How can I join a Business Networking Group?

A recent report from the Rogers Business Group showed that small businesses and entrepreneurs get "82% of New Business Leads From Networking." What's stopping you from running your own local B2B networking group?

• Attending may get you a few leads, but running your own group gets you all he leads.

• Answer:

  It’s a great question. Nothing is stopping me from doing it. I had not thought of it in that context before (Although I have attended a local group as a member and discussed supporting the inception of one as a business, but not as a self-created, pivotal marketing adjunct to my current startup). Help build community and momentum for others while promoting my startup,https://brokeroutlet.com/. It fits the timeless (Secrets of Closing the Sale [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zig_Ziglar]) and modern models (social media, Go Giver [https://www.facebook.com/bobburg], The Gift [https://www.facebook.com/thachn]). Give and be open and expect to receive. Add value and be trusted. There arise three important concerns. The most serious one first. Does it support or detract from the singular focus of acquiring and serving customers? Is it one of the correct methods to build my business? My initial response was that it detracts because of the sheer level of effort to initiate a credible effort for anything worthwhile that it would be a net loss. I was concerned that it could become the business. After further consideration, that seemed to be a tactical and not a strategic complaint, i.e. managed properly, it is just another task and not a consuming one. Since it is all about the customer, not the technologies in either their broad or narrow senses, this is a logical step to take. The next concern addresses an imperative tactic hinted at above. Are there any co-founders available? The only way for it to not become the business itself is to gather a core that is willing to share the organizational tasks, keep it simple, and believes that a predominantly organically grown network is stronger than a promoted one. How much does it cost? Home cookin’ and turnkey will both have a cost. If a core team can be gathered, this is really about sticking to facts and sharing the load as opposed to it being a deal breaker. It is an accounting exercise that must be performed for the health of the existing and planned relationships. The question caused me to reconsider a position that I didn’t know that I had. My new take is that with a like-minded core that is playing the long game as well as focusing on incremental wins, this could be a manageable and profitable relationship building channel for SMB and entrepreneurs who create and guide the group, but whose core business is something else.