Networking

 

When we think about networking, we usually imagine a room full of people exchanging business cards and making conversations with strangers. I have attended a fair share of those meetings in my local county. I tend to opt for events organised by the Chamber of Commerce or women in business events. In the times of a global pandemic networking has moved online. You do not have to worry about ironing your trousers anymore, but you do need to tidy up the room in your background.

A couple of weeks I attended a virtual networking lunch organised by the Chamber. Following the event, I have connected on LinkedIn with some of the new people I met in breakout rooms and we have exchanged messages about how we could help each other. I found the virtual networking more relaxed than networking in person and I feel it has contributed to me being more confident and as a result more successful in making those new business connections.

However, there is more to networking than meeting new people. Customer retention is cheaper than customer acquisition – this is a well-known fact. For a small freelancer it is to some extent irrelevant, as we do not spend millions on marketing campaigns anyway. What we do invest however, is our time and effort and that is why the sentiment is also valid for small businesses.

I have had a quiet week workwise, which was welcome after weeks of relentless assignments. Having been in the translation business for 20 years I learnt to welcome downtimes, not fear them. This is when I can catch up on my marketing, accounts, and training. I have had the most enjoyable time in the past week emailing and speaking to my regular clients. We had a good laugh, reminiscing about the jobs we did together, catching up on our own and local business news. We often agree to meet for coffee or lunch when the pandemic is over. For me it was time and effort well spent in cherishing the relationships I already have.

In the current times we change and adapt the way we provide services and network. There is always something you can update your contacts about. It is wonderful to be able to share some tips, advice or good news in those challenging times. So, even if you currently do not need any Polish translation, feel free to email me to catch up or arrange to have a ‘zoom coffee’ together.

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