117 | 5 Ways to Grow Your Business Through In-Person Opportunities

As an entrepreneur, there’s HUGE value in in-person connection! Don’t know where to start? Danielle shares 5 opportunities to grow your business in-person!

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE:

With everything that has happened in the last few years, I (Danielle) feel like we have in some ways lost the art of in-person connection. The internet, social media and our smartphones have created somewhat of a barrier between us and the real world.

Don’t get me wrong, the opportunities that this digital world brings to us are amazing. I’m grateful that through this podcast we are able to reach thousands of people around the world. I’m thankful that our products and services are not just for those who live within my same city. I love that I’m able to make passive income through the internet, it’s amazing!

BUT… I also believe that as entrepreneurs, there is HUGE Value in in-person connection and networking.

That’s why I’m sharing Five Ways that you can grow your business through in-person opportunities. I hope this inspires you, regardless if you are an introvert or an extrovert, or maybe you are somewhere in between like me!

 

  1. Ask a New Connection if they want to meet up IRL

    Whether it's for lunch, a coffee, or a work date, this is a great way to build relationships with people in your industry. I started our community by connecting with inspiring people online and then taking those relationships offline. Many of those people are still connected to me today.

  2. Host your own Event for your Clients/Customers

    This could be a VIP event, product launch, or appreciation night. A great tip for expanding your network is to ask each attendee to bring a friend or plus one. This way, your network grows and you can meet new people who could be potential great connections, collaborators, or clients.

  3. Host a Pop up at a local store or at an event as a VendoR

    This is a great way to network and connect with new potential customers and collaborators. When you host a pop-up, you'll be surprised how many long-term business connections and relationships you can build.nd local events and meetups happening in your area. There are most likely entrepreneurial groups or people you can connect with in your local city. Do some research, google, and if you're in Vancouver or San Diego, check out our upcoming events.

  4. Find Local Events/Meetups happening in your area

    There are most likely entrepreneurial groups or people you can connect with in your local city - do some research, google, and if you are in Vancouver or San Diego (You are in great hands just go to our website and check out our upcoming events!)

  5. Join a Mastermind or Attend a Retreat

    This is similar to number four, but this is more intimate, with fewer people involved.  Connecting with more people isn't always better, sometimes more intimate events or groups of people can be even more impactful for your business. Especially if you can spend time brainstorming and strategizing. I have personally LOVED bringing in-person experiences to our Mastermind! The amount you can strategize on in just one day is AMAZING when you bring several brains together in an in-person mastermind or attend a retreat.

So I hope these tips sparked some ideas for you! I encourage you to take at least one of them and make it your goal to make it happen before the end of the year, maybe that's an in-person coffee meetup, or maybe it’s attending an event or hosting your own. Whatever you decide to do, tell me about it! I would LOVE to hear from you! Send me a DM to my personal account over on instagram at @danilivinglife. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review and send your favourite episode to a friend, if you screenshot and send me both I’ll send you your choice of a little gift from me! 

If you want to work together, and you are loving the idea of in-person connection, I have recently opened up spots for a limited number of VIP Days. It's one of my favourite ways to work with clients because we get SO much done in one day - you get my brain for the day to strategize your next steps to scaling your business. Plus, I get to spoil you with coffee, and breakfast, and go out for lunch together, which is just so special. So if you are interested in doing a VIP Day, send me a DM with the words VIP Day and I can send you all the details, you can also apply on our website by going to businessbabescollective.com/coaching.

Please note, I have a very limited number of spots for the next few months, so be sure to get your application in!

Remember, as entrepreneurs, we shouldn't overlook the value of in-person connection and networking. We encourage you to take at least one of these tips and make it your goal to make it happen before the end of the year, whether that's an in-person coffee meetup or hosting your own event. Whatever you decide to do, don't hesitate to reach out and share your experience with us.

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TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:00] Danielle: Does anyone else feel like in some ways we have lost the art of in-person connection? Like the in-person connection with real people, not just through screens, not just through social media, not just through the internet, but being in person with people. And I'm not here to say that the internet or social media or the digital world is bad at all.

[00:00:26] I mean, hello, I'm a podcaster and an online business owner, so of course I am so grateful and I absolutely love the online world. But, in some ways, the internet and social media and our smartphones have created somewhat of a barrier between us and the real world. And, you know, don't get me wrong, I'm, I'm not anti any of these things.

