As a small business, it is always worth talking to people and making connections in the wider industry. When you start out running a business there are a lot of skills you need to learn and a lot of different things you will need to do for success. By having a confidant or an advisor by your side during these first few months and years, you can really reach new heights for your business and you can be much more successful than you ever thought you would be. Think about networking this year with as many people as you can to build up a professional network of friends who will be able to help you out if you ever struggle in your career. Here are just some of the ways you can start making business friends this year.

Invite People to See Your Warehouse

The first thing you can do, and this applies to prospective clients and can also apply to visitors who come into your office to meet with you, is show them the warehouse. This might seem like a totally crazy thing to do, but after a while sitting in a chair you will both need to stretch your legs. The warehouse can be the place where people really see the scale of a business and it can persuade them to work with you, plus, walking around gives you extra time to chat and become acquainted.

Attend Trade Shows

Trade shows are a wonderful place to go if you are a business owner and it can work just as well for you buying and your sales department. If you have a sales team, they can create trade show displays and this will allow them to sell your business to others and maybe even sell some product at the same time. Buyers can walk around and connect with businesses, and this can lead to another business giving you a list of things that are selling which you can buy and distribute on or repurpose into something else.

Connect on LinkedIn

If you want to connect with people who come from all over the world and have either the same interests or work in the same industry as you, there is no better place to sign up than LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the Facebook for business professionals and it is a way to connect and grow friendships with professionals from all over the globe. It can be a great way to stay in the loop with the latest business trends and discoveries and can go a long way to help your small business grow significantly bigger.

Don’t Be Afraid to Telephone

The telephone isn’t a scary item to use in the office. Although these days we are more accustomed to using email for communication, this doesn’t mean that you won’t find value talking on the phone. Email can be great but it is always hard to assess the tone of voice coming across in words. By calling, you can get to know other people, have a laugh and make friends in the business world.