Getting Out

I went to a business event this morning.  I’m going to another one on Wednesday and I’m holding one in my office on Thursday.

I don’t go to 3 events every week, but when there is a good event, I go.

I don’t understand Business Owners who say they are too busy to go to events in their community.  Since when did engaging with your customers become optional?  Since when is improving yourself a luxury to be cut out?

A good friend who has owned her family business for almost 40 years talks about the loneliness and self-recrimination she felt during the really hard times during the 80’s (inflation, interest rates and energy costs went through the roof).  She says that she and other business owners felt that they were doing something wrong because their once-profitable businesses were now not so profitable and they had to let staff go.  That’s a double whammy hit.  You don’t feel like meeting up with other Business Owners if you aren’t doing so well and if you are short staffed, it’s harder to get away.

Having talked to other business owners since then who felt the same way, she goes to every business event she can get to.  She says she will never deny herself the support she could have had.

If you are having tough times in your business, so is everyone else and that’s the time to work together, not hide away.

What’s the worst thing that could happen if you opened an hour later every Wednesday so you could go to the Rotary meeting?  You’d be inspired?  You’ll get to talk to others about what’s new in your business?  You won’t feel like it’s so much your fault?

Our Community Development Coordinator just cancelled a Business Event scheduled for this Wednesday because of lack of interest.  There was even a FREE LUNCH!  I went to this event last year and it was very well attended.

I met 2 new people at an event last week.  One of them is interested in working on a bookkeeping app and I’m interested in making a bookkeeping app.  We’re meeting about it next week.

The other one installs software – the kind of software we train Business Owners to use.  We’re getting together soon, too.

The more I get out to events, the more business comes our way; the more business opportunities I find and the more energy, inspiration and courage I have.

How about you?  Do you get out to events?  What about the Business Owners in your community?  Do you put on events?  What is attendance like where you are?

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