[00:00:48] Like I said, I am so, so grateful for the opportunities that the digital world brings us. I'm so grateful for this podcast. I'm so grateful that I get to connect with you as you're [00:01:00] washing the dishes or doing the laundry or on a walk or driving. Whatever you're doing right now, maybe you're pushing your stroller around, and it's so cool that we have listeners of this podcast that are all around the world.

[00:01:12] I do not take that lightly. Like that is incredible. but I also believe that, as entrepreneurs, there is a huge value of in-person connection and networking. And I think that if you are hiding behind a screen and you are not taking advantage of some of these in-person opportunities, these ways that we can connect and collaborate and just be a part of community in person, I think that we are missing out.

[00:01:41] And so I wanted to record the short episode today to share five ways that you can specifically strategically grow your business through some of these in-person opportunities. I wanted to just spark your curiosity, your interest, inspiration, and I hope it inspires you regardless of whether you are an [00:02:00] introvert and you're like, I love hiding behind my screen, I don't wanna get in into community. I don't want to leave my house. Or maybe you're an extrovert and you're thinking, yeah, I, I do feel like I need that in-person connection. Maybe you're somewhere in between like me. Either way, regardless of what your personality is like, I really want you to start to implement some of these things that we're gonna talk about today. So let's go ahead and dive into our episode.

[00:02:28] Welcome to the Business Babes Collective podcast. I'm your host, Danielle Wiebe. In this podcast, you'll learn tangible business tips and strategies on how to grow successfully and sustainably. We'll also interview season. So you can listen in on their stories and see behind the scenes of what it took to grow and scale their businesses. Let's dive in as we discuss the wild, exciting, crazy challenging, rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship.

[00:02:57] Okay, we're gonna dive a right in. So five [00:03:00] ways that you can grow your business through in-person opportunities. Number one is ask a new connection or maybe a connection that you've had for a while, but you only know them online, if they would like to meet up in real life. So obviously this will have to depend on your location. So if it's someone that is local, then ask them if they wanna go for lunch one day, or for a coffee or maybe a work date. Say like, Hey, do you wanna get together and both bring your laptops and just work together for a day?

[00:03:34] This is exactly how I started our community back almost eight years ago now. I connected with some of the people that inspired me and started to build those relationships online and then took those relationships offline and asked people for coffee and asked people if I could connect with them in person.

[00:03:53] And many of those people I am still connected with and friends with today. It's just so incredible to kind [00:04:00] of look back and be like, wow, that was where our relationship sparked, that's where it started. And now to see where it is today and, you know, how those relationships have grown and evolved and how we've been able to collaborate over time has just been amazing.

[00:04:15] So that would be number one is ask a connection that you know only online if they wanna meet, meet up in real. Number two is hosting your own event for your clients or customers. So this is obviously going to be for those of you who have customers and clients already, right? So you already have a group of customers and clients, you can do a V I P event or maybe do a product launch if you have a product-based business or appreciation night.

[00:04:47] And this is an amazing way to bring your clients, bring your customers together, treat them, and also a great tip for this to expand your network is to ask each [00:05:00] attendee to bring a friend or bring a plus one.

[00:05:03] This way your network grows and will double, right? So if you have every single person bring another person, then you're getting to actually double your network, um, within one day. And so this is an amazing way, an incredible way to be able to meet new people, meet new potential connections, collaborators, or clients.

[00:05:25] And it also gives your existing clients a reason to talk about you and share about you and refer you. It also produces loyalty because when you invest in them and you treat them well, they will want to continue being your customer or your client, and they'll also wanna talk about you to everyone else.

[00:05:45] So that is a great way to build loyalty and then also, again, to expand your network. So number three would be hosting a popup at a local store or an an event, being a vendor at an event. So [00:06:00] this is a great way to network and connect with new potential customers and collaborators. And this could be either for an event that is catered to your specific niche.

[00:06:12] So say for example, you're in the wellness space, maybe you're going to be a vendor at a wellness event, or maybe you are a fashion brand and so you're looking for another, um, company to collaborate with maybe, and maybe you're gonna pop up at a store that already sells jewelry and you sell clothing. So this could be you paying to be a vendor at someone else's event, or it could be you co-hosting event with some other people and then you share the cost of putting on that event.

[00:06:44] So would be similar to the second one is hosting your own own event, but, uh, collaborating with someone else and hosting an event together could be a really great way, or if you're like, I don't really have time for that. I don't want the stress of hosting my own [00:07:00] event, then just be part of someone else's event. There's a lot of events happening, most likely in your local city that you can just be a part of, whether it be paying to be a vendor or collaborate with them in some way and be a part of that event.

