This week, 170 countries around the world celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week; the purpose of this special week is to celebrate entrepreneurs and inspire millions to engage in entrepreneurial activity whilst connecting them to potential collaborators, investors and more.

One of the best ways to connect is through networking. It is one of the most essential personal skills an entrepreneur can possess. Being able to communicate and a having a strong presence are productive ways to help you establish relationships with other entrepreneurs even from different fields of interest and age groups.

Here is why you should network as an entrepreneur, how you can make a good impression and how you can make networking work for you

• You feel inspired and motivated after attending networking events and opportunities can arise if you impress potential investors or business partners. To create that positive impression, ensure you present your company the way you want other people to perceive it. It’s not enough just to be present though, you should be active, memorable and provide value to others to make them want to stay in touch with you.

• Once you meet individuals that you wish to establish a relationship with, ensure you keep this connection going after the event. Stay in touch and communicate, this will be the foundation of your relationship.

• Approach networking as part of your business – Create a plan with specific goals. Think about any events that provide networking opportunities; know why you are going to any such event, what are your networking goals ? i.e what do you want to achieve by attending. Review the networking events available and choose the one that will bring the most advantages to your business. Connections come as a result of other connections and the hardest part of the whole network-building process is the start.

The key thing to remember is that your ability as an entrepreneur to forge connections is an asset. At times, If you don’t have a specialist expertise, it’s often the only way to get the job done right.

Candice Sealey is the Founder and Principal Marketing and PR consultant at Ignite! a Full service Marketing and PR Consultancy that helps businesses owners/marketers to promote their businesses, to raise awareness, attract new customers and increase sales. 

We help you work out what marketing is needed, we bring a fresh approach, create a tailored plan and make it happen, leaving you free to concentrate on dealing the other areas of your business.

Contact us on 784-432-222, Follow us on FB & IG @igniteresults Twitter: @ignite3D Email: igniteresults@gmail.com