Today I invited a long-time family friend (and small business networking expert) Challie Gangloff to join the show to give us some insight into how the owner of a small, neighborhood business like Top of the Hill Markets approaches networking.
Below, I’ve included a few of my favorite quotes from the podcast, if you’re the kind of person that hates surprises… or if you’re one of those people that loves the idea of podcasts but when it comes to listening to people talk you’re like “meh, I’d rather listen to some tunes”… or if you’re viewing this post in public and lost your wireless headphones (honestly, you lose your keys 4x/week, did you really think you wouldn’t lose tiny ear buds?!? C’mon Apple. #bringbackthewires).
Is networking important for small brick and mortar business owners? How do you network?
“When you initially said ‘networking’, I immediately thought ‘no, I don’t do that.’ But the more I thought about it, I realized I’m networking all-day every day.”
If you do network, who are you looking to build a relationship with as a small business owner?
“I think one of the best networking secrets for small business owners, is networking with other small business owners.”
How do you use networking to compete with giants like Amazon and Walmart?
“They can compete locally on produce now because of their supply chain, but I’m driving at 5:30am every morning and picking it up from the farm myself. People still care about that.”
How do you handle networking with all the different types of people you encounter on a daily basis?
“I can text my fish guy with a $2,000 order, but Farmer Jim requires a 30 minute phone call for 6 boxes of corn. But guess what? Farmer Jim is just as important to my business as everyone else – my customers, my suppliers, my investors…”
What advice do you have for the non-natural networkers in small businesses?
“How do you cook your salmon?”
What is your most awkward networking experience?
“I basically fired myself.”