Fact: sitting alone in your home office with a glass of wine and half an eye on The Biggest Loser while pottering around with some paperwork will not be good for your business.

Fact: Getting out of your trackies, grabbing a pile of business cards, putting on your brave face and heading to a networking event will.

But you didn’t need me to tell you that.

We all know in our heart of hearts that meeting people who are in business like ourselves and swapping cards and yarns and experiences is not only a nice to do, but is an imperative for any business owner.

No man is an island, and that is especially true in business.   We can’t function on our own, we need the wisdom, learnings and inspiration from others, and a networking event is the perfect place to put yourself out there, to share, to listen.  And to be energised.

Fact: you need to network.

You may have heard of networking groups relevant to your business, or if you haven’t a quick Google search or flick through the local newspaper will pull up relevant networking options for you.  If you’re too far away from your preferred networking group, then head online.  Find a group, then head along to the next meeting – that’s the important part, you actually have to go, if it doesn’t feel right, try another, or join many.  Just get busy networking.

There are simply no excuses for being alone in business when there is a wealth of people just like you who want to get together and well …not be alone.

Be confident, give business cards, ask for business cards (and don’t forget to do something with them the next day), wear a strong colour, carry yourself and your achievements proudly, and be memorable.

Just watch how generous those around you are with sharing their experiences, and then remember to be generous yourself. You see, as business owners, we have a shared interest, a common ground, and that is we all want to succeed, and we all want each other to succeed.

Are you part of a network or have successful networking experiences that you can share?