a small business to get involved in a network of other small businesses and have the opportunity to refer their clients back to your business.
The idea of this is fairly simple, but there are still some details that need to be covered in order to fully understand how it works. Most networks are run on a referral-based system, where a business owner will either refer people who come to them, or people they know, as well as people that have been referred by a previous business. In a nutshell, when a person comes to your company for the first time, you refer them to a business in your local community that they can refer other potential customers to. When they return, you refer their new customers to another business that has been referred by the previous one. The network then spreads the word to your current customers, and so on until everyone reaches their target audience.
This can be a great way to expand your business and make more money, but in order to reap the most benefits, you want to ensure that you have at least a few people involved in the process of bringing in new business. In most cases, network marketing requires at least three different businesses to be involved in order to be able to reach the maximum number of potential clients.
A local business network is a great way to expand your business by finding new customers and spreading the word about your business. There are many ways to attract potential clients, but the most common include placing ads in local newspapers and on bulletin boards and on websites. You can also give out business cards or letterhead with contact information on them, as well as placing fliers in grocery stores, grocery store checkouts and at other locations that they might frequent. The goal is to reach as many potential customers as possible, and it's often best to focus your efforts on local businesses rather than nationwide businesses in the hopes that there will be more potential customers in these smaller towns.
Because network marketing tends to require local interaction only, the networks tend to be very tight knit, which means you will likely only meet once, if not twice, with your local businesses. You will likely meet several people on a daily basis, as opposed to having meetings regularly at a larger office. This tight-knit nature means that there won't be as much time wasted on business travel, and the people who join your network have already shown an interest in your products and services, and are looking to make an investment in your business. Since they are likely already familiar with your products and services, they can be counted on to refer their friends and family members to your company, which is another great source of repeat business.
Although the cost of joining a business network can vary depending on what network you sign up for, they do save you money compared to having to pay for advertising and other costs that are associated with other types of advertising, such as newspapers, television, radio and the internet. So, if you aren't already in network marketing, but would like to increase your business, a network marketing network may be the perfect fit for you.