When you attend a networking group, what vibes do you get? Follow your instincts. Visit a number of groups to find those which fit the Goldilocks test. That is, the groups that are not too mercenary and not too casual, the groups that are not too large and not too small, and the groups whose members can advance your business and you can advance theirs. We are all different; the best groups for you might not be a match for someone else. Invest your networking efforts in those groups and events which are your Goldilocks perfect fit.
Ellen Huxtable is the owner of Advantage Business Concepts, a company which supports growing businesses through market positioning, process development and management mentoring. She is the author of “Turbo-charge & Transform!,” a collection of twenty worksheets for management teams, focusing on mission, strategic positioning and tactical innovation. Ellen serves on the Advisory Board for the College of DuPage Small Business Development Center, the Fermilab Community Advisory Board, and the Western Region Board for Junior Achievement. In trying to stay abreast of her son’s interests, she is learning more about the Cavaliers and Drum Corps International than she ever thought possible.