6 Innovative and Creative Ways to Network

Networking, can be one of the most exciting, and fruitful ways to grow your business! Additionally, it is a necessity and easier than ever before, in this day and age. Below are a few great ways to get your network the boost it needs.

Go hiking or engage in some physical activity

There has been a spike in popularity of hiking as a means of networking in recent years, and this is often an excellent, carefree, and casual way to network with one or multiple people at the same time. You could also go on a bike ride, play paintball, or practice yoga together. Settle on an activity that is appealing to everyone and you may be pleasantly surprised with the type of results that are generated.

Become a volunteer

If your intention is to basically do good and engage in social causes, there is no substitute for volunteering. Volunteering for different causes is the best way to meet like-minded people and build your contact base. You could also easily learn about other volunteering gigs and encourage other people to sign up for your causes. Plus, if you seek to start a social organization in the future, you will already have a contact base on which you can rely on.

Throw a dinner or lunch party

Food can often be a universal attractor and is often an excellent way to bring like-minded people together. You could also throw an outdoor picnic, and you can even hire a caterer to do the cooking. This can be a good strategy when you are looking to start a company and make the initial hires.

Be data driven about it

This is particularly useful for startups as there are numerous algorithms that now match the interests of startups and potential investors in great detail to facilitate in-person meetings. This way an investor’s interest can be gauged accurately and the startup can have reasonable expectations about the meeting.

Attend charity events

Charity events are often the best place to meet wealthy and serious investors, and attending an industry-specific charity event can be a boon to your business in terms of networking. If you can’t get in through the front door, you could work for the charity in order to get a chance to meet people with deep pockets.

Attend alumni events

Alumni events can often be a bit “out-of-the-ordinary” and “reminiscent” but they can also be an excellent way to network and reconnect with people. In addition, thanks to social media, you’ll have a good idea of who’s doing what and can go prepared to talk to certain people at the meetup.

Author: Jonathan Furman worked his way up to managing a small team at an ad agency and building a book of business valued at north of $2.5MM a /year in revenue. Later, he formed his own company as a financial intermediary, helping small businesses attain necessary funding during hard times. More recently, Jonathan has founded his own management consulting firm A.K.A. Furman Transformation, igniting his full passion in transforming all aspects of a company’s Sales, Marketing, and Operational Growth strategies, into the most powerful and polished version of themselves.