Author: Mark Orr

I've lost count of the huge number of times I've heard sentiments like this from people that I invite to Business Networking meetings in Milton Keynes.

Ironically, the people saying it are often very small one person band micro business owners themselves.  It's incredibly arrogant and shortsighted and also often quite wrong.

Yes, the business networking world is completely dominated by micro business owners.  They're the people who get up early, work hard and stay late.  Micro business owners don't only exist in some kind of micro business bubble.  They have friends, family, contacts, suppliers and clients.

I've never met a micro business owner who doesn't have a good close relationship with at least one person in one big business.  Several have loads of these contacts.  If you look down upon them from a great height or you belittle them they're not going to trust you with those contacts.

Networking is about telling people great stories that they can retell for you when you're not there.  So, when they are out for a drink with their mate who works at a senior level in a blue chip company they can talk about you.

Also remember that several micro business owners have started their own business after years working in big corporates.  They're contact list is probably exactly the people you would like to meet.  If you look down upon them from your lofty arrogance they're never going to trust you with those valuable contacts.

So yes, you're probably right.  Most of the networkers you meet are micro businesses with micro budgets and cannot afford your super duper product or service ...... but they all know somebody who can!