Yesterday’s challenge task was all about getting involved with your Chamber of Commerce.
If your local Chamber of Commerce is active, it’s likely the best place for you to “hang out” in order to meet other business owners. You want to do this because business owners are the folks that have 941 problems, or they know people that have 941 problems. By being active in such an organization, you’re able to position yourself as the go-to authority on 941 IRS problems (and state withholding issues, too, of course).
But where else can you find local business owners in addition to the Chamber? Or, what if your local Chamber is just a shell of what it once was?
Fortunately, there are other options.
Your challenge task for today is to do some quick research to find what’s active in your local area, and then hop online or pick up the phone to get involved. We’re just putting ourselves out there and getting involved. Involvement feels good, right? Let’s change the world!
Here are some other organizations besides the Chamber to check out:
- SCORE – The Service Corps of Retired Executives (old name) mentors small businesses across the country. Volunteer or attend events.
- Small Business Development Centers – SBDCs, in partnership with the US Small Business Administration, provide networking events, business development training, and access to all kinds of compliance resources for small business owners. See that? “Compliance resources”. Maybe you know somebody that can be a “compliance resource”? Eh? Eh?
- Young Entrepreneurs Council – This one leans towards the opposite end of the age spectrum from SCORE, and you must be 45 or younger to join. But, essentially, they do a lot of the same things as SCORE. If you want to niche towards a more Gen X and Millennial audience, then this could be a good direction to go.
- Toastmasters – Not a business organization per se, but a public speaking training organization that happens to attract a LOT of business people. The education is good, and reason enough to join. It’s also dirt cheap. I pay under $40 per year to belong to two clubs. Join for the education, and along the way you will meet a ton of local business leaders that can be great referral partners.
- BNI – Really a referral swapping service, but also good for networking. Being active in BNI is almost guaranteed to get you new business.
- LeTip – Kinda like BNI. I’ve never been a member, and I’ve heard mixed reviews, but it’s there.
Bear in mind that you may have a local organization that doesn’t have any affiliation with a national body. I’m obviously not going to know what that is, but you might. You’ll often find them referenced in local business journals or the business section of your local newspaper.
Find a local chapter or office of a group, and make some phone calls. Inquire about upcoming events, and get involved. Some of these are free, some of these are not. Even if you have to shell out $500+ a year to join (such as with BNI), then so be it.
Some readers may notice that I’ve left off some fairly large national organizations that have state and local chapters. I’m not going to name them, but they do exist. The reason I’ve left them off is because of politics. Depending upon which side of the political spectrum you lean towards, there is a large national pro-business organization that might interest you, and that could very much fill the role of an organization like I’m encouraging you to get involved with. Find that on your own, and get involved if you’d like, because I’m not touching that hornet’s nest with a 10-foot pole, especially on Election Day! 🙂
Find a center or an organization, and get out there! They likely need you, and there are referral opportunities awaiting thee.
