Top Tips On Extending The Life Of Your Car

Like most things in life, a car needs to be looked after and nurtured so that you get the best out of it for as long as possible. Being proactive about looking after your car will pay dividends in the long run and means that your car will be performing better for longer. So what steps can you take now to extend the life of your car? Read on to find out.

  1. Listen to what your car is telling you

If that warning symbol on the dashboard periodically keeps flashing or the car is making a strange rattling noise, then there’s something up and you really should get it checked out sooner rather than later. Listen to what your car is telling you and act on it quickly.

  1. Get a regular service

Servicing your car regularly is a bit like getting a check-up from the doctor. It’s good to know that things are running smoothly and if not, then getting an early heads-up about any issues means that you can tackle them before they become much bigger problems.

A basic service will check all the essentials such as oil, brake fluid and batteries. Most workshops also offer more comprehensive services which may be worth investing in if you can afford it.

There’s no doubt about it, regular servicing is probably the single most important thing you can do to keep your car working at the optimum level.

  1. Show a little love

You don’t have to do it every week but cleaning, polishing and vacuuming your car on a regular basis will keep it in top condition. It will also make it easier for you to sell when the time comes.

  1. Don’t scrimp on repairs and replacements

Sometimes it may seem as though your car is just eating money, but the old maxim you get what you pay for is true when it comes to car maintenance. And so if your car needs new oil, then make sure you buy good quality oil. And if you need to replace the tyres, then more expensive but better quality tyres are likely to last longer and be safer. In addition, when repairs need to be done always take your car to a qualified mechanic or dealer.

Some things are not worth scrimping on so don’t try and do repairs and maintenance on the cheap.

  1. Drive the car on a regular basis

It may sound obvious, but driving your car is like exercising your dog, it’s essential to overall health. Don’t think that you can leave it in the driveway gathering dust for weeks on end and expect it to drive like a dream next time you take it for a spin. Cars are meant to be driven so make sure you regularly take yours out on the open road.

Looking after your car is well worth the required time, resources and energy. That way you’ll be getting the most out of your investment for as long as possible.

Make Way For Collaborative Marketing

You may have just got your head around social marketing and are happily measuring engagement with customers through likes, shares, comments or retweets. But social tech marketing has morphed into a new trend: collaborative marketing. So what does it mean and what do you need to do to keep up? Find out in this article.

What is collaborative marketing?

The main difference between social and collaborative marketing is that instead of marketing ‘at’ consumers, you’re marketing ‘with’ consumers.

Social media shouldn’t be seen as just a mass communication channel. Those companies that are succeeding are the ones that not only communicate but also collaborate with consumers and develop them as brand advocates. Nowadays, people are increasingly receiving information about brands from their social connections. And it’s this power that you are harnessing in collaborative marketing.

So what do I need to do?

Develop brand advocates: The first step is to move away from seeing social media as just a channel for putting out mass messages. In fact, the effectiveness of these mass messages may be more limited than perhaps you realise. Did you know, for instance, that one-third of display ads that companies pay for never get shown?

The truth is that currently 80 percent of online content is consumer generated through shares, likes, retweets, Google or Facebook reviews. And so what marketers need to be focusing on in this era of peer-powered media is developing brand advocates for their products or services.

Measure influence and not impressions: In the mass marketing world of social marketing it was impressions that counted and it offered a simple numeric measure of success. However, in collaborative marketing it’s quantity and quality that counts. Brand influencers will also be considering the quality of the message and engagement. Businesses now need to develop ways to optimise the quality of the message in addition to its reach and frequency.

Promote close relationships with consumers: It’s not rocket science. In order to succeed in the social digital marketplace you need to develop close, ongoing relationships with consumers. Keeping pace with rapidly changing consumer tastes is essential and the only way to do so is by developing a genuine dialogue with your brand influencers and wider consumers. This requires having an intimate knowledge of your target market and the social media platforms they primarily use.

