Business Networking is an essential aspect of professional success. By Pat Grosse, The Community Entrepreneur®
We’ve all been to networking events where we walk away with a handful of business cards, some pleasant conversations, and maybe—just maybe—a new lead. However, what if I told you that networking is just the first step in a much more powerful journey?
If you want to grow your business network exponentially—and sustainably—then it’s time to think like a community developer.
Over the years, I’ve built communities of practice and been involved in developing bi-generational networks. Through these experiences, I’ve learnt that successful business ecosystems are built on more than mingling. They’re built on strategies such as these five core principles drawn from the community development space:
- Climbing the Networking Continuum
Adapted from Himmelman’s Collaboration for a Change, this model charts the journey from casual contact to deep collaboration. Step by step, it shows how simple connections can evolve into powerful partnerships:
- Networking: Establish initial contact and identify shared interests. That’s all a networking event is. Work the room, hand out cards or put your details into the chat box. Then, follow up with a meaningful one-on-one conversation outside the meeting. That’s where the real magic happens.
- Coordination: Align efforts to avoid overlap—think scheduling events or sharing updates. Importantly, not all connections are B2B, or B2C sales. Instead, coordinate with similar businesses to share a bigger slice of the pie. Think about high streets and online power teams – businesses coordinating to attract and service customers.
- Cooperation: Work together on shared projects, pooling resources and ideas. Gradually, trust builds and collaboration deepens.
- Collaboration: Integrate your efforts for long-term goals. Ultimately, this is where transformation happens—this is the arena of big-picture thinking and strong coalitions.
2. Build a Community of Practice
A community of practice brings together people with a shared concern or passion who learn and evolve together. From potential to coalescing, then active, dispersed, and finally memorable, the core of success lies in shared practice and genuine connection.
Often, networks naturally evolve into communities of practice, especially when there’s a lack of fresh opportunities to build new relationships. Over time, trust and familiarity replace transactional meetings with shared experiences, common challenges, and collaborative solutions.
People may leave, but there is a core that keep the group alive until it comes to a natural end. Recognising this shift from networking to community enables group members to adapt and make the most of developing deeper business relationships.
For example, in 2013 I joined a large face-to-face network, meeting regular faces I became familiar with right up until 2020 when the world changed and the group eventually dispersed. Today whenever I come across these people or their names, my memory takes me to the memorable phase of our community (of practice). These people will always get my priority attention.
By sharing experiences, developing best practices, and learning through action, communities of practice strengthen both individual expertise and collective capability.
3. Bonding vs. Bridging: What Kind of Connections Do You Need?
Have you attended face-to-face networking meetings where people are huddled into groups, and you feel like an outsider? How about meetings where everyone in the room is sharing the same experiences from two years earlier and nothing much has changed?
Alternatively, have you noticed that one “master networker”? The person who effortlessly works the room, starts conversations with strangers, and walks away with new opportunities? They may facilitate new introductions and the group expands or collaborations are created with others.
Here’s why this happens: It comes down to bridging and bonding—two forms of social capital that shape how people connect. Both are important, yet they serve different purposes.
- Bonding connects you with those who are similar—your immediate tribe. Inward-looking, it provides trust and a safety net during tough times. However, it can also be insular, resistant to outsiders, and reinforce groupthink.
- Bridging, on the other hand, connects you to new perspectives, industries, or regions. Because it crosses social, cultural, or economic lines, it’s outward-looking and inclusive. It opens doors to new resources, ideas, and opportunities while encouraging innovation and learning.
In short, both are vital. But bridging is where innovation sparks. Ask yourself: are you reinforcing your circle, or are you reaching beyond it?
4. Practice the Six Degrees of Separation
You are no more than five connections away from virtually anyone. Engage intentionally with second- and third-degree contacts. Follow up on introductions. The world is more connected than you think—and opportunities often lie just one brave message away. Using your LinkedIn contacts to introduce you is a no brainer, along with your family and friends.
I was at a conference when the new CEO of a local TAFE was announced that morning. They were from the other side of the country. It took two connections through someone in the room to find out more about this person.
5. Create a Collaboration Chart
A practical and underused tool: map your current relationships. Who’s in your business orbit? What strength of relationship do you have with them? Naturally, the depth of the relationship will be reflected in the line connecting your business with them (no line, no connection). Then look at who has connections with others. Develop a plan to start or strengthen relationships, using existing linkages to connect with new opportunities, if possible. Then repeat the mapping exercise six months later. You will be amazed.
Adding Community Development to Your Business Toolkit
Too often, business growth strategies focus on the transactional. But long-term resilience comes from relational depth and strategic collaboration. By integrating community development principles, you move from being just another participant in the marketplace to becoming a connector, a builder, a catalyst for change and growth.
At The Community Entrepreneur, we sit at the interface between business and community development. We help integrate business principles into charities and community groups while also helping businesses understand the social nuances of working with not-for-profits. Ultimately, we build bridges that create stronger, smarter, and more connected communities.
Ready to take the next step?
🔗 Book a 30-minute conversation: https://bit.ly/tcebooking
📧 Contact: support@thecommunityentrepreneur.com.au
