Business Networking for Entrepreneurs with Erica Castner. Erica shares her entrepreneur story and tips and advice for growing a small business and business networking for entrepreneurs. Erica Castner is a business relationship strategists for professionals and small business owners who need to build a constant pipeline of business referrals.

With over fifteen years in the sales and training industry, she is widely known as the “Queen of Networking” or “Queen of Connections” because of her success and generosity in connecting professionals and business owners with the resources and people they need to grow their business.

She also works with sales professionals and entrepreneurs to help them put their best foot forward, and she is a popular professional speaker.

Erica is also the host of “Heart of Marketing You” – This podcast is for business owners and service professionals who want authentic and relevant marketing strategies to help them find, connect, and convert their ideal clients and build a dream team to support their business growth vision.

She lives in Southwest Florida with her husband and two children.

Business Networking for Entrepreneurs:

• Erica helps professionals and small business owners connect with the resources and other professionals that help them grow their business.
• She got helped from a personal development and business coach to help her redesign her life as she was challenged with balancing work and family.
• “…getting rid of limiting anchors in her world.” This was key to adjusting her beliefs and perspectives in life that were limiting her.
• In her work with professionals and entrepreneurs now, she finds that these limiting anchors or beliefs are often what holds people back from starting their own business or making significant progress in their careers.
• “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.“
• It’s important to get involved in your local chamber of commerce, but it’s important to plan ahead and be clear about your motivation and intention.  “What you can get; what you can add,” is the way Erica explains her recommended approach to any network opportunity.
• Focusing and planning are critical to successfully starting your own business. What is your daily intention? Define your daily action steps.
• Erica finds that successful small business owners don’t go at it alone. They leverage a small circles of trusted mentors, coaches, peers and others that make up your “team”.
• Learn from others who have gone through a similar journey in building their business.
• Erica shares her insights and tips for finding harmony between her business and personal life.

Resources:

Related Episodes:

Erica Castner was back on our podcast to share her additional insights on developing what she refers to as the “Know, Like & Trust Factor”:

Episode 342: Erica Castner – Know, Like & Trust Factor

Other Episodes of The How of Business Podcast – the best podcast for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. You can find all other episodes of the podcast on the Archives Page.

Top 5 Tactics to Improve Business Networking:

1. Leverage Social Media: Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook can be great tools to connect with other business professionals. Engage in discussions, comment on posts, share relevant content, and join groups that align with your industry or interests. Remember, it’s not just about promoting your business; it’s about building relationships.
2. Attend Networking Events and Trade Shows: Participating in industry conferences, trade shows, and local networking events can provide opportunities to meet and connect with like-minded individuals and other small business owners. When attending, have a clear goal in mind, whether it’s to meet potential clients, learn about industry trends, or connect with potential partners. It’s also important to have a well crafted Elevator Pitch to help you effectively position yourself and your small business.
3. Join Professional or Industry Associations: Membership in professional groups or industry-specific associations provides access to resources, conferences, and networking events. You can connect with other business owners in your field, share insights, and even find mentorship and coaching opportunities.
4. Host or Sponsor Local Events: Hosting a local event or workshop or sponsoring a community event can be an effective way to network with other business leaders and entrepreneurs. This can position your small business as a leader in your industry or community and provide an opportunity to interact with potential clients and partners in a more informal setting. You may consider online platforms like Facebook Groups and Meetup to help you organize and promote these types of events.
5. Practice Effective Follow-ups: Networking doesn’t end with the initial meeting. Consistently follow up with your contacts via email, phone calls, or social media to keep the relationship active. Personalize your follow-ups by referencing something you discussed during your initial conversation.

Business networking is about building authentic relationships. It’s important to approach networking with a mindset of how you can help others, rather than what you can get out of the relationship. Be genuine, show interest, and listen actively. This will help you build strong and mutually beneficial relationships to help you start and grow your small business.

Erica Castner is currently focused on helping female business owners and industry experts enhance their personal brands and expand their reach beyond local markets. Through programs like “Profitable Presenter Society” and “Master Your Message” Accelerator, she guides entrepreneurs in refining their brand messaging and visibility. Her work emphasizes positioning expertise and transformational messages to a global audience. Erica also hosts the “Voices of Impact” podcast, where she shares branding strategies and insights from influential professionals.

For more information, visit Erica Castner’s website.