Published: June 13, 2006 01:18 pm            

Power Of Networking

Group works to improve contacts and provide referrals to other county businesses

It started out as a couple of friends referring customers to other friends and turned into a group of business owners and employees working to increase networking around the county. Now, they’re looking for more people to join the circle.

“It started in my front office, hanging out and talking,” said Cindy Eibl, a Mary Kay independent sales director and advisor for the network. “We thought, let’s open it up to other people.”

From there the group brainstormed and discovered they had friends in real estate, car sales, fitness, travel, photography and more, Eibl said. Instead of working independently from each other, they decided to work as a team.

“The main purpose of the Orleans County Business Network is to exchange referrals,” Regina Schunk said.

Schunk, the wellness consultant for XanGo and president of the network, said only one member from each profession, such as hair styling or realty, can belong to the group.

“If you had a referral for someone looking for a gym membership and you had two people, who would you give it to?” Schunk said. “It causes problems.”

The referrals come in several different ways. Each person has business cards for the other members to give out to

potential customers, and monthly meetings update everyone on specials and promotions taking place at the various businesses in the network. When a member makes a referral, they fill out a card with the information. Likewise, when someone gains a customer that was referred by another member, they fill out a card. The referrals are then tracked at the monthly meetings.

“If someone came up to me and said, ‘I’m looking for a hairstylist,’ the first thing I would say is, ‘Here, let me give you Edee (Hoffmeister)’s card,” Schunk said.

The group alternates each month between Medina and Albion for meetings, where they share marketing strategies, give an “infomercial” on upcoming events, pass out business cards, exchange referrals and discuss other business.

“It’s a chance for us to mix and mingle and share stories,” Schunk said.

Eibl said they are always looking for new members to join.

“Definitely,” she said. “We don’t have a mechanic, we don’t have a plumber ... We are looking for new members because we want to grow.”

Eibl said it is important for local businesses to work together.

“In a small community like this, we need to share our customers,” Eibl said. “You need to market amongst yourselves because no one’s going to do it for you.”

As far as the effect the networking has on business, Edee Hoffmeister, a hair stylist at Celebrity Day Spa, said it helps bring in customers.

“Every month we’ll track our leads we get,” Hoffmeister said. “It’s a great way to track business. I know where referrals are coming from.”

The group also tries to make a difference in the community by donating portions of their dues to charitable organizations. In the past year, they have given to the Knights-Kaderli Memorial Fund and Community Partners programs.

The next meeting of the network will be July 13 at Wiggly & Jiggly’s English Pub in Albion.

Contact Holly Weber at (585) 798-1400, Ext. 2225.

        

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