Friday, May 25, 2007

Volunteering that pays

Good morning -

Have you ever wondered if volunteering pays or does it just feel good? Recently I have managed to get myself on five different committees which involve volunteer time commitments.

The biggest commitment has been to my networking group - Business Connection Exchange. I helped organize a business networking evening on May 16th. 175 people attended this event in Mississauga. We had Minister Takhar (Small Business & Entrepreneurship) welcome everyone and Donna Messer (Connect Us Canada) was our speaker.

In addition to inviting the speakers, I was the contact for the tickets and coordinating the set-up. All of our members were volunteering so I was not doing it along but when my phone did not stop ringing for three days straight and I had not made any calls for my business I started to second guess the value in volunteering.

The event was not over and I was already pleased that I had volunteered. #1 the event was a success which means our members are extremely happy. #2 I had booked a few meetings to introduce my business to some new contacts and 3# I had a referral for another good lead.

One week later I am still very pleased with the on-going results of my volunteer time. In the long run I think I will get more business from my volunteering than if I had spent the time marketing my business.

Remember - volunteering is positive marketing that helps you create relationships and trust with people who you may do business with in the future. I suggest that every gets involved in your networking group - not just as a participant but as a volunteer.

Have a great business day!

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
647-287-0320
fitforbusiness@rogers.com
www.fitforbusiness.ca

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