It's Time for the Inc. 5000!

If there’s one thing I would encourage you to master as an entrepreneur, it’s networking, but selecting an event can be overwhelming!  

I preach a lot about networking, and how important it is to get out of your business to meet and connect with others.  If you don’t have live events on your yearly calendar, you could be missing out on a lot of potential business.  As entrenched as we are in social media that allows us an ‘easy’ connection to others all over the world, ignoring that face-to-face time with other entrepreneurs can be detrimental to your business.

As entrepreneurs, we also don't have a ton of free time.  If you’re in the trenches of your business (like most), finding that time away can be difficult.  For me, deciding on events to attend comes down to a few important factors. 

First, as much as I love inspiration, the most important thing I look for is the ‘how’.  I want to walk out with several take aways that I can apply to my business immediately.  Sure, it’s great to hear what others have done, but I find it more important to understand how they did it.

Second, is the quality of the room.  There’s nothing greater than surrounding yourself with other people who are making a major difference.  It’s crucial for you to push yourself to meet others in different industries along with different levels.  Some of my best business partnerships have been created from a chance meeting at an event.  One general rule of thumb is to avoid free.  As someone who puts on events, I can promise you that as awesome as free is, it usually attracts a different crowd.  Make sure you’re surrounding yourself with people who value themselves enough to invest in what matters.

These two simple factors can help you find the right events and make a tremendous difference in your business.

With that, I’m over the moon excited to be partnering with Chase Ink and attending the Inc. 5000 Conference. If you haven’t had a chance to attend an Inc. event, I would highly recommend them as it is super informative for entrepreneurs. You are truly in a room surrounded by the best of the best. This year, I’m most excited to listen to Tony Robbins, Eric Ryan, and Robert Herjavec!

I hope to see you there! Make sure you’re following me on Twitter, Facebook, and Periscope tomorrow to catch up on all the action if you won’t be able to make it! 

This post is sponsored by Chase Ink, Chase’s business credit cards for small businesses, and offers access to the broader suite of business services available throughout Chase for Business.