Ladies! We want to connect you with a world of like-minded women. Therefore, we have re-structured our organisation to enable you to get in touch with one another. It is now even easier than ever. Becoming a member will enable you to come to meetings and receive a yummy free coffee; whilst also been provided with free online memberhip as part of an initial fee for your Welcome Pack. Become a Lady That Lattes and we will bring the world of business to your PC or Mac.

Through our Membership and Online Membership pack we are now able to connect with women in the UK, USA and in Australia.

Keep an eye out for our new “Webimeetings” – where you will be connected with women nationwide. Or you need is a computer, a webcam and the internet and you can start talking business with the nation.

Follow us on Twitter @LadiesthatLatte and we will be retweeting and pushing your businesses.

     Not everyone knows what it is like to self-induce this level of work and stress and that can feel lonely – even a good moan should be done in private as you want to maintain your personal strength in front of your peers and competition.

     This blog is not being written to put you off the journey of entrepreneurialism, but to prepare you! You must be strong, you must be determined, passionate and knowledgeable, you must be willing to listen and take criticism, likewise you must also be prepared to change and bend toward the market to develop your brand. You must be prepared for what the future could hold; good or bad, but it will take time!

     My advice is to learn patience and to be a step ahead all the time. I advise you to make mistakes and learn to never repeat them again; learn to accept that some things are out of your control but when you can, to rationally stand back, slow down and ask yourself how to solve this first problem. Don’t become overwhelmed and don’t let others get under your skin when they speak jealously or spitefully; be strong. Surround yourself with positive people and also with people who can support you and listen when you need to let off some steam. Keep the faith and believe in what you are doing. You are the only one who can make these things happen! Develop yourself, develop your brand and smile; like a swan in the water – you must be graceful
on the surface no matter how submerged you can become. Now, here’s the
motivational part – you know your business is worth it and there is nothing
else you would want from life; enjoy the journey but travel wisely because you
never know where you could end up. All those bumps in the road is just another feat you will have conquered and learn to be proud of yourself.

     I think at this point it would be right to talk about work/life balance (that is non-existent to begin with) but there are plenty of people out there who can help you achieve this balance. We all know that work was not designed to be the only attribute that defines who we are – Would someone like to add something to my blog with some tips on how this balance can be realised?

Whether you are just starting out in business or have already established yourself within your field, business networking events are a great way to boost your reputation and enhance your presence to a wider audience

What IS networking?

Networking is essentially building a relationship and rapport with another person. In business we all need a solid group of people we can trust and respect. This of course works both ways.

Networking isn’t as frightening as it sounds. It’s not walking into a room full of random people who have nothing in common, standing in a circle, and saying your name and where you come from. It’s a group of people getting together in some way, who have something in common, and who have a chat about anything and everything. It’s not scary, it’s certainly not boring, and it’s so beneficial to your development as a business woman.

Networking Events

The idea of business networking may seem like a daunting one but by choosing the right event to visit you can be sure to find like-minded businessmen to converse with and share ideas. It is vital that you treat networking events as anything but a social jolly. Forget the free alcohol and canapés and concentrate on meeting influential people that can help you and vice versa. When choosing a networking event to visit always consider your industry and target customers before deciding whether it is worthwhile making an appearance

Some things to remember for attending networking events:

• Have plenty of business card to give out.
• Find out as much as you can about the people you meet. It is just as important to listen as it is to talk.
• Practise your introduction before you go to prevent you getting tongue tied, as you’ll be asked several times “so what do you do?”
• Take business cards, so when you get home you’ll remember who you spoke to.
• Follow up with anyone you agreed to contact
• DO NOT SELL AND TRY TO CLOSE BUSINESS

The best way to network is to do it little and often. Visit as many networking events as you can. If a particular person sees you at more than one event they are more likely to remember you and take you seriously. It is unlikely that you will secure too many leads in your first networking event but time and patience will prevail. Consequently you should always have a professional-looking business card to hand ready to give any contacts you make. The more events you go to, the more people you’ll get to know, and the more relaxed you will inevitably be at the next event.

Online Networking

Depending on your business and the types of people you are trying to attract for both networking and business will depend on which form of online networking you do. Don’t confuse social media with on line networking. You can use Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter for both your social media and for networking. My advice would be don’t try and do both via any one account. I have personal accounts for networking in my own name with my own profile and business accounts for social media and marketing.

Linkedin is by far the leader when it comes to online networking. This is where through you profile you can search and connect with like minded people. Engage with them and contact anyone you feel would be a good business contact or someone you could help. I have many business contacts that I have initiated via Linkedin that have developed into us working together. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to people and where appropriate request meetings etc.

Twitter is also another great place to network and get to know people.  Telling your story in 140 characters or less. This is probably where you will benefit from having 2 accounts. One for networking and one for social media. Engage with people, if people tweet you then respond. Ask questions and post links to things you think people mind find interesting. All of this stops you sounding boring and repetitive which means people will unfollow you rather than RT (re tweet). Top tip – don’t sell on twitter. Only 10% of what you tweet should be plugging your business the rest is about engaging with you followers and finding out an array of information.

Facebook can be used very effectively in business but in my opinion less so for networking. It is a great way of keeping in touch with friend and family who are of cause you closest network, so remember this as you never know who they know. However, I personally would not recommend you use facebook as a way to introduce yourself to people you are trying to network with.

Remember…

Networking is about how you can help the other person, not how they can help you. With this approach you will realise that the other person will want to help you naturally as you have helped them. Over the course of time, getting to know each other better will bring many benefits in terms of contacts, leads and referrals.

Top tip for pursuing growth in the January is plan ahead and understand your target market.

Can weather be a factor that affects your business? Have you planned for sales and growth in advance considering such factors? Have you joined the online social revolution yet?

Free ways to raise awareness of your business can be the best vehicle in which to communicate to your market.

Facebook – perfect for adding more information about what you wish to communicate. Add media such as photos and videos. You can build a rapport with those who “Like” your page and it is important that you are quick to respond to a comment.

Twitter - a brilliant way to learn how to get your message across in a concise way. Try to strike a conversation with anyone who “mentions” you – it is great customer service. Everyone wants to feel valued and a part of something, so do not let your business become robotic or insensitive to customer needs. A valuable follower will be a lucrative follower, so it is not all about quantity of followers so remember, quality is the key. Follow others, this will help them to realise who you are too, the domino effect of follows can happen if you treat Twitter as a way to speak personally with your potential or existing customers. Try not to tweet solidly about your products and offers – this can lose you followers!

You can now add photos and media files to Twitter which is a great way to entice a reader and alert them to your product or offer.

LinkedIn - Business to Business. This is a popular option for those who need to network under a more professional sphere. Getting a profile on LinkedIn can open the gates to thousands of contacts who may be a potential customer, or even a contact who you may require advice from. You can join online networks and strike up conversations, you can even start your own group. You have the potential to meet an unlimited amount of people in any field, but once again – remember quality over quantity; you can always add people who have been recommended to you, but you also have a choice whether or not to accept users to your network.

Free marketing is perfect in these tough times, so should you choose to use social media to enhance your business you must also decide which outlet is best for you and will bring you the best results. To speak to an expert about this or to book into a workshop you can contact Rachel McCollin to learn more rachel@compass-design.co.uk

Our regular events often give members a chance to ask each other questions, but in case you’ve missed out, you’ll be able to see answers to FAQs here. If you have something you’d like to see featured, please contact us.

If you would like to contribute or have a topic you would like to see featured, please contact us.