The future is collaborative marketing

The collaborative marketing trend is likely to see consumers influencing their favourite brands more and even taking co-ownership. The most successful brands of the future will be those that continually create and improve their products and messaging in partnership with their brand advocates and consumers.

It’s time to examine your marketing strategies to make sure you’re up for the challenge.

 

Improve Productivity In Your SME With Technology

The ways in which businesses operate have changed forever. The 9 to 5 standard working day is largely a thing of the past. More employees are working flexibly and remotely and customers’ expectations have also changed. They are increasingly demanding real-time conversations through multiple channels and genuine collaboration with their favourite brands. What’s an SME business owner to do? How can you meet the challenges of the new ways of working? Well, help is at hand with technology. So read on for a look at the best productivity enhancing solutions for SMEs.

Cloud technology

The increasing use of cloud platforms has had a major impact on the way SMEs do business. The open all hours, accessible from anywhere nature of the cloud means that you and your employees can continue to be productive and optimise customer service at any time and any location. It’s an incredibly powerful tool, especially for SMEs, as it enables them to remain competitive. And cloud technologies are also cost-effective. Usually they are available on a subscription basis which means there’s no significant initial investment and there is greater cost certainty.

Mobile technologies

Mobile technologies in the shape of tablets, smartphones and laptops are supporting increased collaboration and productivity while out and about. It means that your field service personnel, sales people or any staff members that are on the road a lot can provide a much more responsive service to customers. It also means that staff remain productive even when they’re away from the main office. And so whether it’s to check up on some data prior to a client meeting, or to catch up on the latest company news while commuting to work, mobile technologies mean that staff can remain connected and productive wherever they are.

In addition, some SMEs have found Bluetooth headsets to be a good idea so that staff members can be taking calls while on the go.

Video conferencing

Many SMEs are using video conferencing technology, whether it’s Skype, Facetime or Google Hangouts, to keep in touch with customers, suppliers or employees who may be located in different towns or cities. Video conferencing means that you’ll stay connected while minimising the travel time and expenses associated with visiting contacts and attending meetings.

Headsets

In a world full of noise and distractions, some SMEs have gone down the route of introducing noise-cancelling technology and stereo headsets. And so whether you’re working in the office or from the local café, this technology allows for improved concentration and will help you to stay focused on the task at hand.

Rise to the challenge

There’s no doubt that the business landscape has changed dramatically. Give your SME the best chance by rising to the challenge and embracing these new technologies. And see your business increase its competitiveness and productivity as a result.

Customer Marketing: Are You Engaging Or Annoying?

With so much communication happening – online, through social media and traditional print formats – brand messaging can quickly become overwhelming for consumers. And having worked so hard to build up a brand following, the last thing you want to do is overstep the mark to become just plain old annoying. So what can you do to make sure you’re engaging rather than annoying your customers? Here’s four tips to help you stay on track.

  1. Avoid information overload

Be economical with your messages. Every communication should have a point to it and should offer something to the customer, whether it’s a special offer or some interesting and relevant content that will be of use in addressing their pain points.

In addition, try not to make your messages overly long with too much text. Customers will be juggling multiple tasks and don’t have time to wade through lots of words to find out what the key point is. Make it easy for them by being upfront about your message.

  1. Be mindful of the customer’s needs

Without customers you’ll soon go out of business and so it’s very important to invest time in nurturing and sustaining the customer relationship. Do you really know what your customers’ habits and priorities are? What solutions is your brand offering customers? Tailoring your brand messages to the needs of customers and the solutions you can offer is vital to creating that all-important trusted adviser status. Fail to do so and you’ll come across rather like an irritating car salesman who persists in pushing the purchase of a car unto a clearly uninterested client.

  1. No surprises!

If there are upcharges or credit card fees then it’s best to be upfront about it. Nothing is more annoying to consumers than to spend several minutes interacting on your website and completing an order only to discover at the checkout stage an unexpected additional charge. You will have lost that important trust and it’s likely that the shopping cart will simply be abandoned as a result.

