Richard Branson: how to network
- By Jack Preston -
- Aug 17, 2012
Richard Branson recently wrote about the art of networking for entrepreneur.com, revealing how he got started at an early age...
“When I started networking on behalf of Virgin Music – meeting with agents, persuading musicians to sign with us, finding distributors – it often involved swapping phone numbers scrawled on napkins. It was the '70s, after all!
These days it’s much easier to connect with people who can help you launch and grow your business. Just think: LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter all provide opportunities for you to meet and interact with fellow entrepreneurs, experts in the field and innovative newcomers. However you go about making connections, from the very first moment you begin to realize that your idea is worth pursuing, the first step on the road to success is building a network.
To get started, attend industry events and meet key players; join regional business associations and start learning about local market conditions. Also remember that you can meet potential mentors at schools, clubs and business groups. Someday, when you get stuck or when something goes wrong, these contacts will be the people you’ll turn to for help. (Finding investors is a step that follows: People buy from people, so if you’re limited in terms of who you can access, talk to and sell to, well, you probably won’t get very far.)”
Does this sound like solid advice to you? Or is there a trick which you think Richard is missing out on? Let us know below.
To read more of the Virgin Group founder’s entrepreneurial insights, visit entrepreneur.com.
By Jack Preston. Senior Content Executive. Tweets at @JackPressedOn
