Unusual Businesses Ideas That Work:
At a speed-dating event last summer, Melissa English walked away with more business contacts for her sister Sonia’s web design company than she did phone numbers for herself.At the same time, Sonia attended a business-networking event hosted by the local chamber of commerce and walked away with nothing. Sensing a perfect match between speed dating and networking mixers, the two sisters launched 5 Minute Networking. Their events give individuals from all industries the chance to meet 20 different professionals, one-on-one, in five-minute increments.
Their idea was an immediate hit– the first 50-person event filled to capacity within eight days of being announced. The company went national four months later, holding 25 events in 13 cities across the U.S.
Now in the process of patenting the software they designed to optimize their events, the sisters are also exploring franchising the concept and plan to publish a book with networking tips and stories about high-level professionals.
Sean Woodruff on September 20th, 2006 at 5:58 am
Finally, a place for that stupid 30 second elevator pitch that everyone talks about and no one actually feels right about spouting.
Networking, when done correctly, takes time. It is relationship building. It doesn’t happen in 5 minutes.
Interesting concept to market but I’m sure the results aren’t realized in the end.
Going up?
Assaf on September 21st, 2006 at 5:57 am
In order that networking will succeed you have to have the right attitude, you are not selling anything. At http://www.business-starter/Networking.htm there is more about networking attitude and some additional tips.