Social networking is something we do naturally on a daily basis, whether online or face to face, and business networking is not much different. Attending network meetings with like-minded people is the perfect way to market your business, products and services in a small community like Hout Bay.

During a network breakfast, you will meet other business owners in a relaxed but professional environment, and you will leave every meeting with new contacts, ideas and inspiration.

No business is too small or too big to be marketed in this way, but remember, networking is about people! Get to know the people behind the business, find out how they run their business and gain confidence to support and refer them to others.

The idea is to get to know people, not just gather business cards.  Also ensure that you leave the people you meet with enough easily understandable information on how to market YOUR services/products.

It's always energising to host a successful networking meeting, and the launch of the new Hout Bay Hub business networking group in Hout Bay this morning was no exception!

Pure Restaurant at the Hout Bay Manor Hotel provided a beautiful, light space which is very conducive to conversation and networking.  Great coffee (and the tasty juices everyone talked about) had us all feeling very welcome from the moment we arrived.

Our guest speaker, Andy Effting, gave us all a pleasant walk down Hout Bay's memory lane with tales of what it was like to start a business in Hout Bay in 1983. His very successful Hout Bay Dental Studio is one of Hout Bay's flagship businesses and certainly among those that have been here the longest.  Andy told of the days when his practice was located in the "back room" of where Ethno Bongo is today, of his stunning receptionist (wife Alison), and how he decided to rid Hout Bay of tooth decay...