Why Networking Outside Your Industry Actually Helps Your Core Business

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Networking is a key to success in all industries. In some instances, branching out into other sectors can greatly help you core business. The following contributed post is entitled, Why Networking Outside Your Industry Actually Helps Your Core Business.

* * *

A few weeks ago, I found myself in one of those reluctant coffee shop queues. That shop everyone goes to because they need a break from their inbox, but no one really wants to make small talk. And there I was, chatting to a man who restores antique furniture with the kind of finesse you’d expect from a heart surgeon.

I thought we’d end up talking about varnish or wood grain. We didn’t. We spoke about juggling customer requests without becoming overwhelmed by admin. By the time the conversation had ended, I had filled the back of a receipt with my own notes. Interesting how that happens.

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/women-holding-takeaway-coffee-cups-7490979/

Routines Are Good Things, Until They’re Not

When you’re always surrounded by people who do similar work to you, it becomes easy to forget to ask questions. Everyone’s approaching things in the same way, chasing similar goals, using the same language.

Eventually, your thinking starts to follow the same patterns. Reliable, maybe, but it can start to feel like you’re running a loop, like watching a film you once loved and suddenly noticing that you already know every word.

Something Changes When You Change the Conversation

Now and again, I find myself in a completely unrelated conversation with someone whose work couldn’t be more different from mine: a butcher, a lighting technician, a garden landscaper. And somehow, I always walk away with a fresh idea. Sometimes the link is obvious, and sometimes, it’s more like working backwards through a puzzle.

One afternoon, while helping a friend organise her delivery schedule, we got chatting about her rural suppliers. We ended up discussing stock flow and logistics for something entirely outside my usual remit Farm Supplies Shropshire. That one conversation quietly nudged me to rethink how I manage my own planning calendar. Nothing dramatic, just a gentle reframe that helped things fall into place.

Those smaller nudges are sometimes more powerful than big, flashy strategies. They come without pressure, without an agenda. And that’s why they stick. Because they come from moments that feel human, not transactional, and they open the door to creativity without you even trying.

No Pitch, No Pretence

There’s something refreshing about conversations that don’t involve trying to impress anyone. When you’re speaking to someone from outside your industry, there’s no silent comparison going on. No need to translate your job title or prove your worth.

You just tell stories. You ask questions. You listen. And in that space, ideas show up. Honest ones. Useful ones.

Shifting Sideways Can Still Move You Forward

If your calendar’s full of the same networking calls and familiar faces, consider this your nudge to shift things slightly. Say yes to the community walk. Chat to the woman running the local flower stall. Join the talk on a subject you know nothing about.

Let the conversation be what it is: natural, unplanned, and maybe even a little odd. Sometimes those quiet exchanges plant the seed for something useful to grow later on.

You might leave with nothing more than your usual flat white, or you might walk away with an idea you didn’t know you needed. Either way, the coffee queue has its moments.

Online Networking Success

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success, and key area of focus is Technology. Networking is an important part of anything you try to do these days whether it’s starting a business, starting a blog or writing a book. Knowing how to network online can be the one piece that puts your project over the top, and not knowing how to do so could kill it. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Online Networking Success.

* * *

Networking is essential for any professional or business owner. Over the years, networking has changed considerably, with the vast majority being conducted online nowadays. But, are you networking effectively? There is a big difference between networking and simply liking other people’s posts or seeing how many connections you can get on LinkedIn. With that in mind, read on for five top tips for successful online networking.

https://pixaby.com/en/computer-laptop-technology-keyboard-768608/

  1. Start local – When you are first getting started with online networking, it is a good idea to stay local. You may think that this is counterintuitive. After all, isn’t the whole point of using the Internet to reach a global audience? While this is true, and there are many benefits to gain by reaching your immediate geography in some situations, there are advantages of starting in your own backyard. This means that you will build a social network and have a better shot of meeting face-to-face, which will help you to establish quality connections that you can build on.
  2. Find a shared point of reference – When you are looking for people to connect with, it is good to look for something you have in common, for example, someone with the same causes or interested in volunteering, like Drew Fasy, clubs and organisations, previous employers, or your hometown. By referencing this when reaching out to the person, it gives them a reason to connect with you, offering a good conversation starter.
  3. Have a clear reason for choosing the person in question – You need to have a clear reason for wanting to meet the person in question. The person will be more likely to give you some of their valuable time if you give them a reason why you need to meet them specifically.
  4. Put some thought in – Before you meet with someone, you need to put some thought into what it is that you are asking for. This ensures that there is a clear structure and that the person you are meeting has a distinct idea of what it is you want and how/if they are able to assist. Don’t be vague – lines like “I want to pick your brain” or “I would like to meet you” just don’t work. Would you want to give someone your time if they simply said that?
  5. Ask for the meeting – A valuable contact is not made by simply connecting with someone on LinkedIn. You need to talk to the person, preferably face-to-face, but if that is not possible, a video chat will suffice. This is the only way to learn from someone or get the help that you need.

So there you have it – some top tips to help you with online networking. As mentioned, online networking should be viewed as a starting point, you then need to connect with the person face-to-face. Of course, this is not always geographically possible, but with video chat available nowadays, you can use this instead.