Personally, I was not warm to the idea of virtual networking, but I thought I’d try.
And I did! It was lovely to socialise again: to speak with other people, share ideas and support each other. At the time, I was networking daily, sometimes twice daily. And I had 1-2-1s with people as well. That kept me busy and gave me a sense of purpose. It was amazing.
After a few weeks, I must admit, I felt a little bit “zoomed out” and I slowed down a little. My workload started to pick up as well, so it only made sense to reduce the amount of networking events I joined.
And then, I decided to host my own networking event. Why not? After all, I wanted my business to get noticed and it was a great opportunity. I hosted my first networking event at the beginning of May, and I loved it!
Virtual networking is great: no childcare, no commuting, no expenses. It has worked for me. I have never had so many leads coming in since I started online networking.
It is true that physical networking is better, but the truth is, after this is all over, and let’s honest, not anytime soon, I would like to continue joining online networking events alongside physical ones.
Zoom has been a life saviour. I am not too sure how this could have been possible without it. For sure, there are other tools, but Zoom was free from the start. I did upgrade though, because I like to chat, and 40 minutes was just not enough.
Being a Virtual Assistant, I cannot see how the end of lockdown is going to change the way I work. Sure, I will start meeting potential clients face-to-face again (particularly if it involves coffee), but I would be happy to continue meeting virtually as well.
I went to MacDonald’s today for lunch and I ordered a takeaway. It was strange to be served behind a protection screen and with gloves and masks. I also booked a hair appointment and I was talked through the “new safety” procedures. The “new normal”, as they call it, is still a little bit daunting. So, I think I will continue my virtual journey a little bit longer.
What about you?
PS: if you would like to book a networking meeting with us (Invictus Business Web), this is where you can register: www.ibweb.co.uk/ashford.
