Network To Net Profit!

The benefits of networking go beyond just making a few good contacts to call upon, they can sometimes even make or break your business.

- Jayadev Menon

At a recent networking meeting the author joined a conversation between two well known businessmen – both run profit-making enterprises. The first, a former civil servant and now successful businessman, was telling the other about the importance of networking and how it had helped him. The discussion on topic was sparked when a visitor, who was new to the forum, wondered aloud whether such meetings offered any benefit beyond the opportunity to chat over a drink with others in their peer group.

Our civil servant turned businessman spoke about a time when his business was at a nascent stage. Revenue was still not steady and orders were hard to come by. The business was bleeding cash, they were spending a lot for paltry returns – production was close to 100% capacity, salaries and the creditors list made the business look far from rosy. To add to his misery Chinese manufacturers were dumping cheaper products in the Indian market. Our narrator friend said that the writing was on the wall for his company. If something wasn’t done immediately he would’ve been forced to discuss with his shareholders about winding-up the venture.