The Power of Networking
At the beginning, of my business journey, I was a new fish in a new big pond and I struggled. Along the way, I started joining support groups and that is when I saw some light at the end of the tunnel. I got information which is enabled us to plan and strategize; we also got meaningful connections and linkages to markets, finance, supporting organizations, and agencies. Every day we made gainful steps ahead that enabled us to survive in the marketplace.
The bible says;
“Wisdom makes a man powerful. Knowledge gives a man strength. Get good advice before you start a war. To win, you must have many good advisors”
Networking gives you that opportunity and before you know it the different battles are being won. This power and wisdom are not only for business but also for personal and corporate life. Life is about networking, connecting, and relationships. A man by default is a relational being. God created us to relate with him and his creation that is why Loneliness is a disease. Even so in business being alone is never an option or alternative, it’s a pathway to failure and slow painful death. Businesses and organizations thrive on relationships with customers/clients, workers, supporters, competitors, and funders. These give life to the entity.
The world today rotates on networking; in fact, it’s through networks that the world has become a global village. Every day new networks are being formed for different agendas. This means we can relate to a particular agenda/network and be part of it to promote our businesses, organizations, and selves.
In the increasing one world, we can’t afford to be outside it, we need to be part of it to tap opportunities being created as well as address the challenges within it. Being with others strengthens our voices; we can be heard because power belongs to the majority according to the basic principles of democracy.
One of the key areas being promoted to penetrate the bigger market and have bargaining power is clustering and group production. The greatest challenges of Small businesses are low level of production, quality is compromised, capital is limited, gainful markets are invisible and thus one cannot penetrate into immense markets for good prices. However, these and many other challenges can be addressed through working together under a cluster that will create an enabling environment for access to finance, markets, information, trade opportunities, mentoring, etc. That is why cooperatives can clearly boost small farmers’ income and market penetration.
The ancient wisdom of the Baganda says “Agaluma awamu g’ galuma enyama” this literally means a single tooth strong as a rock will not bite your meat, but teeth together break the power of the meat to pieces. So I challenge us today, find a network and join it be it online or within your community, and be useful in it. This will help you blossom and grow and Keep on Rocking.
©Allen K. Baguma
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