Are you a new business just starting up? Have you sat down and written out all the items you need to invest in, listed your company to-do’s, business expenses, set financial targets / projections etc… Lets face it, with so much to do, digest and think about, setting up a new business in today’s economic climate is not easy! Not only will you be competing with intense competition, established brands and more, but you also have the statistic that 85% of new businesses fail in there first year!

Ok, it is not all doom and gloom… And if you are prepared to put in the hours, box clever and work hard then why shouldn’t you be amongst the minority of businesses that survive, grow and succeed…

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Dear reader, today I thought I would list my top 10 tips for successful business networking. Are you considering a networking event in your local area? Maybe you are looking to drum up some new business or increase brand awareness? Whatever your reason, these are exciting times because business networking can open many new doors and create new business opportunities. So, here we go… My top 10 tips for successful business networking:

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If you are new to Business Networking Link then welcome, the idea behind this site is to post lots of business and motivational info for start-up companies and people looking to expand or develop a business idea. Through our business networking blog, reader comments, our mobile app (this coming soon) and the FREE Membership option above, we aim to connect SME (Small and Medium Enterprises), entrepreneurs and business owners across Hampshire and the UK! Remember, it is not about the number of connections, it’s more about the quality of connections!

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To end a busy week I thought I would type up a short blog post on new business marketing strategies that I believe really work! Running a web design business I often deal face to face with business owners, it is after all them signing cheques for new websites or the SEO campaigns we offer at Tidy Design. Anyway, I have found that not everyone embraces social networking, video marketing or SEO as viable business marketing strategies. Many established business owners are still hooked on old school marketing strategies such as Yellow Pages or cold calling… However can we really say which is right and which is wrong? Ok, Tidy Design invested several hundred pounds into Yell Group one year… To me this was a waste of money however if you don’t try these things then you will never know! As business owners I believe everyday should see some form of investment into your company, be it a blog post, investing in an advert or social networking, continual efforts and hard work will pay off in the long run! If you don’t invest your time and money into your own business and marketing strategies then don’t be shocked if your website generates no business or your brand / company is not talked about on the high street! Like with all things in life you get out what you put in, and business is one tough cookie to crack!

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The main purpose of our website ‘Business Networking link’ is to blog lots about business, branding, web marketing and networking… As well as this we also hope to assess the demand for real face to face networking events in Hampshire that we aim to organise, in comparison to the online networking via our blog and website. If you are interested in either of the above then please register above today!

At ‘Business Networking link’ we hope the articles posted will provide some form of mental stimulation or entrepreneurial motivation to our readers. Our goal is primarily to assist start-up companies and business minded people living in and around Hampshire to find their way both on and off the web. It is after all about who you know, as much as it is about what you know! In today’s economic climate ‘Business Networking link’ believes 2011 is the year to be making these business to business relationships, friendships, new connections etc… 2011 is not the year to stand still!

Although we have the B2B (Business 2 Business) links page on our website (this aimed at companies looking to purchase a featured listing), we would like all Hampshire based businesses to use this page as a FREE business directory or business listing… We believe ‘Business Networking Link’ is different from other Hampshire business directories, at the end of the day we want YOU to succeed in business and find other Hampshire based businesses / networks that will benefit your company!

So to conclude, if you run a business or are looking to market your Hampshire based company on the web, then this page can offer you a FREE backlink to your website! Simply post some information about you, your services, products etc and following a quick check by our team (to ensure you exist and are based in Hampshire) we will approve your post for future readers to see… Who knows, maybe they will be interested in the products or services you offer!

We update ‘Business Networking link’ regularly with news, reviews and business related articles so please come back soon. Whether you are new to the world of business, a Hampshire based hotel or bed and breakfast, a shop or restaurant; we would love to see you added to our Hampshire business directory.

Have an awesome 2011 and I hope to see you all soon

Michael Jon Ward

Business mentoring is all about creating a mutually and rewarding relationship between two people with that all important similar interest, ‘business’! A business mentor should be more than just your advisor, but a loyal and trusting friend for life!

