Having been given my first camera at the age of 18, I can honestly say it has been the best present I’ve ever received and the most used and abused to say the least. My camera has been everywhere with me, from the bars and clubs of Liverpool, to the other side of the world, that is home to the popular Sydney bridge and the beautiful Blue Mountains. Everywhere I’ve been this camera has been with me!

I’ve been involved in a lot of great times all of which I’ve captured on camera, I believe enjoy the moment whilst it’s happening, but capturing the moment in a photograph will last a lifetime; giving you something to look back on and smile.

Where am I going with this...well it’s not just a picture that could last a lifetime, meeting new people can lead to long lasting relationships whether business or social. Networking is all about making that valuable contact, keeping in touch and building a valuable relationship; so many people jump from networking event to networking event with the aim to gather as many business cards as they can...the name of these individuals...‘networking gypsies’...so I’ve been told!

The only way the networking process is going to work is if both parties are going to network regularly, communicate and work together in ways that are going to benefit each other. Going back to the idea of a photograph...photos will fade and tear if not looked after properly and the same goes for business contacts and working relationships; they need attention and care!

I love to take pictures as much as I love to meet new people but sometimes a lot of people I meet on a day to day basis don’t last as long as a picture and merely become a name on a business card. Some people believe networking is unsuccessful and a waste of time and the reason for this could be because they’re not networking properly.

If someone really wants to create business from networking then the motivation has got to start at the very beginning; for example, they need to walk into a networking event feeling passionate about their company and know they are there to meet new people which they can potentially build new business associations with. Networking is not something that happens overnight, it takes time and effort to build a new connection and turn it into a blossoming and successful relationship.

So next time you take a picture of that picturesque sunset or that memorable family occasion make sure in the long run you treat it well, because once unlooked after, the picture will fade, leaving you with nothing to look back on...and smile! 

After the struggle of the recession, everyone’s being a little more careful of what they spend their money on.  The near-collapse of the world's banking system last autumn, the dramatic swings in stock markets and the subsequent economic fallout was for much of the bewildered public, like being on an unstoppable roller coaster. The media now claims we are over the worst; however people are still being cautious of how much their spending; after the dreaded credit crunch I can’t seem to get out of the habit of ‘window shopping’. I can quite easily spend an hour browsing around a shop, trying a number of items on in the changing rooms, but then seem to leave the shop empty handed. When we all had to cut back I’d go shopping with the hope of not finding anything, why? Because I couldn’t afford the cute little black shoe boots that would set me back £150 from Topshop or the £100 dress from All Saints.     

So when a company says...for our services we want you to pay us x amount of money, our biggest question is going to be...what am I getting back? Due to losing out so much during the recession we feel we deserve to gain back again which is why a good discount is going to grab our attention. Every year people look forward to the January and other seasonal sales as it’s an opportunity to buy clothes at a reduced price and I don’t know about you, but I seem to get a greater satisfaction from purchasing a bargain, one of my favourites being a £250 pair of boots reduced to £50...sold!!    

Being a sensible saver rather than a dangerous spender, don’t get me wrong I do love a good spend but only when I can afford to, choosing to use my credit card for emergencies, sometimes with the occasional spending hiccup. Finance seems to control so many people’s lives, with some people spending money they don’t have and running into huge amounts of debt through credit cards and overdrafts; or on the other hand, there’s people who just about get by each month, having to keep a constant eye on what they spend being allowed an occasional treat every now and then.

What type of spender are you? As described above I am a good saver who loves a good bargain but likes the occasional splurge!  My Networking PA’s new exclusive membership card allows me to receive high class products and services at a discounted rate from the likes of Late Rooms.com, HSBC, Regus, The Gourmet Society and the Liverpool Dental Spa to name a few. Now I can get fabulous pearly whites at a fabulous pearly price!!  

With my exclusive membership card I can get special discounts, freebies and rates on lifestyle, corporate, media, health, travel and coaching products and services to name a few; which in turn will save me money...simple as that...what more could you want, receive benefits and save with MNPA!!  

Being new to the whole networking scene I was a little apprehensive at first to what was in store; I have to admit I had an idea of what networking was, but didn’t have a full understanding of what it involved deep down. With little enthusiasm at first, I came to realise about how wrong I was and how surprised I was to find the ‘world of networking’ to be something very fun, social and full of opportunities. Turning up to a room full of strangers can be somewhat scary at first glance, immediately wanting to run to the toilets or leave altogether, but then you quickly come to realise that all the people in the room are there for exactly the same reasons as you; simply to meet new people, build new business relationships and attract new clients.

Although it’s a good way to generate business opportunities for your own company it’s also an opportunity to help other businesses out if their services are beneficial.  Networking is also a great excuse to work outside of work; everyone needs a break from the office so what a better way to do so by attending a business related, but social event.  I found it really interesting meeting new people that I wouldn’t usually meet and listening to them talk about their business experiences.

However, in all honesty not everyone you meet at a networking event has interesting stories to tell and in some cases will do anything they can to bore you. I believe the key is to talk briefly but effectively because at the end of the day if someone remembers you (for the right reasons of course) then you’ve networked successfully. I believe it’s not necessarily about what you know, but who you know, building such relationships could lead to great opportunities and furthermore business success; this is particularly beneficial for people starting their own businesses to meet new people and build up invaluable contacts.

If you’ve never attended a networking event before I believe you should give it a try, because then you can see just how fun they can be, and yes they usually provide you with some tasty food or alcoholic drink (both if you’re lucky)  but I believe you should make the most of the opportunity and meet some interesting  people. For those of you who are already sucked into the world of networking, keep on going there’s still plenty of people to meet and plenty of people waiting to meet you!!!

Happy Networking!