Likewise, payment processing errors, slow loading or response times as well as difficulties in accessing customer support are all potential sources of irritation to customers. Don’t give your clients an excuse to go elsewhere. Make sure you address, as a priority, any unwanted surprises that could interrupt the customer experience.

  1. Mix up the messages

Try not to offer the same message all the time. Not every communication you send out needs to be about your product. Instead try to create content that is focused on the customers’ needs and their place in the sales journey. And then mix up the messages on multiple media. Receiving the same message from a brand via an email, Facebook post, tweet and LinkedIn update can soon get pretty annoying for a customer.

And so the important message here is that every communication should have a specific purpose to it. Avoid sending out marketing messages to clients just for the sake of keeping in touch. Focus instead on the needs of customers and mix things up without overloading them. And that way you’ll be engaging clients rather than annoying them.

 

Creating A Brand That’s Fit For The 21st Century

Increasing uncertainty in global markets and the rise of social media marketing have created challenging times for brands looking to establish or refine their brand identities. In this article we explore the key things you need to consider to create a strong and distinct brand voice that’s fit for the 21st century.

  1. Start with the basics.

If you’re just starting out or are redefining your brand, then the perfect place to begin is with some simple questions that go to the heart of what you’re all about:

  • What are your most important products and services?
  • What is unique about your offering?
  • How would your customers describe you?
  • And finally who is your target market? And what needs are you addressing in that market?

Brainstorm these issues with your staff, stakeholders and customers to get a full picture. It will also help you to identify the fundamental thing that is the essence of your brand. For instance, the essence of Disney is ‘magical’ while the essence of Volvo is ‘safe’. You will need to identify what your essence is so you can build your brand around it.

  1. It’s the brand not the product that you’re selling.

The rise of social media as a marketing tool means that you’ve only got about 20 seconds to make an impression. Yes, that’s right, 20 seconds before your potential customer clicks on to something else. It’s not long enough to go into detail about how wonderful your product is, but it is long enough to give an impression of what you’re about. And if you’re not interesting or exciting enough, customers will simply move on.

  1. Be consistent.

So many businesses these days are dissipating their brand due to the uncoordinated marketing efforts of different products on social media. Your brand should be the distinctive voice and style of your company. It should reflect your company culture, personality – the very essence of your business. And above all it should be consistent.

However, increasingly businesses are struggling with the free-for-all marketing that has come about in response to the multiplicity of communications platforms in today’s marketplace. And so, whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or direct email marketing, the same coherent message should be delivered to customers even if the actual products involved are different.

  1. Be visual.

Now that you have a clear view of what your company is all about and what it has to offer customers, it’s time to move on to the visual aspects of your brand. Think of colours, fonts and logos. The most successful brands manage to encapsulate their brand image in a great logo or company image. You only have to look at the Google logo to get a sense of how powerful a logo can be. Google’s logo is bright, colourful, almost playful and uses a modern sans-serif typeface that looks great on mobile devices.

Don’t make the mistake though of thinking that the logo is the main part of your brand identity. The truth is that your branding is made up of a number of different elements.  Use these steps to define what yours is and establish a brand that’s fit for the 21st century.

 

 

How To Hire A Business Lawyer

Every business needs two professionals on their team, an accountant and a lawyer. The reasons for having an accountant are quite self explanatory, to navigate the minefield of tax and finances. But the reasons for having a lawyer are less obvious. If you aren’t in any legal trouble, then why do you need a lawyer, right?

A lawyer is actually an asset that your business cannot afford to be without. Don’t look at the dollars involved with regular legal work, look at the money they could save you in the long run. They can provide you with valuable advice in lots of areas: compliance, where you stand, your rights regarding your clients, and how to avoid business no-no’s!