In my line of work I get to meet different types of businesses across Hampshire, Surrey and the UK. Some of these business owners have become very good friends of mine over the years. I often meet up with several of them for a beer or coffee once a month, to chat about our families, targets, work, investments and businesses! It is what I would like to call a perk of the job!

This kind of mentoring works well for me, I mean we are all in business so I guess we are all going through the same things day in day out… things like staffing, the recession, online marketing etc tend to be the topic of conversation! I would say the bond between my clients / friends has really helped me to develop our business. This free mentoring often concludes with new ideas being taken away by both parties (and sometimes a hangover). That said; it was not until I went into business that these business relationships formed… Your life really does change so much when you go into business so expect to loose and make new friends along the way!

Having parents and in-laws who are also in business is another advantage for me, answers to questions or feedback on new business ideas is often easy to come by, and for that I am extremely grateful!

So how can you build a solid mentoring relationship? Who should you turn to for feedback or advice on those new entrepreneurial ideas? Friends and family (depending on experience and knowledge of business) is a great place to start… Let’s face it, people like to talk and people also like others to listen!

Taking an interest in the person as a human being is also important, success is not just about money or what car you drive, ask your business mentor what’s going on in his or her life, say something funny that happened to you, make yourself real! Try not to bleed as much business information as you can as quick as you can, don’t call or email saying “can I pick your brain about something?” … Set a date in your diary to meet up and discuss those all important life changing decisions face to face!

In life I am a strong believer that you get out what you put in, if you have a business or service you can offer your business mentor then do it! A business mentor should not be seen as just your council, they are not here to hold your hand or to make the decisions for you! Every now and again you should thank them for the differences they make, offer rewards when rewards are due, and make sure your mentoring relationship is mutually rewarding! In business backs need to get scratched from time to time, be honest about what you do and what you can offer, never forget relationships (both business and personal) are built on trust!

So to conclude, the role of the business mentor or life coach is to assist business owners through honest advice, guidance, support and encouragement. A business mentor should be able to generate sales, locate and address any marketing or branding issues, understand business management, team building and help pinpoint those entrepreneurial strategies for growth.

If you are looking for a business mentor in Hampshire then please post your comments below or register for ‘Free Membership’ above. This site has been designed and setup to connect people, so business mentors in Hampshire and business owners in Hampshire today is the day you need to register or start joining in the debate!

Michael Jon Ward

Earlier this week Back Care Beds and Tidy Design went out for dinner at the Dragon Marina Chinese Restaurant in Port-Solent. It was a very pleasant evening; the food was lovely, service ok, conversation great and reflecting back on past Bulgarian adventures was very entertaining… Especially after a couple of bottles of wine!

The owner of Back Care Beds has been working really hard this year to cut costs for his customers and increase the manufacturing of Waterbeds and Adjustable Beds across Europe. As if having a factory in Chichester was not enough, Back Care Beds has now expanded its production of adjustable beds and adjustable bed components to Bulgaria!

Having visited Bulgaria myself a few times with Back Care Beds (AKA Bulgaria Property Agent) we have witnessed first hand the great people, properties, investment opportunities and potential this awesome country can offer (We even ended up buying a house and some land!).

To be honest, every time I meet up with Back Care Beds I take away something new in terms of business advice, investment ideas or feedback… So what did I learn this week? Well, it goes to show that hard work truly does go hand in hand with success; I mean I don’t know many people who put in the same hours as the owner of Back Care Beds when it comes to expanding / improving a business… I also don’t know many people who are as happy or excited about life!

In my line of work I am privileged to meet a lot of business owners when it comes to designing or marketing a website through Tidy Design. I really believe that new businesses, start-ups and even established companies should invest as much time as possible into listening to others… Information is free (well most the time!) and you can learn so much from people who are already in business. If you don’t know anyone in business then don’t panic, a business book by Alan Sugar, Duncan Bannatyne, Peter Jones, Richard Branson etc will not cost the earth and the advice / motivation they can provide is priceless!

What ever happens next with the recession, spending cuts, job losses etc I am certain that hard work, determination and honesty will prevail! I know this because of people like Back Care Beds, and the many other hard working businesses that Tidy Design works with.

