In life it is about showing up; being there when someone is ready to talk. Social media makes it easier to show up, but the real fundamentals of building a relationship extend beyond the occasional tweet.As a small business owner it is easy to feel like an island.  When you establish a network and power team, and work on regular basis to stay in touch, and bring something of value to the interactions, you will find others begin to do the same for your.

Liz Strauss has written a terrfic post about Powering Up Your Network by Bringing it Closer.  In it she suggests:

  1. Be a good surprise. Take time every day to reach out with letters, emails and phone calls to a few people in your network
  2. Be a new encounter of the very best kind. Make time to ask others about what is going on in their world. When you do, they are more likely to want to know what you are doing.
  3. Be a sincere fan. Email someone you respect and admire, but don’t know well.(What a nice way to get introduced! )
  4. Be on a quest. Make it a quest to request help from someone you’ve never worked with.This is a great way to learn something new.
  5. Be an idea explorer. Never stop learning, and share what you know freely!

Liz never ceases to surprise me with her blog.  For more inspiration check it out.