Considerations

Here are some considerations to take into account when choosing a lawyer…

  • Don’t wait until it is too late! Don’t wait until you need a lawyer’s services to get you out of hot water before selecting one, it will be too late then. Engaging a lawyer in the early stages of your business will ensure that your processes are compliant, therefore minimising the risk of legal action being taken against you.
  • Big Firm or Small Firm? Connecting yourself with a small firm generally means lower rates and a more personal relationship with your attorney. However, as lawyers tend to become specialists in a specific area, they may not be able to service all of your legal needs in house. A larger firm will have specialists in all areas of law, so you would still be able to deal with one company as opposed to multiple.
  • Specialists: Because lawyers do tend to niche down to a specific area of law, it is important to select the right one for your business. There is no point employing a real estate lawyer if you specialise in intellectual property!

How To Know If A Lawyer Is Right For You

The only way to find out if an attorney is right for you business is to do some research about them, which is perfectly fine to do. You want to make sure that the relationship is going to work for you both so as not to waste each other’s time.

Here are some areas you can start with…

  • Experience: Are they experienced in your industry and do they have other clients in the same industry? Or if they don’t have the relevant experience on hand, would they be willing to learn about your industry?
  • Connections: One single lawyer is unlikely to be able to solve every issue that you have, so do they have a lot of connections that will fill the gaps in their own services?
  • Educator: Is this attorney someone that will be able to educate you in areas of business that you require help with?
  • Billing: What are their rates and payment terms, and can they be flexible?
  • Communication: Is their communication going to be in a form you can understand? Legal jargon is quite complicated, so you want to know that you understand what they are talking about.
  • Convenience: You want their office to be located close to your home or office for ease of signing documents and attending appointments.
  • Go With Your Gut: Use your instincts – can you trust them, can you work with them, do you like them?

Where To Look

Finding the right lawyer takes more than just typing local lawyers into Google. It’s not to say that you can’t use online tools to find the lawyer for you, but just do an in depth search.

Referrals: Referrals are one of the most powerful tools when looking for a professional. If you can get first hand feedback from someone that has used their services before then half of the battle is won. You can know what to expect in terms of service and trust. If someone is willing to refer a lawyer, they must have done something right!

Online: Check your local business directories and online resources. And I mean really check them. Look at what services they are offering, see how they compare to other lawyers in the area and always read feedback and testimonials.

Physically: There is nothing wrong with pounding the pavement and physically going into the offices of lawyers in your town. You get a feel for what their offices are like and get to meet them face to face.

Tips For A Smooth Relationship

When dealing with a lawyer, money has to be a concern as they will bill you for any time worked on your business. Because of that, you want to make sure you have all the relevant documentation ready when asked for and get it to them in a timely fashion. Don’t be the reason for any delays.

Be open and honest with your communication. Trying to hide things from your lawyer is counterproductive as it might undo the good work they are trying to do for you. Lay everything on the table and give them the full story.

Meeting with your lawyer regularly can actually be a cost saving measure. Yes, you will pay a fee to meet with them, but at those regular meetings you can nip any small legal matters in the bud before they turn into something more serious.

5 Reasons Why Your Business Can Benefit From Having An Accountant

Do you fully understand the minefield that is tax? As a freelancer, contractor or small business owner, getting your taxes right is a big deal! Often you do not have the time, energy, or ability to understand the complicated intricacies of tax. Getting it wrong can mean that you pay more, you face fines, or worse.

Having an accountant do your taxes for you gives confidence that they are done and done correctly. Every single dollar counts when you work for yourself and knowing where it is going can be a massive task. An accountant is not just another expense to manage, they can actually save you time and money.

Here are some other benefits of having an accountant…

Save You Time

When you are in small business your priority is securing and producing work for your clients. Managing your finances can be time consuming, so takes time away from your core priority.

Employing a professional accountant will give you access to their expert knowledge. That means tax laws, rules and regulations, deadlines and anything else you need to comply with. They also give you the time to fully focus on your core business while they take care of the pesky finances!

