Mixing up the mixer!

Over my many years in business I’ve attended many networking mixer events held in conference rooms, retail outlets and other corporate venues – mostly large and somewhat impersonal. In the business world there are an enormous number of operated out of the owner’s home, including my own. Doing so doesn’t make the business any less credible, professional or great at what they have to offer. The digital technology available to us today it’s possible to conduct many business tasks without actually sitting in a room with clients.

Why then are owners often reluctant to identify themselves as such, even to the point renting a mailbox located in a major centre so correspondence isn’t going to a non-corporate setting. There’s a seemingly real fear that potential clients will not see their business as offering a quality service or product—which is not the case at all. It can actually result in added benefits for clients such as flexible hours to accommodate their schedules and more budget friendly fees because overhead costs are drastically reduced.

I decided to host a networking mixer that put home-based business entrepreneurship in the spotlight in hopes supporting those who have taken those route and those considering taking the leap. Since renting a venue didn’t align with the event’s purposes I held it in my spacious home where my office is located.

The invitations that went out referred to this networking mixer as something unique. Some accepted it with curiosity. “I didn’t know what to expect at a mixer being held at a home-based business. It provided a friendly atmosphere and an excellent opportunity to meet business owners I’d never met before.”—Steve Reaman, Business Development Officer, Innovation PEI. (Click here for insightful feedback from other attendees.)

The event was enthusiastically attended and I hope that other home-based businesses will decide to host one of their own. Click here to see the news release with feedback from attendees. Maybe it will inspire you!