Looking for Small Business Networks

Thanks for all the tips, really appreciate it and have plenty of places to explore

Bypass the local networking organisations including the ACT Chamber of Commerce as they are a waste of time for a small business. The best way to grow your business is to set up cyber offices in all capital cities with your head office being in Melbourne. Have a website that reflects style and have a connection with an AFL team. This impresses ACT Government procurement people who have a cringe mentality about dealing with locally based businesses. Become a Defence contractor as well.

How to know your business is going well? ……. You’re too busy to join a small business network

Snarky said :

There’s also Schmooze.

(Been thinking of joining – never got round to it)

They have a great system of matching your requirements for specific events, so that you get to go to events that are relevant to your business, not a scattergun approach of attending all events.

The schmooze team can assist you in promoting your business to the network as well.

Check out:

Schmooze
BNI
Canberra Business Point/Lighthouse Innovation Centre
CRBEC

Be prepared with a lot of business cards. This is a style of promotional marketing that requires a significant investment of time and energy, but has a low monetary cost.

go for the ACT Chamber of Commerce and Industry, they have fairly regular business networking events as well as providing advice on IR, OH&S etc.

There’s also Schmooze.

(Been thinking of joining – never got round to it)

I am suspicious of these networks. I don’t want to meet people who are running their own completely unrelated business, I want to meet successful people in my own industry and find out what they are doing right, who they are working with, etc! Are there any groups for that?

Queanbeyan Business Council is very good

http://www.queanbeyanbusinesscouncil.com.au

The ACT have a Chamber of Commerce…but it’s a bit of an old boys network.

http://www.actchamber.com.au/

Flying solo