small business owners | Dr. Ivan Misner®

Last month I announced that my company recently created a “business index” to consistently gauge the ever-changing economic state of business based on quarterly global survey results of retailers, service companies, and manufacturing companies all around the world.

The statistics gathered from the survey results are intended to keep small business owners, entrepreneurs, and companies, as well as the media and the general public, educated and informed as to the changing state of the global business economy and the current business trends that become apparent over time.

The first BNIBusinessIndex.com report was published last month and, based on survey results gathered from the participation of over 5,000 businesses across the globe, the report reveals important, accurate evidence that the global economy is improving (click here for full details on that report).

The next worldwide report will be published in April and it will be based on results from a new survey which is currently being conducted on BNIBusinessIndex.com. I encourage all readers of this blog to take a few quick moments to answer the four simple questions in the current survey. Your participation will play a very important part in obtaining an accurate assessment of the state of business around the world–as I often say, you may not make a world of difference but you can make a difference in the world. So, please, take this opportunity to stand up and make your voice count. Your input will truly help to define the current state of the global economy, information which serves as a valuable resource to businesspeople in every part of the world.

Please click here to take the current survey now.

I extend my sincerest gratitude to all of you who take the time to participate in this important project. On behalf of businesspeople and entrepreneurs everywhere, myself included, we are extremely grateful to you for your invaluable input.

How can a time-strapped businessperson figure out which networking events she should attend and which she should let go by the wayside?

The answer: Develop a networking strategy.

Here are three easy–but definitely essential–questions you need to answer in order to create a plan that will work for you.

Who Are My Best Prospects?
It’s important to know that each target market will have a strategy that requires you to network in different places. If you’re not sure who your target market is, look at your list of past clients. What industries were they in? How long had they been in business? Were your clients even businesses to begin with, or have you worked mostly with consumers?

Once you’ve put together a profile of your past clients, ask people close to you for patterns you may have overlooked and get their input on who might be a good fit for your business.

Where Can I Meet My Best Prospects?
As you begin targeting specific niche markets, there are other venues and opportunities that fall outside the typical networking event. Here are some examples of specific target markets and where you should network to find people in these markets:

Small-business owners–chamber of commerce, local business association, referral groups

Representatives from big corporations in your area–service clubs, nonprofit groups, volunteer work, homeowners associations

Consumers–your kids’ events: Little League, Boy Scouts and so forth

Whom, Exactly, Do I Want To Meet?
Even if you can’t name the people you want to meet, the better you can descibe them, the greater the chance you’ll get to meet your ideal contact.

Be as specific as possible when asking for a contact because it focuses the other person’s attention on details that are more likely to remind him of a specific person rather than if you asked, “Do you know anyone who needs my services?”

Networking works. It’s just a matter of developing a strategy that puts you in contact with the right people. That’s exactly what the three questions above will help you do.