As one of the busiest capital cities in the world, London is the ultimate destination for business networking.
If you’re in the capital this month, be sure to make the most of the wonderful opportunities the city has to offer. This really can do you and your business the world of good.
Events in London
There are various business events in London all year round and some fantastic chances to network, ranging from property networking events to exhibitions for budding fashionistas.
First of all this is a man’s world no more, with the number of women in business growing year on year – according to the Prowess online hub, a third of UK entrepreneurs are female. So if you’re a woman looking to break into the business world, why not come along to such a big event as the Women in Business Network’s Big Networking Lunch at De Vere West One, 9-10 Portland Place on Tuesday 12th November?
However, if you’re just making your first inroads into the world of business, London’s incredible ExCel plays host to an opportunistic ‘Kick Start Your Business’ event over two days, at the end of November too. There are expected to be more than 20,000 visitors in total, benefiting from the expert advice of more than 200 speakers, 125 masterclasses, and an abundance of suppliers too.
Benefits of business networking
Of course, it’s all well and good visiting such networking events, but if you’re unsure of your exact reasons for doing so, you’re wasting your time. Networking is all about sharing – including building trust and helping one another towards end goals, and strengthening your business connections. It presents the option to regularly engage with contacts and find future opportunities to assist them. By doing so, you’re planting the seeds for reciprocal assistance in future – you scratch their back and they’ll be sure to scratch yours.
Expanding your contacts also expands opportunities – including for career advancement, new information, business and personal growth. By networking, you’ll be at the top of the minds of the right people when job openings arrive, or when receiving introductions to those people. It also allows people to refer you to others who will be able to help you.
Networking conferences can be huge confidence boosters. If you put yourself out there and go out of your way to meet new people, you’ll be automatically stepping outside your comfort zone and building social skills and self-confidence that will prove invaluable and that you can apply everywhere, in and outside of business. The more you choose to network, the greater the connections you will grow.
So, free up some time in your schedule. Head to the capital soon and meet others in the same situation as you, or get advice from others who appear to be travelling on a yacht, rather than a dinghy.
There are many great city of London hotels, so you can further use the trip as an excuse to sample some luxury. Plus, once you’re all networked out, you can see some of the wonderful sights the capital has to offer.
