Business Mentor: Business events valuable exercise

Q. What value is there in attending business development conferences like Thrive when I have so much to do every day running my business?

A. Gilbert Peterson, communications manager of the Employers & Manufacturers Association, responds:

It's easy to become so caught up running your business that you have no time or energy left to work on it.

But time spent developing the business will invariably be repaid, perhaps many times over.

Business development conferences and courses offer excellent opportunities to evolve your business.

Stepping aside to look objectively at how the business is running, at the things that can be done to tune its performance, and to make yourself more productive, often requires more determination than just maintaining the daily schedule.

Getting out and meeting other entrepreneurs is important. You stand to learn as much from them as from the speakers at any given event. Getting just a single idea that can be applied to your business could result in the time out proving worthwhile.

The idea may come from a presenter's bank of experience or through networking. The people you meet may turn out to be your next good customer or supplier.

New customers, suppliers and systems are hovering over every cup of coffee and around every display, just waiting to come together.

Just walking around the expo at Thrive you could have bagged hundreds of dollars worth of free stuff.

Picking up the gifts is a business' way of saying hello to sales people. Free Biz training goes further. Biz programmes offer free courses on planning, e-commerce, finance and marketing. Discounts are offered on office equipment from laptops to breakthrough technology, and applications are on display with people to explain how they work, and decipher the jargon.

Probably the most value is simply hearing about other people's success, and picking up on the excitement they get from being master of their own working life.

They remind you where your own ambitions lie and give heart to you to tackle the daily grind with more enthusiasm and thought, knowing the rewards of working for yourself are not only financial but also the freedom gained by taking responsibility for yourself.

For more business development events visit EMA Northern and The Business Club.

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Answers from Business in the Community's Business Mentor Programme.