Networking Q&A: How Much Time Weekly Should I put into Networking

Question: How much time weekly should I put into networking and meetings?

Answer: Networking experts recommend you belong to a great Chamber in your area, a referral group, and one other regional group.

The Chamber may have an event or two that you will want to attend throughout the month, your referral group will meet weekly, and a regional group could possibly meet monthly. or bi-monthly.

Depending on how mature your network is, you will want to network 5-10 hours weekly. It sounds like a lot, but it’s only an hour or two a day!

For example, if you’ve already been networking for years, on a given week you could attend a Chamber Mixer, attend your referral group, and meet with a couple of professionals one-on-one.

However, if you are brand new to networking, it is critical you build solid relationships to set the foundation of your network. Allowing a bit more time for networking and one-on-ones each week will help you grow your network and your opportunity to give and receive referrals.

Whether you spend 5 or up to 10 hours a week networking, set a goal each week of meeting with ___ new professionals and stick to it. You will be glad you did.

Terilee Harrison helps entrepreneurs and small business owners get more referrals, clients and leads through proven offline and online marketing strategies. Book your referral strategy session here.