[00:07:15] Okay. Number four is find local events and meetups happening in your area and attend them. So there are most likely entrepreneurial groups and people you can connect with in your specific local city. So do some research, Google or ask friends or connections if they know of anything. If you are in Vancouver or San Diego, you are in great luck because I know of an incredible community that you can be a part of. Yes, it's ours, we are hosting events right now in Vancouver and San Diego. But if you are not in those cities and you don't have capacity right now to travel to either Vancouver or San Diego, then absolutely look in your area and look at what [00:08:00] events and meet-ups are already happening there and see what you can get involved in.

[00:08:05] And then number five, the final tip that I have for you is to join a mastermind or attend a retreat or a one day summit or conference of some kind. So similar to the last one, but this one would be more intimate. So usually a mastermind or some sort of a retreat is fewer people.

[00:08:25] And so connecting with fewer people is sometimes even more impactful. So depending on, so depending on your intention or goal for the event itself, I have personally loved being a part of things like this retreats or masterminds. Um, I have invested in a lot of different opportunities where I have gotten together with an intimate group of other business women, and it has been so incredibly game changing for my business because in that space I'm able to brainstorm and connect and network [00:09:00] and, you know, the amount that you can get done in one day or several days with a group of other people is absolutely incredible.

[00:09:08] And that's one of the main reasons that I have been so excited to bring some in-person experiences to our mastermind. And I think it has brought our Mastermind members so much closer together and it's just a really cool way to see, you know, when you come together with several brains in one room, how many ideas can spark from that one conversation? It's so incredibly inspiring.

[00:09:33] So those are my five tips. Those are my five ways that you can grow your business through in-person experiences. Again, the five were asking a new connection or a online connection if they wanna meet up in real life for a lunch, for a coffee, for a work date. Number two is hosting your own event for your own customers or clients. Number three is hosting a popup or being a. Part of someone else's event. Number four is [00:10:00] finding local events and meetups that are happening in your area, and number five is joining a mastermind or attending a intimate retreat or summit.

[00:10:10] So I really hope that these tips and ideas spark something for you. I hope that you feel inspired. I want to encourage you to take at least one of these and make it your goal to happen, to make it happen by the end of the year, whether it be registering for an event, uh, maybe it's connecting with someone that you're going to meet up with in person or coffee. Maybe it's hosting your own event.

[00:10:38] Whatever you do, I would love to hear from you. I would love to hear all about it. So send me a DM to my personal Instagram account. You can find me @danilivinglife.

[00:10:48] And also don't forget to leave us a rating and review on the podcast. Send a your favorite episode to a friend, and then screenshot both of those things, send it my way. [00:11:00] And I want to send you a thank you. So I'll send you a choice of a little gift from me, just to say thank you so incredibly much for supporting this show.

[00:11:11] And hey, if you actually wanna work together and you're loving the idea of this in-person connection, these in-person experiences. I have recently opened up spots for a limited number of VIP client days. So this is one of my absolute favorite ways to work one-on-one with clients because we can get so much done in one day. So if you want to pick my brain for the day, if you want to strategize on your next steps, your next goals of how you are going to scale your business, your goals for 2023, your revenue goals, your marketing goals, how you wanna show up, I would love to support you with that. Um, plus I get to spoil you. It's so much fun. We get to have coffee and [00:12:00] breakfast together. We get to go out for lunch together. It is just so special and it's such a great way to spend the day and really just focus on your business.

[00:12:09] I know you spend so much time working in your business and you're doing the day-to-day tasks and you're checking things off your list, but it is so amazing when you can spend one day and focus on the actual growth and strategy of where are you taking your business next? What do those numbers look like? Really digging in, and that is one of my favorite things to do. So if you're interested in doing a V I P day with me, send me a DM with the words "VIP day", and I can send you all of the details. You can also apply on our website, so if you wanna go to our website, you can go to businessbabescollective.com/coaching and I will send you all the details straight to your email.

[00:12:49] So if you're thinking about it and you're curious, you wanna learn more, then definitely do that very soon because, Again, I have a very limited number of [00:13:00] spots and those will get snatched up very quickly. So I cannot wait to wait to hear from you. I can't wait to connect with you, and I really, really hope that you have an incredible rest of your day, and I will see you in our next episode.

[00:13:17] If you love this episode, make sure you screenshot, post and tag us on Instagram @businessbabesco. Want to know when the next episode goes live? Subscribe on your podcast app and while you're there, leave us a review. Until next time, keep dreaming big, setting goals and taking action.

Danielle Wiebe