If you have enjoyed this Business Networking Link article then please feel free to post your comments / feedback below. Maybe you recently received some entrepreneurial tips, strategies for growth or business inspiration? Let’s face it, in today’s information age we all need to learn as much as we can!

Michael Jon Ward

What ever line of work you are in, the internet and the influence of search engines such as Google is not something to be ignored. A majority of your website traffic is going to be generated by the three major commercial search engines, Google, Yahoo and Bing. Taking this into consideration you should be allocating both time and money into improving your organic search results with these three internet giants!

So how can you make Google, Yahoo and Bing choose your website over the many hundreds or thousands of competitor sites already on the web? Well, it is down to you (or your SEO Company) to tick as many boxes as possible when it comes to search engines algorithms. Think of it like this, with hundreds of millions of web pages to sort through, Google, Yahoo and Bing need to choose the best possible match / result for someone searching the web… Once a ‘Keyword’ or ‘key phrase’ is entered, each search engine will follow a set of rules, known as an algorithm to generate a result. Exactly how each search engine algorithm works is top secret, however, all major search engines follow certain rules and offer some guidelines when it comes to getting your site ranking higher.

Having worked in the SEO industry for a few years now it is amazing what stories I have heard from business owners! Even today I had a call from a guy who found Tidy Design on Google whilst searching for SEO companies; he had sadly invested both time and money into a 12 month campaign which did not even generate his homepage a Google PR (Page Ranking)! I hope one day the SEO industry does see some kind of regulators or standards… It seems anyone these days can call themselves an SEO expert or marketing guru, charge companies lots of money and not deliver a result!

If you would like to learn more about online marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO) then I would suggest you Google it! Select a company that is local to you, someone you can meet up with and discuss the progress of your SEO campaign. Don’t be fooled by SPAM emails, overseas companies offering guaranteed results for next to no money!

I will be posting more info and articles about web marketing on Business Networking Link in the coming months, I will also be attending our networking events (once dates are finalised), so will be able to answer some of your questions in person. In the mean time please feel free to visit our ‘Web Design & Marketing Blog’ tidydesign.com/blog or my own personal ‘Business & Investment Blog’ mjward.co.uk/blog

Finally, please take advantage of our FREE Membership and register for Business Networking Link today! If you have any thoughts, questions of comments about web marketing & search engine optimisation (SEO) then please post these below. I will do my best to answer them ASAP! Until next time, have a great week!

Michael Jon Ward

Are you based in Portsmouth Hampshire? Do you have a new business idea? Maybe you are looking to escape the rat race, say goodbye to the nine to five job and start creating your own brand… What ever the reason behind setting up your own business, the early stages are by far the more intense! Just some of the things you will need to consider are a company logo, business card, company colours, branding, website, domain, hosting, staff, sole trade or limited, accountant, marketing budgets, sales, customer care etc… The list goes on!

Based in Portsmouth, Hampshire Tidy Design specializes in start-up company websites, hosting, marketing and brand development. If you are looking for affordable web design in Portsmouth, Hampshire then when not take a look at www.tidydesign.com or call 023 92 735 207 quoting the ‘Business Networking Link’

If you are setting up a new business then Business Networking Link would love to hear from you, please feel free to post your questions, thoughts, comments, ideas etc below and lets start networking!

If you own or run a small business and are attending a networking event then what should you consider? Well, the old saying ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’ springs to mind, don’t hold back when it comes to introducing yourself… Have some small talk up your sleeve to test the water, observe peoples body language, project confidence and make sure you make notes (mentally or on paper) because the follow-up is as important as the meeting!

All businesses have a mountain to climb when it comes to starting out! Very few businesses take off over night, so be prepared to put in some long hours, financial investment, blood, sweat and tears! Remember, if it was easy then everyone would be doing it!

As a small business networking tip, I would say expect a few misses before you find an approach that works for you… Why not experiment with different approaches, attend as many networking events as possible, meet a wider variety of people, make new friends with that all important thing in common… Business! The aim of Business Networking Link is to benefit businesses by creating these networking opportunities in your local area, online and via social networking sites. Good luck