Developing Business, Networking, Professional Development Accelerators, and More: Tips from the DiS Entrepreneurship Circle
Entrepreneurship is an enticing prospect but can also be clouded with questions and unknowns. While you have control of what you work on and when you work, how do you handle all the admin on your own? How do you build a client base? How do you continue to find professional development opportunities? We held a space for sustainability entrepreneurs to discuss this and other topics further.
The session was attended by current and would-be entrepreneurs in the social impact, social enterprise, climate tech, climate justice, consulting and human rights spaces.
Check out some of the topics that were raised during our discussion, with tips and tricks from the community:
Business development does not need to be an uncomfortable experience.
Participants shared the importance of curiosity. Being inquisitive and reaching out to people/businesses you find interesting can lead to a great opportunity, new clients, and the opportunity to chat and learn.
A lot of prospects come from word of mouth. Turn to your old colleagues and friends—don’t forget that referrals come from happy customers, so don’t undervalue the significance of your previous positive working relationships.
“Throw something out there…”. Sometimes you need to jumpstart your endeavor by testing out your value proposition on a website or social media and seeing the response. You will often be surprised at what gains traction.
“…But try to be flexible.” don’t push something that's not gaining traction. Treat your proposition like a hypothesis.
2. The power in the digital.
Linkedin and other social media platforms are incredibly useful tools. While they allow for a large reach, they also have tools to target local audiences. For example, Instagram offers an opportunity to create microtargeted messaging
Hold a webinar. They are a great way to pitch your venture to multiple prospects at once and demonstrate your knowledge.
When establishing your website/social media platforms, pay close attention to your keywords. Whether you are using paid or organic marketing forums, keywords are a crucial part of attracting clients to your business.
3. Tips for obtaining feedback on your performance
Keep a Google sheet (or something similar) full of your contacts. This could be previous clients, people you have met professionally, colleagues, or people you admire.
Having this on hand allows you to reach out personally to a variety of individuals as you embark on your professional journey.
Seek out feedback from them. Once you have your handy digital Rolodex, personally reach out to your previous contacts. This personal correspondence on a one-on-one level can lead to valuable feedback on your previous work, and recommendations for your business model, and pave the way for beneficial development.
4. Recommended Accelerators for Entrepreneurs
Vet the accelerators. Accelerators were a big topic for our discussion circle and participants encouraged others to “interview them just as much as they are interviewing you”. Accelerators can take a lot of time and you can get accelerator fatigue.
Seek out accelerators that are not charging too much.here are plenty out there looking to support you rather than just making a quick buck off you. Pay attention to the business model of the company offering the accelerator.
The group offered a few suggestions for accelerators they had used. They also offered some recommendations for accelerators; reminding participants that it is equally beneficial to just speak to lawyers, accountants, and other individuals involved to equip you with the most knowledge possible before venturing into your business.
5. Networking is not all about awkward cocktail receptions.
Trust your passion in your industry. Networking can be scary but your genuine interest and excitement about your field allows you to converse naturally with peers and potential colleagues.
Don’t underestimate courses and programs. Courses and programs are a great way to meet others in your field while learning more about your interests/business development. Often these courses will have a variety of individuals; people who are mid-career and those who are beginners, as well as individuals from a wide range of backgrounds. Courses are also another potential to build your social network and potentially inadvertently find clients!
Associations as a source of learning and networking. Associations are also an excellent resource to learn and connect with others. They allow you to hear from experts in the field but also meet similarly-oriented professionals who could become long–lasting peers: For example; the National Association of Women Business Owners was very helpful for one of the circle participants in attracting new business and learning from.These associations often offer courses as well, which encourages professionals to keep on educating themselves in their field.
Below are courses/ associations recommended by our participants:
Move the Crowd and Rha Goddess provides a great coaching opportunity, especially for women of color.
There was a good level of interest for hosting additional entrepreneur circles in future, please keep an eye out for upcoming DiS events!
