6 Ways to Expand your Circle

Networking is key to Growth

What does it take to grow your business' reach and influence? Where do you find more customers and the appropriate partners to help you leverage your opportunities in the market? More marketing spend? That is if you have lots of cash to splash. There are less expensive ways to do this that you can consider.

Exit some groups

Are you part of an active or dormant social media business group/community with hundreds of members but just a handful participating or you have never had an enquiry or sale? Exit. Or do you belong to a WhatsApp or other group where people specialise in forwarding generic wisdom quotes and you have not grown as a person or your organization as a direct result of the hookups? You may be a statistical benefit for someone. Just take your leave.

Start or Join another group

An online community must serve as a habitat for prey or a source of hunting companions. That is why we refer to it as a Social Network. If you are without networking you are not working! Create a vibrant, tightly managed network that brings business opportunities for all the participants. Exclusivity is the name of the game.

Gather only the hungry and aggressive collaborators and use your platform as a launchpad. I know a scale-up program for entrepreneurs where the qualifying criteria is a revenue of $ 1 million and above. You think they forward memes in such groups? No. They mean business.

Slide a DM

You get to know people by talking to them. Our traditional approach to marketing is to spread out our wares and hope and pray that you get a chance. Reach out to the right people. Decision makers, influencers and owners. Get to know them. Introduce yourself and your business and how you can add value to them. If you notice a prospective client, go into their inbox and make your presentation. Don't rely on broadcasting messages to get attention.

Attend webinars

These are available a dime a dozen all over the internet. Most of these are free and potentially link you to vast networks. Choose carefully who you want to follow and subscribe to their content. Alternatively, host your own webinars and share your expertise while you grow a loyal target audience. People follow experts and appreciate the value you share. Quality is the competitive factor.

Go to events

We no longer have COVID-19 as a scapegoat. In South Africa, we have a saying that says: Uzoyithola kanjani uhleli ekhoneni? It simply means that you must dive right in for an opportunity. People you desperately need to meet congregate in numbers at these events. Show up! Of course, you have to pay to attend many of these, but a free lunch is only found in a mousetrap!

Create an inner circle

Why would you need another circle when trying to expand your circle? This is a pack of 2-4 other people who constantly challenge your opinion and help sharpen your axe. These may be your colleagues in your team, friends who understand your business or industry associates who collaborate to develop capacity. The value of your expanding circle depends on the strength of your inner circle.

Nicholas Sibanda is a business model expert, advisor and coach with special interest in SME and nonprofit entrepreneurship.