Editor’s Note: This is the fourth installation of a rotating column to appear each week, featuring the viewpoints of four leaders in Kaua‘i’s business community. At a Kaua‘i Health & Wellness Association Business Development Seminar in October, I was invited
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth installation of a rotating column to appear each week, featuring the viewpoints of four leaders in Kaua‘i’s business community.
At a Kaua‘i Health & Wellness Association Business Development Seminar in October, I was invited to speak about networking, specifically business networking.
Susan Ward of “Your Guide to Small Business: Canada,” defines business networking as “the process of establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with other business people and potential clients and/or customers.”
Recognizing that Kaua‘i is a small island where networking occurs within various circles — from your community, trade or industry, or nonprofit and for-profit boards — networking becomes an even more important element in strengthening business opportunities and potential relationships. It is key to encouraging their success, for both the short and long term.
Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce events such as Business After Hours, Quarter Membership Meetings and training programs provide members and nonmembers a way to inform others about their businesses — just by showing up.
On Kaua‘i, presence does, indeed, matter. At an event, take the initiative to introduce yourself and or reacquaint yourself with your existing network. Always carry business cards with you because they serve as an easy, yet important, reminders of your business, contact information and title. (The trend today is to scan business cards and add keep an electronic file of contacts on your computer.)
While networking is very important, it is equally important to take an inventory of who you are already networked with in your business or organization. A good start is to create the following list: business, church/temple/synagogue, job, school, sports, trade/industry association, union and volunteer/community work. You can add other categories to the list such as family, friends and neighbors. List at least two or three contacts you already know. Afterwards, review the list and share it with others in any one of the above categories who could add to this existing network database.
Lastly, I’d like to share some basic Kaua‘i-style business culture and ethics that I have learned since returning to Kaua‘i.
Seven networking tips
to remember:
• Be genuine: A handshake is still an important acknowledgment and exchange from one person to another.
• In accepting a new business card, take a few seconds to read it. Afterwards, place it in a proper place; for businessmen, definitely not in your back pocket.
• Work at being a good listener and be comfortable about restating information to clarify.
• Gestures (such as waving a hi to someone) are always great and help to reinforce your intentions and goodwill.
• Mistakes are part of life; acknowledge them and move on.
• Follow up as reasonably as possible on a phone call or e-mail. You do have the right to also work on a time line to collect information to arrive at a decision that is right and fair.
• Be a person of aloha. After all, Hawai‘i is the host culture where we live, work, play and conduct business.
Our values of aloha run deep within our community from the Native Hawaiian culture that reminds us of its true meaning, to longtime kama‘aina residents, malihini, returning kama‘aina, new residents and visitors.
Visit the Chamber Web site at www.kauaichamber.org or call 245-7363 and get networked in 2008!
• Randy Francisco is president of the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at info@kauaichamber.org
