Building A Network To Create Competitive Advantage

By: Tom Sarach, Jr.
Date: 5/1/2008

Networking. We've all heard it before, usually in the context of searching for a job, that it is the best way to get things done. Networking has a different definition when it comes to building and managing your staffing business. It means finding the right people at the right time to help you with the growth or management of your company.

We know that we should be networking. We know that it could help us learn more in a shorter amount of time. We know that networking would put our businesses in a faster track to growth and increased efficiency. But there are many who just don't do it and they suffer from the "Shoulda, coulda, woulda syndrome."

Networking is powerful medicine and it pays big dividends when the prescription is followed correctly.

SHOULD
Network with friendlies. This is your first step. Many of us have a fear of networking because it puts us in front of people and organizations we don't know. It also puts our shortcomings on display. The easiest way to break this fear is to start slow and begin reaching out to people and vendors with whom you already work. An example: you want to upgrade the phone network in your office, but you are unhappy with your current supplier and you do not have the time to research new suppliers. The advertising agency you work with is happy with their phone system, so you give them a call for recommendations. You are done. Your agency knows the supplier and they are happy with their service. In about a day's time, you have solved an issue that might have taken weeks.

Look at all of the people you do business with: advertising agencies, printing companies, your newspaper sales representatives. They are all connected to others who have the potential to help you, and they come with a recommendation, which means there is no wondering about their reputation or ability to get the job done.

Lean on the industry. This is your second step. There are no better groups to belong to than the American Staffing Association (ASA) or the National Independent Staffing Association (NISA). These are organizations that exist to provide help, guidance and contacts to those in the staffing business. NISA's mission is clearly spelled out: Seek Answers. Find Solutions. Gain Knowledge.

COULD
You might still be thinking that you could do it alone and find the right people to help grow your business. Once you've mastered the art of networking with your friends you could move on to bigger contacts and expand your network beyond your local base of operations. Since this is not an industry where you should try to go it alone, it is OK to rest your head, and your business, on the shoulders of experts.

See the Shows. Do not miss the annual shows that bring the industry together. One of the best and most important is Staffing World, put on by the American Staffing Association. The best way to make the most of this show, and expand your network, is to go with a goal. Look at your business and its needs over the next three to five years and seek out vendors and seminars that are going to help you meet those needs. Seek out the vendors who are willing to talk, to share anecdotes and advice. You want to know their expertise; you don't want just a sales pitch. You want to think of these people the same way you would think of a doctor: you go to a doctor; he finds something wrong with you and can't quite tell you how to fix it, so he sends you to a specialist. Same thing should hold true with vendors. If they can't help you, they should be sending you on to others that can.

WOULD
Passion. Would the people in your network have the same passion as you for your business? That is the ultimate question. Passion is one of those qualities that can that can truly set you apart from the others. Build a network of passionate people and organizations and you have created a measurable competitive advantage. You have some powerful medicine at your disposal, it is up to you to follow the prescription. All it takes is picking up the phone or visiting industry events. Talking to friends, industry acquaintances, and highly-placed experts creates the opportunity to build a network that will make you, and your business, smarter, more efficient, and more successful.

Tom Sarach, Jr. is the Vice President of Operations for COATS, Inc., a staffing industry technology provider based in Virginia Beach, VA. He can be contacted at 757-499-3808, or by email at tsarach@coatssql.com.