Often, people develop interest in a particular business they are totally ignorant of. Yet, they forge ahead and venture into it.However, due to a lack of knowledge or experience, they usually fail to realise their dreams. But experts believe that most of the failures could have been avoided, if proper networking had been done.According to them, networking is necessary as it helps an intending entrepreneur to build the contacts needed to grow and sustain businesses. They add that it also enables a business owner to mix with the right set of entrepreneurs, who can help to build a particular knowledge in the business.The Chief Executive Officer, Every Event, Mrs. Grace Babatunde, explains how networking helped to build her dream business. According to her, she had always admired how event canters were decorated but did not know what it took to get such things done.She says, "I love to see beautiful decorations at parties. I admire events that are well organised. I developed an interest in such but did not know how to start doing something along that line." This upcoming entrepreneur adds that among all the business ideas that ever crossed her mind, event planning and decoration was always her topmost priority.She explains that after attending a seminar for entrepreneurs about three years ago , where she met people of like minds that were already doing well as event planners, her vision and styles began to change.From there, she says, she got complimentary cards through which she built contacts with those who later showed her the way to go. Based on her knowledge and experience of how networking helped her to realise her dream, she advises intending entrepreneurs to network with people that could be useful to them in their chosen fields.She says, "If a person mixes well with the right set of people and he is also able to manage his contacts, it will help such a person to grow his enterprise."Babatunde notes that meeting people, collecting their complementary cards and relating well with others with a view to letting them know that what you offer can be of essence to them is a sure way to build a business."If you are very good at a thing but no one knows you, it will serve as a limitation to the success of the business. The reason is that the person will not be able to get those that will give him jobs to do.," she says.When good jobs are delivered and the customers are satisfied, more referrals will be prompted in favour of the entrepreneur. "That was how I got the necessary connection that gave me the much sought access to meet the right people and get the right advice to start and grow my dream job, which has been growing gradually ever since." The National Coordinator, Enterprise Promotions Academy, Dr. Adebola Olubanjo, who describes entrepreneurs as the bedrock of any society that is intent on making progress, says individual networking skill always form the basis of success.EPA is a non governmental organisation, committed to the development of entrepreneurship through organisation of seminars and training programmes. He says entrepreneurial seminars and conferences bring entrepreneurs together to network and examine the challenges facing them, identify prospects and ways of exploiting such.He observes that often, some people stay at home for years on the excuse of not getting jobs. According to him, this makes them to dwell in poverty. These people, he notes, may not need to stay idle if they are ready to take the right initiatives that can make them become successful entrepreneurs.If they are able to be on their own as entrepreneurs, he adds, they will not only provide jobs for themselves but also for their family members and other job seekers.According to Olubanjo, there is the need for intending entrepreneurs to learn from those who have achieved about how they made it and how they overcame challenges.He says, "They can learn a lot by reading books, networking and attending seminars, where they will meet successful ones."He, however, observes that some people are usually encumbered with the challenge of how to become entrepreneurs, due to fear of the unknown.The entrepreneur says that people need not to harbour any fear but get exposed, learn from others and work towards their dreams. Because of the passion he has to help the unemployed and the under-employed, he says he organises seminars and offers counselling to them.He observes that even if a person does not have the capital to start, he can still achieve success in business, if the right disposition is there. Olubanjo, however, warns against the spirit of make-it-fast that is common these days. "I observe that often, most people want things to happen fast, and so, they take just any kind of decisions on their business future.According to him, it will help an entrepreneur, if he takes prudent decisions and seeks knowledge from those who are already doing well in the business.
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