Supporting our peers is the perfect way to help fellow business owners focus on their abilities and achievements. We learn so much about ourselves and our entrepreneurial skillset when we lift another person, share an experience, or offer advice that drives them forward.
The landscape of an office environment or face-to-face meetings may have shifted recently, but the importance of one-to-one support or informal group relationships is well documented.
Building strong social connections is what networking is all about. It gives the small business owner access to a community where they feel safe, nurtured, and championed.
Helping others is so ingrained into some people’s DNA that they navigate towards those industries that offer the greatest chance to make a difference – the NHS springs to mind.
But what about the rest of us? What about those entrepreneurs who launch businesses in the arenas of teaching, social work, charity, law, secretarial, or creative outlets? We might not be able to stitch an open wound, restart an ailing heart, or deliver a baby, but our aptitude for helping others is just as great.
“Helping one person might not change the whole world, but it might change the world for that one person.”
The business of helping others
‘Like attracts like’ is a known fact in the realms of universal energy. What we give out comes back to us tenfold, and the help and encouragement we give to our fellow woman or man act like a beacon of gratitude. Feeling good about helping others will boost our own wellbeing – and who doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of a smile!
How we support one another within the network is witnessed every single day.
- Testimonials – offering a kind word, positive feedback, or a boost about a service or product is worth so much to a small business owner. Word of mouth is a vital marketing tool, and to be able to share the comments received from our peers, clients, and networking colleagues can have a significant impact on business sales and visibility. Merely knowing someone believes in what you are doing can be enough to help someone cope with a bad day. You can read more about this in our recent post Everyone Needs Someone to Believe in Them.
- Collaboration – many of us may be a solopreneur being and doing everything for everyone. As exciting as that can be, sometimes it drains us. Through networking groups such as Womens Business Networking, we can build rapport with fellow business owners, which, in turn, can lead to meaningful collaboration projects. The ladies in our network have worked on a variety of tasks together from guest blogging in the Netherlands to putting together a virtual workshop.
- Stronger connections – virtual networking opens us up to a global audience, and with that wider reach comes the opportunity to make a difference to someone we may never have met in real life. When we help someone, we can’t help but feel a deeper connection to them. It builds a relationship of trust and mutual respect. Reinforcing the social connections we make can only provide us with worthwhile associates. Those bonds also help combat feelings of isolation or inadequacies. You can read more about this in our post Running a Business from Home Can Be Lonely and Isolating.
Helping others is good business
Companies who help others are rewarded by loyal customers who return time and again for the privilege of working, or buying, from us. Being helpful pays the bills!
There is also an element of self-satisfaction gained from offering authentic help to a fellow business owner without expecting anything in return. We will be remembered.
If helping others is at the core of your business then it may interest you to learn that companies who work with mentors (people helping people) increased their revenue by 83%. Helping others can directly impact our business.
To be seen as a helpful entrepreneur creates an ambience of authority around us. People will learn to trust us and our judgement. We will be able to establish ourselves as an expert and inspire confidence in those around us.
How can you help others?
There are plenty of ways to help people in the network other than the points we’ve already mentioned. Testimonials and collaboration will always be welcome, but how about offering free resources via your website? Adding valuable content that helps customers, as well as social connections, boosts visibility.
On a final note, helping others makes us happier and more productive. These feelings have a knock-on effect on our business and home lives, meaning we all thrive and grow together.
Helping each other opens up many opportunities, not only in the way we collaborate but also in the way we take control of our business dealings. Knowing we have a strong, like-minded community behind us gives the power and confidence to improve our professional development, create broader connections, and build lasting relationships.
“Women’s Business Networking provides a safe and supportive community to share and explore business ideas. I joined the community a year ago and my business has gone from strength to strength. I have met a number of businesses that I was able to collaborate with and support as well as mentors who have offered invaluable advice along my journey. I highly recommend joining this diverse and professional group of ladies.” Andrea Rainsford, SEO Angel.
At Women’s Business Networking, we help small business owners to stay connected, thrive in business, learn, grow, and feel empowered. To find out more about our membership or to book on one of our networking events, please get in touch via our website.
