Thanksgiving gets a lot of hype in November, and for good reason. It’s a uniquely American Holiday that’s become an indelible part of our culture. Great as it is, Thanksgiving isn’t the only holiday in the month. November the 11^th is Veterans Day. For many of us it’s an afterthought, a chance for a three-day weekend, an opportunity to get ahead of the Christmas shopping rush by attending a cool Veterans Day sale. However, without the sacrifice of our veterans there might not even be a Turkey Day to celebrate, or a Christmas list to fill.

First impressions are hard. According to research, people will make up their mind positively or negatively about someone within seconds of meeting them. And research shows that once a bad impression is made, it’s hard to shake. You need to dress the part, say the right things and do the right things while avoiding critical networking mistakes. You may only get one shot at it, so you have to make it count.

That’s right. No pressure or anything.

By now, you’ve probably gotten the idea that having the right contacts in place can really help your small business take off. Getting those contacts is easier said than done, however. It takes time, finesse and more than a little skill to successfully turn a casual meeting into an in-depth conversation and ultimately into a business opportunity. There’s a difference between effective networking and trying awkwardly to make small talk with important people while hoping they don’t notice that mustard stain you picked up during lunch.

Flip on your TV. You’ve got over 300 channels at your disposal. Whether there’s anything worth watching is a matter of debate. If the TV doesn’t do it for you, you have your desktop, laptop and cell phone charged and ready for action. The fun is just beginning, because you can bet that whatever your mood or your need, there’s an app just waiting for you. That’s life in the twenty-first century.

Email is great. So are texting, instant messages and the myriad of other options we have to communicate in this day and age. Regardless of how you want to talk to someone there’s probably an app for it. However, something often gets lost in translation. You’ve probably received a text and had to guess at the tone. Was it friendly? Sarcastic? The little emoticon can only tell you so much.

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”

  ~ Anonymous

It may sound like a very cynical take on things, but there’s more than a little truth to it. The right relationship with the right person at the right time can make a huge difference in your business fortunes. So how do you meet this wonderful person? One way is by sheer luck. Another more practical way is by networking. To start our new series on networking, we’ll take a look at what networking really means and why it’s so important.

At some point you’ve probably sat beside someone who’s complaining about the news. The complaint usually goes something like: “It’s always war and death and tragedy!” Maybe you agreed with them or maybe you just rolled your eyes. It does sometimes seem like the complainer has a point though. Why can’t they just print something happy? Well, there’s a way to change that negative narrative, at least in a small way. That’s just one small example of the value of community service.

“Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.”

              ~ Sherry Anderson

As a business owner, how do you give back? As the leader of a company, you know the value community service can have for your organization. As a person, you know that nothing beats the feeling of having made your community a better place to live. The problem many business owners face is how to give back. Tight budgets often mean we can’t be as generous as we’d like.

Featured Resource this week - Wicked Reports

WARNING: Half Your Marketing Is Wasted.  Do You Know Which Half?  We Do.

We automatically pull data from your ad networks. We then apply over 10,000 lines of database logic to track sales revenue to specific clicks, ads, audiences, campaigns and emails (we’re the only ones who do this!).

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Featured Resource this week - PureChat

The Best-Selling Live Chat Software for Small Business

Live chat and visitor tracking software has never been easier.

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Featured Resource this week - Once Hub

Make more connections with an integrated scheduling platform

ScheduleOnce/OnceHub is a field-proven solution for powering online scheduling with your customers and prospects.

Solutions for every phase of the customer lifecycle

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Featured Resource this week - StockUnlimited

600,000+ Visuals for Businesses & Professionals

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SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND GET AWESOME UNLIMITED DOWNLOADS!

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Featured Resource this week - Centerpointe

Did you know that if your head isn't in the right place, you can sabotage your business and personal success? Centerpointe's premier introductory product, Holosync, gives you ALL the benefits of meditation – in a fraction of the time – and without spending years learning how...

What if you could meditate like a Zen monk, literally at the touch of a button?

• Increase your threshold for stress…deal with the ups and down of life much more easily…protect yourself from serious physical and emotional problems caused by stress...
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Featured Resource this week - iMember360

WordPress Membership Plugin for Infusionsoft™

Unleash the power of WordPress and iMember360 to create your Infusionsoft™ driven membership site instantly! iMember360 - a WordPress plugin that turns a normal WordPress site into a full-featured membership site with all the protection controls you can imagine, almost limitless customization, and driven by Infusionsoft’s second-to-none CRM and e-commerce engine.

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Featured Resource this week - TurboDial

This Personal Communicator brings the Power of Infusionsoft to your Inside Sales Campaigns!

With turboDial you never leave Infusionsoft – place a phone call to any contact at any time right from MyDay, from a saved search or from contact and opportunity records!

Plan your calls in advance or make them spontaneously – turboDial is the only solution effective for both

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