Darrin Walsh: Helping companies get together for business

Darrin Walsh

As you are no doubt aware the Chamber of Commerce holds fortnightly networking sessions.

Business After Fives (BA5s) are a very informal networking session hosted by a chamber member. The sessions allow local business owners to come along and network with like-minded business owners over a drink and nibbles.

It is also an opportunity for the host to profile their business and showcase what they do.

This week's Business After Five for me truly showcased what networking is all about. It also came on the back of our business leader's forum on Tuesday morning where the key question was how do we attract business to Rotorua and grow what we currently have.

The BA5 was hosted by Now Communication, Advanced IT and Biscom. These three businesses are completely independent from each other - one provides communication (fibre etc), one provides telecommunication (phones etc) and the other is a computer-technology provider.

While each business is individually owned and operated independently they work seamlessly behind the scenes to provide a one-stop package for their clients. They obviously know each other's businesses so well that the presentation was given solely by Grant Kilby from Now Communications.

Again it was more proof of the synergy between all three businesses and how they work together providing solutions to their clients across all three aspects of their business. Essentially each entity seeking opportunities within their industry but helping each of the others grow as well - hunting as a pack one might say.

Each entity has a very clear strategy/plan on how they target their particular market and by offering the services of each partnering entity they are able to offer value that perhaps their competitors can't.

I went away on Tuesday with great belief on how networking can truly help you grow your business. Do you openly seek relationships with businesses that are compatible with your industry? Do you have strategies in place to take advantage of such connections? If not then why not?

I am sure there are other examples out there of local businesses working together to grow their business and add value to their clients but then I am sure there are many more operating in silos and not aware of just how their networks can work for them.

If you need help identifying potential networks give me a call - bringing businesses together is what we do!

- Darrin Walsh is chief executive of the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce.