Low-Cost Networking - Part One
by Nancy Roebke 
 
Although it's been determined that networking takes time and is work, 
that doesn't mean that it has to cost a lot to do. Here are some 
ideas for low or no-cost networking using business cards:
 
1. Keep these EVERYWHERE so you always have some on-hand. Keep them 
in every vehicle, in the office, at home, in every purse or wallet 
you own- everywhere. Post them on bulletin boards in stores. Leave 
them with your tip when you pay at a restaurant. 
 
2. Enclose them with all correspondences- especially bills (I know a 
Realtor who sold a house because he included his card every month in 
his electric bill). 
 
3. Attach ad specialties or premiums to them. I have received 
business cards with little bars of soap and tokens for a car wash 
attached to them. I have also gotten business cards which have 
magnets on them which are now hanging on my refrigerator.
 
4. Have some laminated so they can't get wet. I carry one that had a 
quarter laminated on the back of it. I was told I'd always have money 
for a phone call when I was given that card. That was 4 years ago.
 
5. Use the back side to print information people will keep for a long 
time- a calendar, metric conversion information, measurement 
equivalents, mortgage amortization' schedules- anything that people 
would need to refer to again and again. A word of caution- in some 
cultures it is an insult to write on the back of a business card.
 
6. Use the business card as a coupon. Buy $10.00 worth of products 
and get the card punched. Ten punches gets the bearer a free gift.
 
7. Get 500 business cards printed and visiting EVERY business that 
could possibly help you in your area to promote your business. Leave 
2 cards with each person (one for them to keep - one to give away).
 
8. Use OTHER PEOPLE'S cards as a networking tool. Approach the 
manager of a local restaurant for permission to put a fishbowl there, 
agreeing to give away a free dinner to the person who's card is 
drawn. The restaurant gets some free publicity out of it, plus the 
profits on the dinner given away. The person placing the fishbowl in 
the restaurant gets all those names and addresses on the business 
cards as LEADS! When contacting the leads, thank them for entering 
the drawing at the restaurant.
 
9. Agree to enclose the cards of other business professionals in the 
mailings you do in exchange for them doing the same for you. Offer 
joint specials for presenting business cards of the professionals in 
your networking circle to each other's business.
 
10. Use your business card as a survey- have customer satisfaction 
questions printed ion the back and ask that they be returned with the 
client's next order or invoice payment. 
 
 
 
******************************** 
Nancy Roebke 
Executive Director, ProfNet 
ProfNet@profnet.org
* http://www.profnet.org