Save You Money

A good accountant will be able to save you money on your tax obligations as they will understand all the aspects you can claim on. They will also be able to give you advice on the most tax efficient way to run your business.

Instead of relying on generic information you have looked up online, an accountant will be able to assess your individual situation and provide financial advice accordingly. That means how best to pay yourself, how to manage your tax and how to manage your GST or VAT obligations.

Save You From Tax Penalties

You might be doing everything right within your business, but if you don’t lodge the various paperwork requirements on time, it negates it all. Remembering and servicing those deadlines is second nature for an accountant, not so much for busy small business owners, contractors or freelancers.

Having an accountant prevents you from needing to understand complex legislation, remember looming deadlines and navigating confusing paperwork.

Meeting your various financial obligations to the taxman will prevent you from needing to pay penalties and fines. Which is good news for your business bank balance!

Help You Grow Your Business

Accountants work with finances and business all day everyday. Which often means that they are a great source of advice and wisdom where your business is concerned.

Working one on one with an accountant means that they will have the time to truly understand the ins and outs your business. If they work with you from day one they will be able to see where you have come from and what things have worked. They can help you build on that momentum and continue to grow your business.

Remove Your Stress and Worries

No one wants to be in trouble with the authorities when it comes to their financial and tax obligations. And with the complexity of tax and the like, it can be a real source of stress and worry. Your accountant will remove that worry for you.

Reducing your stress levels can have so many benefits for you, from your health to your productivity. It allows you to maximise the time you have to work on your business and dedicate that time to the tasks that truly matter.

5 Ways Cleanliness Impacts On Office Productivity

It is really important to maintain a clean and tidy workplace. Not only for hygiene reasons, but also for the perception the outside world will have of your business. Dirt and mess aren’t exactly going to give them the best impression of your business.

But apart from those reasons, there is a less obvious explanation… a clean office can actually increase your productivity levels. Want to know more? Let’s explore how.

Healthier Employees

It is obvious really, if your employees take less sick days then your productivity levels will be higher. You certainly want to maintain health at your workplace because it is thought that just one sick employees can infect up to 50% of their colleagues within 4 hours. Imagine the sick days then!

A clean workplace does not harbour nasty germs. And if you keep vitamin packed fresh fruit on hand, as well as readily available chilled water, your team will be able to revitalise themselves throughout the day. This stops them from burning out, boosts their energy and also boosts their immune system.

Tidier and Maintained Office Spaces

Did you know that dirty office equipment is a fire hazard?

Dirty equipment can short circuit and overheat. This causes a major fire hazard. And with all the paper documentation kept within an office, that is just fuel for the fire. To minimise the risk of fire spreading, keep your offices tidy, empty your waste-paper bins and maintain your equipment.

Dirty office equipment is less likely to last, running up costly replacement bills. Instead of having to replace every piece of equipment in the office, it is far easier to clean and maintain the equipment that you already have.

Staff Feeling

It goes without saying that morale will be low in a dirty and dingy office. A light, bright and clean office shows your team members that you respect them enough to provide them a great space to work in.

When there is dust to breathe in, sticky keyboards to avoid and gross bathrooms to navigate, people don’t want to stick around. Offices like this are the ones with the high staff turnover and an unproductive workforce. Clutter, bad odours and disgusting toilets are not going to encourage you to work your hardest! When your senses are compromised, then so is your productivity.

Having Standards

The way that people view your business is all about perception. You need to give them the right feeling about your business to encourage trust. If they don’t get that good feeling, then watch out!

People form their perceptions based on looks in the first instance. Surely a well organised, clean, fresh office would have impeccable systems to match. But what kind of systems will they imagine if your office is a dirty, dingy den of clutter and chaos.

It is not only outsiders to your office that form these sight based perceptions. Your staff will react to their office environment in either a positive or negative way. If you keep a dirty office then they may believe that your processes are equally disorganised, and that you do not have high business standards. This can affect their quality of work, giving them an excuse to slack off and influence overall productivity.

