As Houston’s small business resource, our goal is to grow a community of our favorite city’s small business. When you develop strong relationships with other business owners and  professionals within your industry, you are creating your a supply of connections and wisdom to draw upon. 

Small businesses can often feel isolated when it comes to tackling everyday challenges and forming long-term goals. The truth is, entrepreneurs have so many common obstacles, and breaking out of your bubble to get in touch with business owners like yourself can help you overcome your immediate concerns and enhance your business’s success down the road. 

So why aren’t you already focusing on building your network? Many small business owners see networking as a time-draining process with a slow return on the time invested. But not to worry-- we have 5 tips to make networking a rewarding, pain-free process: 

1. Join a professional organization
No matter what kind of business you own, chances are there is a professional organization you can join that is devoted to furthering its members in their field. These organizations provide workshops and guest lectures in order to help you increase your industry knowledge. They also provide an opportunities to socialize with others within your own industry, allowing you to build on your sense of community, gain mentors, and perhaps be a mentor yourself for an up and coming entrepreneur. 

Most organizations provide their members with a local job board, lunch & learn events, and an industry journal in exchange for an annual fee. Some organizations like the National Association of Women Business Owners have free membership. 


2. Maximize your web sources
These days, it’s easier than ever to expand your network by connecting with the people who have the expertise you’re looking for. Platforms like LinkedIn and Biznik allow you to further your personal brand, share your industry novel, and connect with professionals within your industry along with people or companies who can benefit from your product or service. 

3. Read up on your industry 
Staying current with innovations within your industry is important when talking to people within your field. You can subscribe to magazines and journals, or you can find a favorite online blog to follow. You’ll start building a strong store of knowledge and opinions on current events within your industry, and this will allow you to contribute to an interesting, meaningful conversation about your business and others like it. 


4. Watch a morning variety show
When expanding your network, you can’t talk shop all the time. As you’re getting ready in the mornings, have on a morning show like Today or Good Morning America, or tune in to NPR during your commute. These programs give a great overview of everything going on within politics, pop culture, sports, and foreign affairs. That will help you know a little bit of everything when meeting new people, and you can pull from subjects that seem to interest them. Just remember to veer away from controversial material in professional settings. 


5. Follow Up 
This is the most important step to take when networking. If you want to maintain strong relationships with people who can strengthen your business, you will need to follow up with them periodically. Connecting on LinkedIn is a great way to keep up with people, but sending a letter or picking up the phone every month is even more personal. Don’t forget to invite your connections to a cup of coffee before work every now and then-- you’ll show that you appreciate the time and advice they offer you. 

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, you might be thinking about how much your family means to you. You might also be thinking about you can spend more time with them. As an entrepreneur, work can get overwhelming, especially when it seeps into every aspect of your life. Even if you’re running a business with your family, the lines between family relationships and business partnerships can be obscure and hard to manage. 

A work-life balance might look good on paper, but is it really feasible to turn off your work-self and turn of your family-self at any given hour? Here’s how you can make a work-life balance work for you: 

1. Keep track of how you spend your time 
Do you keep a time log at work? It might work just as well at home! Create a timetable that keeps track of how much time you’re spending doing homework with the kids or talking to Mom and Dad on Skype. Then log the hours you’re spending answering emails or running business meetings. 

You might feel like your life is perfectly balanced, but seeing how your time is spent in hard numbers can be a wake up call. Is your work log drastically different from your home log? That’s an indicator that one aspect of your life isn’t getting the amount of attention it deserves. 


2. Don’t be afraid to delegate
You might see your business as another child; you want to be involved in every aspect of it. But don’t neglect your actual children for your business. If you’re performing tasks that could be delegated to employees or outsourced to a consulting firm, you’re wasting time that could be spent at home. 

As the leader of your business, you have more mobility than anyone when it comes to scheduling your time. Focus your job so that you’re responsible for the tasks only you can do. Then exert your efforts towards building a strong team to handle the rest. Chances are your business efficiency will rise as you spend more time on what matters most, both at work and at home. 

3. Communicate with the people who are important to you
Do you talk to your family about how they feel about your schedule? Keeping up an open conversation about if you’re spending enough time at home is important. Ask how many memorable moments your family shares with you; it will be a chance to linger on good memories and plan out new ones. 

Keeping your family engaged with your work life can also help them understand why you aren’t always available. Express the importance of the meeting that caused you to miss dinner, or talk about the busy season. When you keep up a good channel of communication, you’ll be able to better gauge the important moments you shouldn’t be missing, both at home and at work. 

4. Reserve a time of day that’s just for family
Do you have a family-exclusive slot in your daily schedule? Try incorporating one. You might choose to have breakfast before everyone starts their day, or carve out a half-hour evening hang out in the living room. Be ready to talk about your day and listen to your family’s triumphs and challenges. 

Make sure you’re excluding cell phones, laptops, and anything else that might make your mind drift towards your work and away from the people in front of you. Your family members will appreciate knowing that they have your full attention at least once a day. 

5. Take time for you 
Balancing work and family is important. Balancing work and family with you-time is essential. Taking the time to focus on yourself-- whether it’s working out, meditating, or curling up with a good book-- will allow you to re-energize so that you can be your best self at work and with your family. 

Sources: 
Forbes 
Entrepreneur