Where do you start?
Where on earth do you start when there is so much to consider?
As an entrepreneur you have more than likely started your own business so you can 'follow your own path'. You didn't start this adventure to start being told what to do once again, or blindly follow other people. But you'll probably have deduced from the page 'Why we need help?' that there is definitely going to be some collaboration going on and having a strong personal network in place will be hugely beneficial.
How can you tell the 'wood from the trees' though? ... big problem... it's not easy. Who can you trust? ... it's probably the single largest challenge for all of us. Not impossible though, and with trusted personal networks coupled with effective use of online resources connecting the right people together can be super quick these days.
So how do these following initial ideas look? ...
- Regular opportunities to get together
- You don't want to be sold too
- You would like to be able to find your feet, discover, without any pressure to commit to anything
- You'd like to meet interesting, knowledgeable people who can signpost you
- You want to meet people who genuinely want to help others ... not just themselves
- Something that you can participate in to expand your mind and get you thinking
- You have a keen sense of fairness and want to be amongst others that are of the same ilk
If you had to describe the kind of situation where you might feel most comfortable, it might contain some of the following...
- Relaxed environment without any need to 'perform'
- Free from any pressure to meet the needs or expectations of others
- No selling just helpful conversation / discussions
- A chance to ask questions, get signposted to trusted contacts
- Chat about some of the issues you have right now and who might be able to help
- Get to meet other local people, expand your personal network, and build relationships
- Exposure to people who can help you innovate or create some new ideas for your business
- Find out all about what is available for local businesses in the area
- Discover people who might be able to help you move forward (no pressure)
- Get details of local training, workshops and other tools that might be useful now or in the future
- Get the heads up on 'who is who' locally, must know connections, and introductions to people you might want to meet
- Links to online resources where you can connect with others and start to participate
- Very Important (for some) : No BIG costs