A Networking Study

My dear friend, fellow networker and coach extraodinaire Lavonya Jones gave me more networking insight which fueled my passion and zeal!  She recently forwarded me a networking case study:"Formal business networking and SME growth" article published in Nov. 2011.  The 15-page study highlighted small to medium-sized European enterprises which were deliberately using business networking to grow their companies, identify/retain talent and find industry resources which are not always publicly available.  Although the research did not generate hard numbers for monetary networking success, it did offer numbers on company growth.  Below are my top takeaways from this incredible research:

1.  SMEs benefit from networking by obtaining knowledge and skills for remaining competitive.
2.  Business networking enhances both net assets and added value growth.
3.  Networking enables firms to get access to knowledge and resources in a timely and cost effective manner.
4.  Network resources help firms develop and strengthen their internal capabilities.
5.  Having diverse networks (non redundant ties) are extremely beneficial.

With that being said...Happy Networking!