BUSINESS 2000:Business organisations offer entrepreneurs a low-stress way of building up contacts

IN BUSINESS it's not what you know, it's who you know, so it pays to be a mover and shaker, working every room and dispensing business cards like confetti.

For many people, though, the thought of walking into a room full of strangers and trying to spread the word about their business is a daunting one.

The more reticent entrepreneur will be glad to know that networking doesn't have to be a nerve-racking experience anymore, thanks to business organisations such as the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, which run events that take the stress out of building up contacts.

Firstly, the Dublin Chamber runs briefings to introduce new and potential members to the concept of networking.

At these briefings, consultants help business people to put together an "elevator pitch", a clear and concise message that communicates what exactly it is that they do, and train them on how to sell their business or themselves in a face-to-face situation.

Networking doesn't always come naturally, and Jean Hoey, director of business development at Dublin Chamber, says that this stage can be a steep learning curve for people.

The chamber also runs regular Business After Hours networking events, which Hoey says are often attended by as many as 200 people, all keen to promote their business and make new contacts.

There's nothing worse than getting cornered all evening by a bore, so to prevent this from happening a bell is rung every few minutes, which indicates that it's time to move on and talk to someone else.

Later in the evening, a business card is picked out and that member is given the chance to present a one-minute "elevator pitch" to the entire room, which Hoey says is a great opportunity to sell themselves.

The feedback from Dublin Chamber events has been very positive, with many members getting new business as a result of contacts and leads from Business After Hours and other networking events run throughout the year.

The separate "ambassador programme" run by the Dublin Chamber also makes these events less daunting.

Experienced members volunteer as "ambassadors", helping newer members to work the room by facilitating introductions to interesting business contacts and potential clients.

One such ambassador is Carol Ann Casey, founder of human resources firm CA Consulting. "My role is to facilitate people meeting people," she explains. "An ambassador will try and strategically align you [ with] whoever you want to actually meet."

Casey says that networking played a huge role in building up her own business, which she set up in 1999.

"One of the first things that I looked at when I first started to work for myself was 'where am I going to get my business?'" she recalls. "You absolutely cannot develop your business unless you get out there and network."

Casey was only in her 20s when she decided to take the plunge and try her hand at entrepreneurship.

At the time, HR consulting wasn't exactly a "big niche" here, she recalls, although many others have entered the space since then.

Those who were offering HR services at the time would have been a "a lot more seasoned in their career development" than Casey. So the only way to survive and make herself visible was by getting her name out there through networking.

What advice does she have for entrepreneurs who want to hone their networking skills?

"When you get talking to somebody, make sure you get your message across of what you actually do, what it is you actually sell, or what it is that you provide," she advises. Your message must be concise and memorable.

Also, entrepreneurs shouldn't rely solely on structured network events such as those run by the Dublin Chamber to get their name out there.

Casey recommends using friends and personal contacts as well.

"It's all about using all your networks to help you," she says.

While all of this advice sounds great in theory, she admits that it can be hard to dedicate the necessary hours to building up contacts while still maintaining a healthy work-life balance, as many networking opportunities arise outside of working hours. "But you have to make the effort," she adds.

And the most important thing Casey learned from setting up her own business?

Not surprisingly it's "network, network, network".