Networking is the kind of social and professional interaction that came naturally to businesspeople throughout most of this nation’s history, especially in smaller communities. But as villages grew into towns, towns into cities and cities into megalopolises, the sense of community and the close, personal business relationships that went with it gradually disappeared. The rise of large retail chains and multinational corporations, along with the demise of small businesses under the stiff price competition from t...

You’ve heard of financial capital, but do you know about social capital? Financial capital is the material wealth, whether money or property, that is accumulated by individuals and businesses and used, or available for use, in the production of more wealth. This is the standard definition in economics. Social capital is the accumulation of resources developed in the course of social interactions, especially through personal and professional networks. These resources include ideas, knowledge, information, opportunit...

The holiday party is a great time to meet people but . . . you should have a plan! Everybody goes to parties, and the holiday season is full of them. It’s also a business slowdown season for many of us who are not in retail. The holiday parties are NOT just a place for free food and drinks. Holiday parties and other social mixers bring new opportunities to network, even more than the rest of the year.   The holidays are times when we are more likely to see people in a social setting, and this setting definitely l...

I am pleased to announce that the new video for International Networking Week, 2010, is now available on YouTube.  The video was sponsored by Entrepreneur Press and the Referral Institute.  Mark your calendar now.  International Networking Week is the week of Feb. 1 through 5, 2010.  For additional information go to www.InternationalNetworkingWeek.com. This is the fourth year for International Networking Week.  It is now recognized by many countries around the world, with thousands of events being held during t...

I had the privilege of attending the rollout of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo yesterday.  The spaceship rides under the center portion of the mother ship, called the WhiteKnightTwo (which I wrote about last year). The rollout had many special guests, including California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (pictured at podium–last photo at bottom), Sir Richard Branson (pictured in second to last photo) and Burt Rutan (the designer of the spacecraft, pictured with me, here) . The plane will carry the spaceship and it...

My friend Charlie Robertson from the UK recently wrote a really great blog about some important lessons his mother taught him growing up and how he uses these lessons on an everyday basis when networking. Check out Charlie’s blog below.  I have a hunch your mother may have taught you these same things.  If not, though,  let’s at least hope you have the bath part down by now . . . that one’s definitely key. Charles, do your homework! My mummy always told me to . . . 1. Make friends 2. Play nice 3....

2009 is almost over (and many are glad about that!), and it’s time to look ahead. I have before me my crystal ball.  I am looking into the future, and this is what I see for 2010: First, the economy IS going to improve.  OK, this isn’t a”networking” issue, but it IS important.  Have faith.  Look for opportunities.  Focus on what you do best.  You will have a better year next year, but you need to focus on solutions and get out of the quagmire of problems. Online social networks will cont...