The Network Smart concept originally started during the Covid lock-down in the UK. Conventional face-to-face networking was legally banned and there was a surge in the use of online and digital tools. Existing networking groups were not adapting and meeting the expectations of their members. The founder formed a ‘hybrid’ networking and content marketing group during the period embracing both the ‘old’ and the ‘new’. This ‘incubator’ was shut down in 2022.
Following on from this ‘experiment’, venture capital funds were secured. It was decided to extend and disrupt the business networking concept into one which encompassed both the best of digital and online toolkit to make business connections as well as the best of standard face to face meetings.
Henceforth Network Smart was born ! And as our story continues we welcome new members to take part in it….
The core Network Smart concept is to connect business professionals with a combination of both online and face to face methods.
Traditional face to face networking has its problems. It can often be awkward, it can be costly in terms of time and money to commute to a venue. Sometimes the mix of people attending is not what was initially expected and hours can be wasted attending events with little return in terms of business generated compared to the time and cost involved.
Online or digital methods often are presented as an alternative, however, they also have their disadvantages. For example, they lack the interpersonal ‘chemistry’ of a face to face meeting and can often be impersonal or ‘two dimensional’ (in the case of a video call).
NS puts together the best of both approaches in a hybrid model. The time and cost saving of an online meeting can have advantages as can a high quality face to face meeting where all the right people attend at the right place at the right time.
In an increasingly digital world face to face meetings remain a mainstay of Network Smart
A face to face meeting is not two dimensional. Participants can see, hear, smell and feel (when they shake hands!) another participant. We compile a fuller impression of a potential business partner through synthesizing a great deal of information which, unfortunately, cannot be done online. We have often heard the phrase that business is often closed ‘on a handshake’ and, for many participants, building trust this way is essential and impossible to do online.
NS tries to organise meetings which are the highest impact for all members by choosing the appropriate venues or ensuring that the right people are present. There is nothing more annoying than commuting a great distance to find that the participants are irrelevant to your business objectives, or worse, active competitors!
With our hybrid model we balance online meetings with face to face and carefully ask our members for input before organising a venue.
Online methods work too ! Virtually everyone uses video calls or smartphone apps to communicate
The reality is that the world has changed and how we communicate has changed. These changes were accelerated during Covid with Zoom and Teams exploding in their use as communication and collaboration tools. Network Smart recognises the power of technology and we use tools such as a smartphone app and online meetings to catalyse business and improve communication amongst members.
Virtually everyone has used social media
In the modern world we can reach millions from our smartphone with a Twitter account or engage with our peers via Linkedin. Network Smart has an affiliated entity called the Professional Circle which acts a as platform for digital marketing. For a monthly subscription you can use the platform for content marketing, events marketing as well as a Youtube podcast. For those members who wish to become content creators there is an open door!
Presenting to an audience is a key way of spreading your message
Network Smart encourages members to listen but also to speak ! A presentation can be to a small group of your peers or online during a video meeting. The Q&A afterwards can generate thoughtful questions and thoughtful responses. One way of creating connections if to follow-up afterwards. Alternatively, you could tell your story, the story of how you established your business or your career to people who are there to listen and perhaps learn and help.
A member directory, member intranet & online community area in your smartphone helps you to ‘connect’
What if you had an application which you could access via your smartphone with ‘trusted business partners’ ? What if you needed an chartered accountant, a financial planner, a lawyer or other specialist? At Network Smart we encourage this type of connection. A professional network of such connections can be very useful to members and can complement their practices or firms through outside expertise.
