Blog

As an admitted extrovert, I enjoy meeting new people, seeing new places and learning new things. But let’s face it, not everyone is an extrovert. Not everyone loves going to networking events, meet and greets, or whatever you call them. For some people, events like these can be scary.

I went to a recent networking event and met a relatively new business owner, a young mother with children who was trying to balance her work and her home life. She had a look of fear on her face, seemingly overwhelmed by the 20 or so people at the local networking meetup. I engaged in some conversation with her, suggesting that we might be able to refer business to each other, but that only seemed to make her more uncomfortable.

And I thought to myself, what are you afraid of?

Most of us know that being a business owner is not for sissies. You need a lot of bravery to be in business. For those of you who may feel afraid of being in a room full of strangers to talk about your business, here’s how I approach it:

Your best networking tool is your smile. Don’t underestimate its power when meeting people.

So get out there and smile … and grow your business.

–Sue Voyles