Promoting networking groups

After eleven years of networking weekly in open groups, I’m finally running a networking group along with my counterpart, Vic Sockrider, of Kingpins Bowling. All those years networking and watching group facilitators like Bob Norris, Vic Sockrider, Windy Cobb, Randall Brubaker, Doug Burgess, Cindy Beyer, Cheryl Friar, Randi Lincoln, John Dickmeyer, Dan Surface, and others have helped me tremendously. We also have the backing of our New Haven Chamber of Commerce and their name is on the group. The chamber team is Charlie, Sue and Monika and we thank them for their support. I feel our biggest challenge is getting the word out that we’re meeting every Thursday noon at Rack and Helens Bar and Grill in New Haven. They have been great providing a conference room for us and food and drink. I’d like to get them involved more by advertising our group to their patrons with a sign at the front door and posting on their Social Media sites like Facebook. Vic sent out a email message about our group to interested parties the first week and we will continue to do this to help remind us. On Thursdays before the meeting, I walk around downtown New Haven to remind businesses about the meeting and that everyone is welcome – chamber members and non-chamber businesses. And you can be from anywhere; not just New Haven. We’ve had people from Bluffton, Leo and Fort Wayne attend.  You can help by sharing the Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter posts we make about the group and also by simply telling others about us.  I feel the more people who attend any networking group regularly, it helps everyone.  I’m also going to try and get us on the New Haven radio station: WHNH-LP 101.3 MHz FM  and on-line New Haven newspaper called the Bulletin.   Come out and share your business with us and please tell others about this great opportunity.