Growing a business in the events industry often means seeking leadership in national or international associations, speakerships around the country (or the world), and an ever-broadening market for your products and services. Home, as they say, is where the heart is, and the heart of your business is your local core, or at-home network.
When global challenges arise, it is your home network that will often keep you going. Stay involved no matter how much you’ve grown. Here are some ideas:
Showing up
Keep your business on the local radar by showing up to local industry events such as networking meetings, socials, and business-to-business events. Your travel schedule may make it difficult to commit to attending every single meeting of your associations, but plan to attend at least a few a year, and keep in touch via email or social media the rest of the year.
Staying in favor
Never miss an opportunity to do a favor for a local friend. You might get wind of a colleague who needs something that you offer through your local connections. If it’s within your power, make it happen. What goes around indeed comes around.
Referring generously
This is a social industry and you likely talk to numerous people every day. Whenever an opportunity arises to refer someone to one of your local colleagues, seize it. Referrals beget referrals. Just as your reach is expanding today, a peer’s will be expanding tomorrow. Grow together via mutual referrals.
Giving your time
Perhaps your time in the larger industry market has taken you away from the local chapters of organizations such as NACE, ABC, WIPA, ILEA, ICA, and Wedding Network USA. It’s never too late to reconnect by becoming active again in your hometown association. Find out what kinds of help they need and offer to leverage your reach to help them build membership or gain exposure. You will almost always find opportunities to donate time and services.
Even as your business grows beyond national and international borders, remembering from whence you came keeps you grounded and helps sustain a strong foundation for your business. Make an effort right now to reconnect and sustain your at-home network. You won’t regret it.
