Winding my way into the parking lot, I back into a space near the dumpster, park, and turn my engine off. For a brief moment I’m considering why I’ve come out early on an icy Saturday morning, and that through is immediately chased away by the dream of building my little one-man show into a firm.
Ken, the organizer of the event, joins me and we sit and chat for a few minutes while waiting for the doors to open. We chat briefly about things going on, but our conversation is quickly pointed back to the future of business, the goals, the next steps, and a glimpse of the dreams we’re both pursuing, each in our own way, and how impactful this monthly meeting is to everyone involved.
The building owner appears, the doors open, there’s a small flurry as we get set up, and then we get down to business. Introductions go around, pens scribbling notes on paper of ideas to share with this person or that, and other items as they pop into our heads. Spurred on by the excited and joyful introductions, the ‘elevator pitches’ of businesses, my thoughts race ahead with ideas sparked to life by a comment, a service, or even a request.
We get time to chat with one another, to talk about bigger ideas, to share strategies and methods, to offer and solicit advice, and then we’re off to whatever is next on our agenda. With fresh cards and notes in my notebook, I know I have many things to follow up in the coming week, and I’m yet again refreshed and energized, knowing I’m not the only one dealing with certain issues, or that I was able to share something that helped someone else overcome an issue they’re having.
Science says we’re a ‘social breed’, we need one another, we need to connect, interact, and support one another. As a small business owner, I think that bears repeating many times over! The power of many should never be underestimated, and the power of business networking is not an exception to that!
Join us at the Colfax Breakfast club at least twice; once to see what it is, and one more time to see the value for your own business.