I liked this title because it speaks the truth, which is at the heart of all households right now. As a working professional each one of us is involved in a daily battle to stabilize the economies of our families. If you happen to be involved in the entertainment industry, then you have no doubt noticed that the job prospects started to get thinner as soon as corporate professionals lost their jobs and decided to make their weekend hobby into their new profession. That’s right the characters plight in the movie “Dick and Jane” couldn’t be any closer to the truth. We now have several levels of experienced and inexperienced professionals competing for the same work. What’s interesting is that many of the newbie’s are having great success in finding work as well as transitioning to life as an independent contractor. I have studied many situations and found one major common thread. Success is a planned event.

The term “networking” always brings forth images of suited executives passing cards and glad-handing each other over a cigar. Well in every business, networking is a powerful tool for gaining an upper hand on the new challenges of finding new clients. Networking used to be an exclusively face-to-face experience. The social networking sites such as Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter have now increased the possibilities of you reaching potential solid business connections much faster.  Here are some things that you can do to get more out of your social / business situations.

When attending business functions:

Show up early, it shows that you are respectful of time, and you can gather info.

Do your research; know the people and companies that you meet with.

Bring a friend when possible, nothing beats having a second set of eyes and ears.

Talk to people and just be yourself. Take the time to make introductions.

Increases your personal database.

In key meetings:

Ask level 1 (surface) questions as icebreakers.

Ask level 2 (work related) questions to create a focus.

Listen in their responses for target words that point to unmet needs.

Words are often the keys to understanding long term corporate needs.

Schedule a lunch. Good food and conversation can be unforgettable.

On Line:

Build a database across several different social networks. It should contain people that you have had different levels of business success with.

Continually update your contact lists and remember, 50 reliable people in your data base is way more valuable than500 mere acquaintances.

Maintain current updates to your websites and social networks.

Blogs, webisodes and other forms of targeted press help to the web audience keeps informed about you and your brand.

Finally I’d like you to remember to always keep learning. It’s been said that the information that you are learning is at the most relevant for two years. We must all be in a constant learning mode. For all of us to remain relevant for years to come we have to be about the business of “personal branding”.

I challenge all of you who receive this to use these tips to strengthen your independent business plans. Put these to work and I know your business and personnel life will see positive results. As a nation we are in a very revealing times. The financial picture has changed drastically for many households. In order to be proactive we must all come from a different place. My goal is to impact your life with information that can bring about a dynamic change for your career and your household.