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Forming Partnerships and Alliances Online by Networking
copyrighted Judi Singleton 2005
I first wrote this article in 2002 here is an update on the article as
I have learned a great deal in the meantime.
Here is a definition of a social network from wikipedia
"A social network is a map of the relationships between individuals,
indicating the ways in which they are connected through various social
familiarities ranging from casual acquaintance to close familial
bonds."
Another quote from Wikipedia on Social networks
"Research in a number of academic fields have demonstrated that
social networks operate on many levels, from families up to the level
of nations, and play a critical role in determining the way problems
are solved, organizations are run, and the degree to which individuals
succeed in achieving their goals."
If you are going to be sucessful on the net or anywhere else people
need other people. 75% of career moves are made through others that
you know. Networking is a important part of being financially secure.
What is networking? It is forming partnerships and alliances based on
mutual need, respect, and trust. It is passing on and getting
information through the people you know. It is helping others to be
sucessful while helping yourself to be sucessful. Hopefully your
network is a group of people who are committed to each others success.
business networking sites
Ryze Business Networking
Affinity Engines
Appiir
Business
Parc
href="http://www.businesspartnerships.ca/">BusinessPartnerships.ca
Contact Network
Doostang
ecademy
href="https://www.econozco.com/">eConozco
href="http://www.entremate.com/">EntreMate
eXtremeNetworking.biz
Friendly Favors
I'm Not From Here
href="http://www.interfacesoftware.com/products/interaction/ia_summary
.cfm" title="InterAction">InterAction
ITmob
ItsNotWhatYouKnow
Join Network
PLUS, LLC
Kickstart-Connect
LinkedIn
What kind of networks do you have. The primary network is made up of
family, and close friends that share your value system. They always
want the best for you. They will help you prosper in anyway that they
can. Your secondary network comes from aquaintences and your
community. This may include people you do business with, church
friends, organizations you
belong to, people you just meet. Your secondary group is made up of
acquaintances, those with different values, beliefs, attitudes, and
friends. The casual contacts who make up your secondary group come
from everywhere, past and present: Work, community, school, and
service providers. They may be made up of people from your past,
employers, teachers, school friends. Or they may be people who you
work with now,
present employers, people you are currently doing business with at
this time.
Research and my personal experience shows me whatever technical
advise, professional advise, I may need comes through people who I
know. They are available to listen and give me advise. They are people
who are willing to do things for me, meet a need in my business, share
their experience, people who will meet some of my business needs and
that I can do something for in return. Reciprocity, or fair exchange,
is the foundation of networking.
Some contacts are from your primary group family and close friends
they are best for providing support, helping you overcome
shortcomings, improve your skills. Secondary group are best for
providing information and resorces. A contact may be anyone who
provides you with access to what you want. An example of this I have a
friend who is absolute whiz at math.
He has helped me figure out how to refinance my house, to find
financing for my business. He has helped me put on paper my financial
needs for my business so I can clearly
present them to others like the
bank for a loan. He also knows I have issues with money and provides
support over time for me to overcome this shortcoming. My family has
been a great resource for giving me support when I am down and don't
think I can go on. They tell me
I can do anything. Some of my impersonal business aquaintnesses like
other editors, writers, have exchanged advertising for me in exchange
for advertising. This has been a tremendous help when I was trying to
build my business. They have not only exchanged ads with me but
published my articles help to establish me as an expert in some
fields, exhanged links
on the internet with their business and mine. A contact may be anyone
who provides you with access to what you want.
Contacts are people who can help you access information. They are
useful as they provide expertise you may not possess. They may have
contacts you do not have. There is power in information. You do not
have to know everything just where to get that information. That is
where your contacts come in. They provided the resource you do not
have. It is also important as a human being not to be alone in seeking
what you need and
want.
Whether you are trying to find work, a new doctor, moving to a new
city, we all rely on others to help us on a daily basis. But if you
are to be effective at forming partnerships and alliances you must
make a physical record of your whom you know who might help you in
your current project. Putting on paper who you know who might be
helpful in your current situation and what resorces they may offer and
what you might offer them in return makes clear the next step of who
to contact. This will help you know what avenues to pursue both in the
present and future. To do this one must be able to clearly definewhat
business you are in. This sounds obvious but I am surprised at my own
inadequecy in this department what helped me was to write a clear
business plan, and strategy plan. The difference being one is what I
am selling and my values as a business person and the other is how to
implement my business plan. I had to know my purpose, values, and
speical genius to write it clearly to others. If I cannot describe to
others my value, my business, my purpose, and my special talents then
I will not get eqaul value in exchange. So be very clear about this
part of your networking plan. For me being in tune with my Higher
Power and developing a vision that motivated me and became a passion
was necessary to networking. I also had to be able to tell others how
I was attending and developing my passion. I think of the networks I
belong to as a method of personal empowerment and putting my head
together with others to create new realities in my life. Here is a big
one be willing to help others to succeed. Be very clear about what you
want then let others know what you want and what you have to offer;
listen carefully so you can consider the exchange what others want and
what they have to offer. Begin to create links between What you want,
what others are offering and your visions. Remember when you choose to
give you empower everyone in the network. Belive you are a part of the
web of life and when you choose to act that it sets up a ripple system
on the web of life itself. Remeber that networks are processes, they
have no one center, they are structures or hierarchies.
As hard as it may be to believe, you have exponentially more contacts
than you would ever imagine. Active networkers know that every
stranger represents an opportunity: The chance to reach targets, get
problem-solving assistance, obtain guidance and direction,
information, tips, leads, referrals, advice, support, counsel,
sponsorship, as well as enhance your self-esteem and growth.
Networking is an excellent method for creating your visibility and
credibility among those important to the achievement of your goal.
Active networkers know that every stranger represents an opportunity.
The chance to reach targets, get problem-solving assistance, obtain
guidance and direction, information, tips, leads, referrals, advice,
support, counsel, sponsorship, as well as enhance your self-esteem and
growth. Always remember that it's a much smaller world than you think.
You can get information by way of a chain of people very quickly.
To be effective at networking, forming partnerships there are some
guidelines:
You may not immediately be comfortable with reaching out and asking
people for help but you owe it to yourself to follow each step and to
do each step. Remember one has to strech their comfort level a little
at a time but do stretch it.
About the Author
Judi Singleton writes ten blogs a week if you would like to read more articles like this by her go to Judi's Ramblings
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