Faith and Business 101: The Power of Brainstorming and Networking

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. – Proverbs 27:17

If I was asked to give anyone one tip on working from home it would be this–network, network, network! I can’t stress how important and valuable surrounding yourself with like-minded women is! Both work from home jobs that I now have resulted in the person approaching me after me being a part of their networking group and being impressed with me from there. In both cases I wasn’t really even looking for a job, I was just trying to get ideas and give insight to what I already knew.

The internet makes it super easy to find and get with groups of like minded people. If you’re a blogger there are many, MANY sites out there where you can ask questions, gain ideas, and share resources. The same is true for Direct Sales, Etsy type business, photographers, you name it–there is probably a Facebook group of it somewhere! And if there’s not–then start one! Making and running a group is a simple, straightforward process and the resources and friends you can gain from it are plentiful!

Be careful about what *kinds* of groups, forums, and sites you do join, however. Many of these turn into nothing but breeding grounds for gossip, self promotion, discontent, and ranting. Seek out sites and groups full of motivated, happy, resourceful people who want the same things in life that you want. Don’t show up with hands outstretched and a “gimmie” attitude. Be willing to give of yourself so that when it’s your turn you can receive. Most of all value you the people in your group for who they are–other hardworking, busy, entrepreneurs who are seeking advice, solutions, and resources.

I would also caution that while these groups can be huge helps they can also be huge time sucks. This is also why it is so important to be very cautious and selective about just what and where you’re joining. I recently discovered that I was dumping hours into a few of these groups and wasn’t getting very much in return for it. Again–it’s not always about what you can get from it, but also your time is precious and needs to be spent in a way that would benefit you, others, and most of all God, the best.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply