The wonderful thing about
having business friends is that they do understand what you’re going through.
Other digital business owners can sympathize when you’re dealing with difficult
tech problems or struggling to rebrand your site. They can also celebrate your
successes with you and provide valuable guidance along the way.
But how do you find these
business besties? Where do you go when you want to form friendships with
digital business owners? Consider looking for new friends in these places…
Join Facebook Groups
Look for Facebook groups for
online business owners. You’ll want to join a mix of groups—some should be
general business groups. These are perfect for finding friends who may be in
various niches or have business models that are different from your own.
You also want to look for
groups that are specific to your business. For example, if you’re a virtual
assistant, look for a few groups that are made up of just virtual assistants.
If you’re a coach, you may want to search for specialty coaching groups.
Once you’ve joined a few
groups, introduce yourself. Tell the group a bit about yourself and how you got
started online. This isn’t the time to promote yourself or your website. Simply
share a simple bio and mention that you’re looking forward to getting to know
the other members.
If you're looking for a great group to join, check out our very own Ninja Marketers!
Attend Business Conferences
A business conference like the Like a Goal Digger Event can be the perfect place to meet new people. It’s important to understand that
conferences come in all shapes and sizes. If you’re an introvert who prefers
quiet, look for a small single-track conference with a small number of
attendees. If you enjoy offline events and crowds energize you, then try to
find a larger conference.
Some digital business owners
approach a conference with the wrong mindset. They want to hand out as many
business cards as possible and meet as many new people as possible. While this
may feel more productive, it doesn’t allow you to plant the seeds for deep
relationships.
It takes time to get to know
people. Focus on making a few meaningful connections, rather than thirty or
forty shallow introductions. You’ll be more likely to make lasting friendships
this way.
Dive into a Mastermind
If there’s an area of your
business that you want to excel in while finding like-minded friends, a
mastermind group could also be useful. For example, if you want to improve your
copywriting skills, then joining a mastermind dedicated to the topic will be
helpful.
The advantage of a
mastermind is that it gives you the opportunity to meet others who are also
working on improving their businesses in a similar way. You can engage with the
other participants by asking (and answering!) questions, giving feedback, or
sharing notes.
When it comes to finding
your business besties, you have to put yourself out there. That might mean
joining a mastermind, attending a conference, or hanging out on Facebook
groups. These activities might feel uncomfortable or even scary at first, but
keep showing up and participating with others!