As Good As Home

You want your team to feel happy and relaxed at the office so that they are happy to stay and work their allocated hours, or more if you have a tight deadline. But to be able to encourage that, you need a clean workspace or they will take every opportunity to leave.

It starts with going offsite for lunch because the kitchen isn’t up to scratch, then it progresses to leaving early, and even leaving the business if it gets bad enough. If they are comfortable to stay at the office to cook lunch and interact with their colleagues, it will increase staff morale.

Ensure your office is cleaned on a regular basis to combat dust, dirt and germs. You will also want to negate the poor hygiene habits of some employees who may not wash their hands after going to the toilet. Regularly cleaning the office will keep bacteria at bay, helping to boost the general health of everyone at your office.

 

The Benefits Of Using A Property Management Company

Making the choice to use a property management company can really take a weight off your mind. Not only that, but they can add significant value to your investment if you find the right company. Some real estate investors would even go as far as to say that property managers are worth their weight in gold for saving time, protecting your investments and creating better returns.

Here is why you need to use a property management company…

Better Tenants

Property management companies have an intensive screening process in place to ensure that you get the best tenants in your property. While you can remove a bad tenant from you home, it is easier to get a good one from the start – before they have the chance to miss rent payments or damage your property.

Good tenants are ones that:

  • Always make their rent payments on time and in full
  • Rent your property long term
  • Leave little to no damage and don’t abuse the property
  • Are all-round easier to deal with

Experienced property managers have sifted through thousands of rental applications in their time. That means they know the bad ones from the good ones and can weed them out quick smart. They prevent you from having to go through this tedious process and potentially making a bad tenant decision.

Avoiding Financial and Legal Problems

A property manager knows their field like the back of their hand. Meaning that they know all the rules and regulations that need to be followed by both sides.More importantly they know the law and how to make it work for you.

They can prevent you from making a simple mistake that could land you in legal hot water. They can also protect you from problem tenants who make a career out of ripping people off, including their landlord.

If you can save yourself even one financial or legal headache, then you will have covered your property management fees for years to come!

Less Down Time

Your property manager will do everything they can to minimise the time that your property is empty for. They do this by…

  • Preparing the property for rent by overseeing any minor improvements
  • Using their local market knowledge, data on comparable properties and rent rate tools to help you set an optimal rent rate that is not too high and not too low
  • Using effective marketing to get your property in front of the right people at the right time

Good Tenant Retention

Long term tenants are far more attractive for your property as there is less hassle involved with constantly changing. It also minimises spending on costly tasks like exit cleans, changing the locks, and repairing any damages, which all need to be done before a new tenant moves in.

The idea is to keep your current good tenants happy so that they stay long term and you don’t have to worry about any of other things. Property management companies will have excellent tenant retention policies that keep your tenants happy and well cared for.

Rent Collection Processes

Collecting your rent on time every week or month is what will keep your cashflow operating smoothly. Without this on time collection, you can risk your success as a landlord. Your tenants need to understand that late payments are not acceptable and that their rental terms are non-negotiable.

A property management company can provide the buffer between yourself and your tenants, allowing you to be objective about your decisions. The manager will be the one that hears the lies, the sob stories and the excuses, while you remain removed.

Tenants will also learnt that they can’t get away with the things that they want to when there is a property manager in place. A property manager has a job to do. Enforcing the terms of the lease is part of that job, and they are less swayed by tenants than a landlord is.

If the worst comes to the worst, a property management company will know how to evict a problem tenant correctly, to comply with strict eviction laws. Not having to go through an eviction process by yourself is reason enough to have a property management company.

Better Value Maintenance Costs

By engaging a property management company, you also engage their network of tradies, handymen, and maintenance staff. These contacts have already been verified as being honest, hardworking and good at what they do. This can often mean lower repair costs and peace of mind that the job will be done well.

Proactive Action

Wear and tear will happen on your property, but by regularly having someone monitor these things, you can be proactive on any upkeep. It can be done before a major problem (and the major costs associated with it) arise.

