Believe it or not, we are fortunate in Singapore that there are more than enough networking events for business owners. The only constraint is your time and how comfortable you find in every different events. I myself is actively involved in ASME and BNI events for my business. Besides these two events, you can also find other opportunities especially with the current popularity in social media platform such as Facebook.
I will be covering some major networking events for you to consider in the following:
Association of Small & Medium Enterprises (ASME)
ASME is one of the most commonly subscribed group by the small business owners. I mean, why not? Their basic subscription is free and you get to attend their networking events or activities every month with a small registration fee. They also offer a platinum membership with added benefits.
ASME is definitely one place you want to consider especially when you are starting out. You will also get to see a lot of people from all kinds of trade during the event. Whatever you do, remember to follow up with relevant contacts. This is the key to establish relationship.
To apply, go to the ASME website and download the registration form. You can also grab a copy of the Entrepreneurs’ Digest and you will find the application form in the magazine.
Business Network International (BNI)
My business have benefited a lot from BNI since I join the Harvest Chapter last year. What I like about BNI is you can join a chapter locally and they will meet every week to refer businesses to each other. It would take me another blog post to write about BNI but basically, this is a highly committed group of business owners who is going all out to help and support each other.
Singapore has about 20 chapters island-wide with approximately 20 to 30 members in each chapter. You can find out more in the official Singapore BNI site here.
Luckily, BNI is not a free platform for everyone. Hence, eliminating some percentage of attracting the wrong people. Members are screened by the membership committee and have to pay a yearly subscription fee to be part of any chapter.
Other Networking Events
There are also a lot of networking events out there which is more targeted to certain businesses. You can search for such events over at Meetup.com and I am sure you will find something.
Have you got any networking events that worth attending to share? Do post the information in the comments =)
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