Networking as a photographer

Photo by Annabel Williams. You can make some great friends as well as work associates from networking.

Networking, you either love it or hate it!  I am passionate about it though  and I appreciate that it has its time and place.

Emotionally, I gain a lot from networking.  I find many of the lectures that I listen to are inspiring and very helpful in terms of my personal development which translates into success for the business that I manage alongside Annabel Williams.  Motivationally, networking and listening to others often leaves me fired up and ready for my next move in business, determined to improve all aspects of where I am presently.  The bottom line- I have achieved a great deal in business via networking, many business prospects have presented themselves to me that would not have otherwise.  Last, but by no means least, I have made some great friends, people who are now very valuable to me and play an important part in my life as well as that of my family.

All of the above is born from very little effort.  That said I attend as many networking events as I reject.  I am selective as time is valuable and I consider how much of it I can justify investing in networking daily, weekly and monthly with a view to achieving my goals for the business each year.

Networking is only time well spent when you do so with a clear objective.  Sometimes I head to networking meetings for motivational purposes, inspiration, and a fresh outlook.  Sometimes I have an issue within the business that I'm looking to resolve.  Sharing my challenges with like-minded people in business who care about being successful and ‘getting it right’ I often find the solution. I value the motivated souls, the ‘happy in business’ folk who all have the same desire for success.  As much as I have been helped, I have willingly helped many others in industries across the board so be prepared to do the same.  It is a two way street and you will only reap what you sow.

My advice to all of those about to join a networking group is to be open minded and alert as to the opportunities which can result when embarking down this road – hundreds of new contacts are at your fingertips.  Don’t let them pass you by!  Good luck and let me know how you get on. I'm doing the same out there in the industry and love sharing the knowledge!  In fact, we often hold Open Days at the studio so I may even see you here in Staveley to network with me in the future!