A management firm is required to complete regular checks of the property and detailed maintenance reports based on those checks. They can give useful advice on repairs and property modifications that can increase the value of your property, as well as keeping your tenants happy.

Personal Benefits

Save yourself time and stress by engaging a property management firm. Letting an expert handle the situation can free up your time and energy for more important parts of your life. No more chasing rent, dealing with middle of the night emergencies, or massive piles of paperwork.

Don’t be tied to one location just because your property is there. With a management firm in charge you have the freedom to travel and buy property wherever you choose.

Make sure that you can trust the management company you employ to do a good job. Selecting a bad management firm will just end up causing you headaches. Do your research and choose the company that suits you best.

Effective Networking Tips For Property Investors

Networking is key to the growth of any business, and property investment is no exception. Do not put networking in the ‘too hard’, ‘too tedious’ or ‘too time consuming’ basket in favour of other tasks. While it can be daunting to the shy types, and not exciting enough for the outgoing types, networking can really grow your business.

The thing with networking is that you need to make sure you are doing the right things when you meet with people, otherwise you will just be wasting time and a lot of money on coffee! You need to network effectively to make the most of the opportunity.

You don’t know who might be the person to give your business the break through it deserves. It might be the person sitting across the table from you, or it could be their friend, their colleague, or their neighbour’s aunty who they happened to run into in the driveway. Never waste an opportunity because you don’t know where it could lead.

Here are some tips to making your networking effective:

Get In Front Of People

Property investing is a field where personal interaction is appreciated and needed. It is a field where gut instinct and first impressions really count. It is hard to get a feel for who someone really is via email, or on social media.

It does make sense to use online methods to your advantage though. Compile a shortlist of people based on your online interactions, then arrange to get in front of them and meet face to face. Your true personality will shine through in person far better than in email.

Be a Man (Or Gal) With a Plan

People attend meetings or networking events to get results. They are not interested in lukewarm, wishy washy interactions. So you need to have a plan for what you want to say and what you want to achieve from the conversations you have.

You don’t need to script out entire speeches, but definitely jot down the points you want to discuss and have them fresh in your mind when you attend. That way you can steer a conversation in the correct direction to make each interaction worthwhile.

Have All The Right Intentions

Don’t go into networking with a selling mindset, or you will come off as the sleazy used car salesperson (even if you aren’t wearing a loud shirt and strutting about). Have the right intention of cultivating relationships that can work for you both. If a business deal arises from the relationship then that’s great, if it doesn’t the connection will be useful in other ways.

Be genuine. People can smell fakeness a mile off, it oozes out of you and turns them away. Think about how you like to be treated when networking and then treat others in the same way. Build genuine long term connections of support and inspiration.

Be Eager And Drag Your Heels

A trick for new players is to arrive early and to leave late. You can have some of the most meaningful conversations outside of the set networking timeframes.

But aside from that, arriving early gives you the chance to get a feel for the place (work out where the bathroom is!) and to get comfortable before the room is packed. You can also watch people arrive and how they interact with each other. The confident, serial networkers will stand out. They are the ones who have established networks you might be able to tap into.

Listen and Listen Well

Don’t stand there waiting for the other person to shut up so that you can say your piece. Take a genuine interest in who people are and what they have to say. They might have some gems for you to learn. It also allows for a more meaningful connection, as they will give you the respect that you offered them.

Network With Everyone

Just because they are not in your industry, field or location does not mean they can’t be a worthwhile connection. The future is unpredictable and you can never know how crossing paths with someone will turn out.

 Follow Up

Don’t just collect a pile of business cards, put them in your desk drawer and forget about them forever more. Follow up with the connections you made afterwards by email or phone. Be polite and genuine. If you do have a request, be specific about it. In busy business life, no one has time for vague comments.

There you have it, 7 great tips for effective networking as a property investor. Go forth and make great connections that can support and grow your business.

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