Building a Network

 

So business is going well for us and I hope everyone is starting to feel the Spring Cleaning fever. I've been under the weather with a horrible cold, causing me to call out from my current place of employment, but allowing me more time to focus on our business (my husband thinks there is something wrong with me since I am working on a sick day).

 

I was a K9 handler for my other place of employment and have since started training for therapy K9s. Awhile back my husband and I got our first German Shepherd puppy and have been working with her to me a therapy dog. Anyway, the little pip-squeak ripped up our carpet in our new home. We contacted a carpet repair company (owner operated) and that gave me a great idea (need a icon of a lightbulb)!

 

He told us that he only repairs and re-stretches carpet but gets calls for carpet cleaning.  We exchanged several cards and the rest his history. He started sending referral our way and we started sending referrals his way. Brainstorming began. I started speaking to the owner of where I go for nail care, chiro office, and vet. These are places we frequent a lot throughout the year. Exchanging business cards, and flyers. I've contacted other carpet cleaning companies in the area to see if I can add them to my networking list (i.e. silk upholstery cleaning, marble floor cleaning, etc.) Some have told me "no" and others were all for it. Now we trade jobs with each other. For example ProCarpetCare, doesn't do El dorado county but gets a call for that. He'll refer that client to us, and we refer clients to him.

 

We are slowing expanding to local doggy day camps, pre-schools, and dog parks.

Kids and pets = mess. And during the Spring it also equals Allergies.

 

What other great networking ideas do you have?