JOURNEY OF ARTFUL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

94 WHERE WOMEN CREATE WORK SUMMER 2018
JOURNEY OF ARTFUL ENTREPRENEURSHIPby Jen O’Connor
As creativepreneurs, we may be very eager to share what we do and make creative connections with others. We know it’s these connections that can lead to opportunities for personal development, learning and business growth. While we know networking is good for our businesses, we may be in the studio more than out, so just where and how do we do this?
Turning Your Passion into Your Paycheck How to Network for Your Handmade Business
In this wrap-up of our four- part series, we’ll explore what “networking” really is and review tips on how to make the most of networking opportunities and develop good networking habits.
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No. 1 > Networking is who you know. Networking is about making connections. It’s more about whom you know than what you know. It’s the sharing of relationships and contacts to create concentric relationship circles. These circles connect those you already know with those you meet and with whom you may be able to work with or help.
Ground Rules and Manners Everyone can network, because everyone knows other people. It’s a matter of leveraging the relationships you have to make connections with others out there. But there are a few ground rules that make a positive yield of your efforts more likely.
No. 1 > Pay it forward. Good networking is when you share for the sake of good form. It’s not a give to get; it’s an investment in good will. Generosity of spirit is a priceless commodity that is prized in any business community. We all work hard to make our own businesses work, so when we extend ourselves and our network to help someone else, it speaks volumes.
No. 2 > Be open minded. When you step into a room, accept that each person you meet has something to share. You must be open minded to opportunity to make a connection. While you may be eager to meet the seasoned professional or the wealthy arts patron, the connection you make with the stranger could be just as valuable. When we apply this to social media, the same rule applies. You shouldn’t only “follow” or “like” the pages of industry leaders or style-setters; there are many smaller feeds and pages that warrant consideration. In the realm of social media, a little attention or well-placed comment goes a long way when directed at a fellow creativepreneur.
No. 2 > Networking is about listening. To be a good networker, you need to be a good listener. Networking is less about talking and more about listening. You need to listen to someone to learn about them and to understand what they need, how you can help or if you can connect them to someone in your circles of contacts.
No. 3 > Play nice and share. Good networking requires sharing and reciprocity. Some of us feel we have sources that we have to protect, which is reasonable. But my rule of thumb is to share as much as possible and be as helpful as you can. Likewise, if someone has helped you, acknowledge that. No one in business thinks you’ve gotten everything by luck, so remember appreciation goes a long way.
No. 4 > Remember it’s a small world. Even smaller when you consider the role social media has in connecting others with your public persona. Networking is like advertising, so every opportunity to make a positive impression counts. Always make a positive connection and mind your manners.
Networking Know-How
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Where to Build Your Network in the Handmade World First, look at how many options you have to make connections. Think of the many diff erent groups of women in handmade with whom you cross paths and can connect. What circles of friends and contacts do you have: suppliers, customers, fellow students at a knitting class, other working moms you know, gals you have seen at the same shows or shops you frequent, members of your clubs or Facebook groups, etc. Then consider whether you’ve touched base with them, asked for help, asked them to share or asked what you can do to help them. Have you met them? Have you made an attempt to connect on social media?
In-Person Networking Meeting people face-to-face is simply the best way to form a relationship. The research data is there to support this across industries; it’s more real and provides the opportunity for more long-term relationships. Women in the business of handmade are passionate creatives who experience things with soulful depth. We want to touch, feel, see and taste things to know them. Likewise, we form bonds quickly when we can connect in person. Lots of you already attend a range of events. Try talking to new people to make new contacts. New events and venues mean new contacts, and new contacts mean new opportunities that can translate into growth and business development. A few tips to make person-to-person networking easier:
No. 1 > Be prepared. Have a few well thought-out, compact thoughts about your business and capabilities that can just roll off your tongue. Practice these sound bites so you can quickly give someone a good idea of who you are and what you do.
No. 2 > Ask questions. A great way to learn is to ask—and then listen. Make sure you are never listening simply to respond to someone. Listen to understand. Ask questions that tell you about the person and that give you the information you need to understand if a business connection is likely, or if they’re just someone with whom you can have a chat!
No. 3 > Know who you are. Go into any event or situation knowing what you have to off er and what you can give. We all have something we are good enough at that we can share, and we all need help with something. Decide what you can do and what you need before you go into an event.
MANY WOMEN ARE AT THEIR BEST IN BUSINESS WHEN THEY ARE SUPPORTING OTHERS. INVITE OTHERS INTO THE ROOM WITH YOU AND SHARE YOUR CONNECTIONS.
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Where to Build Your Network in the Handmade World First, look at how many options you have to make connections. Think of the many diff erent groups of women in handmade with whom you cross paths and can connect. What circles of friends and contacts do you have: suppliers, customers, fellow students at a knitting class, other working moms you know, gals you have seen at the same shows or shops you frequent, members of your clubs or Facebook groups, etc. Then consider whether you’ve touched base with them, asked for help, asked them to share or asked what you can do to help them. Have you met them? Have you made an attempt to connect on social media?
In-Person Networking Meeting people face-to-face is simply the best way to form a relationship. The research data is there to support this across industries; it’s more real and provides the opportunity for more long-term relationships. Women in the business of handmade are passionate creatives who experience things with soulful depth. We want to touch, feel, see and taste things to know them. Likewise, we form bonds quickly when we can connect in person. Lots of you already attend a range of events. Try talking to new people to make new contacts. New events and venues mean new contacts, and new contacts mean new opportunities that can translate into growth and business development. A few tips to make person-to-person networking easier:
No. 1 > Be prepared. Have a few well thought-out, compact thoughts about your business and capabilities that can just roll off your tongue. Practice these sound bites so you can quickly give someone a good idea of who you are and what you do.
No. 2 > Ask questions. A great way to learn is to ask—and then listen. Make sure you are never listening simply to respond to someone. Listen to understand. Ask questions that tell you about the person and that give you the information you need to understand if a business connection is likely, or if they’re just someone with whom you can have a chat!
No. 3 > Know who you are. Go into any event or situation knowing what you have to off er and what you can give. We all have something we are good enough at that we can share, and we all need help with something. Decide what you can do and what you need before you go into an event.
MANY WOMEN ARE AT THEIR BEST IN BUSINESS WHEN THEY ARE SUPPORTING OTHERS. INVITE OTHERS INTO THE ROOM WITH YOU AND SHARE YOUR CONNECTIONS.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOU HAVE TO GET OUT THERE. YOU CANNOT SIT IN FRONT OF YOUR COMPUTER AND ENDLESSLY SURF SOCIAL MEDIA AND GET THE SAME RESULTS AS CONNECTING WITH OTHERS IN PERSON.
Social Media Networking This is a realm that is constantly evolving, so you need to be tuned in to the formats that are most likely to present opportunities for connections. You need to share who you are and what you are doing on multiple platforms so that networking connections are more likely.
No. 1 > Facebook groups. Right now, Facebook groups are a great way to see who’s actively engaging. Facebook restricts posts to your personal and business pages, with a fraction of your “friends” or “fans” actually seeing what you’ve posted. The same kinds or restrictions are not present within moderated groups, so fi nd a few groups in which you can engage and connect with others.
No. 2 > Multiple platforms and cross posting. Multiple impressions are made when you use various social media platforms; diff erent platforms speak to diff erent audiences. Tell people what you’re doing, what you want help with, who you want to attend your event—and then tell them again and ask them again. There is so much out there in social media, you have to make multiple, consistent visual and verbal impressions.
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Social Media Etiquette If someone is following you on social media and leaves a comment on a post, you must acknowledge that comment. Whether it’s a “thumbs up” emoji or quick “Thanks,” this is essential to creating a virtual dialogue and networking. If you are posting and expecting your audience to grow and fl ourish without their receiving your enthusiastic feedback, you’re being unrealistic.
How to Grow Your Network Regardless whether a connection happened in person or on social media, there are a few things you can do to make the connection more viable. No. 1 > Follow up promptly. Send an email, text or PM acknowledging your new contact, expressing your happiness to meet them and make the relevant connection. Follow your new contact on social media and like their business page. No. 2 > Maintain contact. If you cannot make a connection at fi rst, continue to keep an eye on someone on social media. Follow up in about a month and after that at least once a quarter to cultivate the connection. No. 3 > Just do it. If you said you would do something, do it. Don’t spend the time thinking that you should do it—just do it. If you said you would send information or that you would email a friend on behalf of this new contact, do it immediately. No. 4 > Be patient. It takes time to build a network, and it can take time to form connections with people. But the investment in cultivating a network over your years in business and among the various circles of friends and colleagues with whom you interact is well worth the eff ort.
THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO NETWORK, THE BEAUTY IS THAT SOME OF YOU MAY NOT REALIZE YOU ARE ALREADY DOING IT.
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Social Media Etiquette If someone is following you on social media and leaves a comment on a post, you must acknowledge that comment. Whether it’s a “thumbs up” emoji or quick “Thanks,” this is essential to creating a virtual dialogue and networking. If you are posting and expecting your audience to grow and fl ourish without their receiving your enthusiastic feedback, you’re being unrealistic.
How to Grow Your Network Regardless whether a connection happened in person or on social media, there are a few things you can do to make the connection more viable. No. 1 > Follow up promptly. Send an email, text or PM acknowledging your new contact, expressing your happiness to meet them and make the relevant connection. Follow your new contact on social media and like their business page. No. 2 > Maintain contact. If you cannot make a connection at fi rst, continue to keep an eye on someone on social media. Follow up in about a month and after that at least once a quarter to cultivate the connection. No. 3 > Just do it. If you said you would do something, do it. Don’t spend the time thinking that you should do it—just do it. If you said you would send information or that you would email a friend on behalf of this new contact, do it immediately. No. 4 > Be patient. It takes time to build a network, and it can take time to form connections with people. But the investment in cultivating a network over your years in business and among the various circles of friends and colleagues with whom you interact is well worth the eff ort.
THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO NETWORK, THE BEAUTY IS THAT SOME OF YOU MAY NOT REALIZE YOU ARE ALREADY DOING IT.
JEN O’CONNOR Energetic entrepreneur Jen O’Connor is the founder and owner of EarthAngelsStudios.com and a regular contributor to WHERE WOMEN CREATE and WHERE WOMEN WORK. She’s bought and sold handmade and vintage at almost every venue under the sun, with her first business success being a craft sale on her front stoop in Queens in 1981. This native New Yorker is a licensed urban planner with expertise in small business economic development and the handmade industry. She speaks regularly on turning passion into economy and provides consulting services to artisans and small businesses. Visit EarthAngelsStudios.com to learn more.
Believe in the Power of Networking You can have a lot of misses before you have a success. You may attend many events before you meet someone who can help you or who you can help. But you have to know that every smile counts, every gesture to make a connection can matter. Every small thing you do causes an impact. There is networking magic waiting to happen. There are so many ways to network, the beauty is that some of you may not realize you are already doing it. The more you share connections, the more you’re likely to succeed. It’s the new connections that yield more new relationships and in turn, more new connections. This is how a functioning network of creative professionals can encourage and support one another and the handmade industry can thrive.

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