How Networking Paves Your Way to Success

The road to success is often paved with networking because as the old saying states: “it’s not what you know but who you know.” Many successful people succeed because they have the right contacts and know how to use them.

Building a strong network of contacts is often the best way to succeed in both business and life. A successful business owner needs a network that includes suppliers, contractors, customers, competitors, experts and many others.

The great thing about how networking paves your way to success is that networking is free and easy. If you know how to make friends and get along with people you know how to network. Women often have an advantage here because they are often better at social activities than men.

Therefore you should start building your network now. A good way to do this is to record the name and contact information of everybody that you meet. You can do this in a notebook or in a Blackberry. That way you will have those people available as a resource.

For example a business owner who knows that a friend in the National Association of Professional Women or NAPW is married to a plumber could be able to call upon the friend’s husband if the sink in her restaurant gets clogged. An attorney you met years ago might be able to help with a legal problem today.

Many people find jobs, financing, venture capital, equipment and customers through networking. Something to remember is that a person who is willing to get involved and help others is more likely to get help through the network. Even if the help simply involves referring somebody to somebody else it can lead to a beautiful friendship. Or simply a productive and useful relationship