ONLINE BUSINESS NETWORKING  (I have many other Person 2 Person Networking sites listed in a separate section below)

 

• Company of Friends - Fast Company Magazine's global readers' network.  Helps readers and forward-thinking business leaders and innovators connect, communicate, and collaborate with other leading readers — online as well as face to face in communities around the world.

 

• Dinner Grrls - Brings together women across all industries and professions in order to broaden the professional horizons of women, build a network of women, and to create a space for women that encourages them.

 

• eCademy - The business exchange that connects people to knowledge, contacts, support and business.

 

• International Virtual Women's Chamber of Commerce - A women's chamber that assists virtual businesswomen in partnering to expand their marketing reach, shortening their e-business learning curve, and conserving their business capital.  Offers virtual networking mixers.

   

• Knowmentum - A business and career networking company, which strives to be the leader in the digital networking marketplace. Allows users to efficiently manage contacts, leads, business associates and information related to each of their respected connections.

• Meetup - Helps people find others who share their interests or cause, and form lasting relationships. Start online.  Meet offline.

 

• Networking for Professionals - Online (and meets locally in the NYC area) Makes business networking easy by connecting you with successful professionals who can best help grow your business, improve your client base and advance your career.

• Spoke Online - Is an innovative web-based service for sales prospecting and lead generation.

• Zero Degrees - is an online networking service that enables individuals to leverage their relationship connections with other individuals and organizations for business, career, and personal success.

ONLINE DISCUSSION LISTS

Discussion lists offer a wealth of networking opportunities and there are literally thousands of discussion lists you can choose from. Just plug in your key words for topics that interest you.  Select the most relevant lists for you and start contributing to the group.  You'll be amazed how may relationships you will start to form and how much business can flow from these lists.

These are two of the best places to find discussion lists:  

• Google Groups
• Yahoo Groups

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

• US Chambers of Commerce Directory

• Worldwide Chamber of Commerce Guide

• US Junior Chamber (JAYCEES) - Gives young people between the ages of 18 to 40 the tools they need to build the bridges of success for themselves in the areas of business development, management skills, individual training, community service, and international connections.

• Jaycees International - Find a listing of Jaycee chapters around the world

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Membership in any professional association always comes with an abundance of networking opportunities..  In addition to the professional association of your specific industry, you'll find the following list of associations useful.

• International Guild of Professional Consultants - Membership organization for individual consultants and consulting practices of all specialties. Dedicated to furthering professionalism among consultants through programs and support services that enhance both the quality of services provided to their clients and the profitability of their consulting practices.

• National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) - Focused on providing a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs and their small business successfully compete in an increasingly competitive marketplace, and to drive the growth of this vital segment of the American economy.

• National Association of Sales Executives - A not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to help upgrade the career status of individuals working in the sales profession.

• Professional Association of Contract Employees - Helps Consultants and Independent Professionals direct-source their projects, and help companies with projects direct-source their Consultants and Independent Professionals.

• Rotary International - A worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world.  Lots of great business contacts to be made here.

• Toastmasters - You'll find plenty of networking opportunities here while you improve your communication skills.

• Young Presidents Association - Develops “Better Leaders through Education and Idea Exchange” by providing a challenging environment that promotes the exchange of ideas and shared experiences. By inspiring the continual improvement of each individual leader, YPO facilitates the acquisition of knowledge — and, more importantly, the development of wisdom.

OF INTEREST TO WOMEN

• Advancing Women - Business strategy, career strategy, job search, and networking.  Good articles on all aspects of business, including networking.

• American Business Women's Association (ABWA) - Brings together businesswomen of diverse occupations and provides opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.

• Astra Women’s Business Alliance - Provides personal, professional and income development skills for women business owners in the states of Oregon , Washington , Idaho , Alaska , Neveda and Northern California .

• BizWomen - Online resource for women business executives and entrepreneurs.

• Business and Professional Women (BPW) - Helping women achieve economic self-sufficiency by advancing careers, building business and advocating for workplace equity.

• Business Women's Network (BWN) - A premier source of information, resources, contacts and opportunities to ensure your stature and success in the work world of today!

• Canadian Federation of Business & Professional Women Clubs (CFBPWC) - The national organization in Canada whose primary concern is the education, employment and economic status of employed women.

• Forum for Women Entrepreneurs & Executives - The exclusive and highly-valued professional, educational and social organization for women entrepreneurs and executives and their eco-system partners who are actively engaged in high-tech, high-growth companies.

• International Alliance for Women (TIAW) - Serves as the global umbrella organization that unites, supports and promotes professional women and their networks to work together, share resources and leverage ideas.

• National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) - The largest women’s professional association and the largest women business owner’s organization in the country, provides resources and services — through education, networking, and public advocacy — to empower its members to achieve success and financial security.

• National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) - Propels women entrepreneurs into economic, social, and political spheres of power worldwide.

 

• National Association of Women MBAs - Dedicated to promoting women in business and increasing the opportunities for women MBA’s.

• Online Women's Business Center - Promotes the growth of women-owned business through programs that address business training and technical assistance and provide access to credit and capital, federal contracts, and international trade opportunities.

 

• Third Wave - The Third Wave Foundation helps support the leadership of young women activists ages 15 to 30 by providing resources, public education, and relationship building opportunities.

   

• Women-21.gov - The Department of Labor and the Small Business Administration, along with their many partners, are eager to assist the women who are the driving force in our economy. Resources and networking opportunities.

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