For the small business/start-up entrepreneur, there are many different outlets in which to learn from others, find innovate new marketing techniques, and even learn techniques you know that you want to steer clear from. Whatever the purpose, there are many different ways to connect with other entrepreneurs in your area as well as around the world.
Entrepreneurial Gruops
Obviously one of the most popular online sites to read up and study other small businesses and owners would be LinkedIn. Within LinkedIn there are numerous groups evolving around entrepreneurship. One of my favorites on LinkedIn is actually a group called, “Denver Entrepreneurs”. There you will find many people asking questions and looking for guidance from those who have been-there-done-that. Others will post helpful articles and conferences in the surrounding areas which can be helpful from many standpoints. Check them out to see what they have to offer
Entrepreneurial Houses
This next group that can help a budding entrepreneur in Denver is an interesting one; House of Genius. This is a group with quite the spread geographically. The purpose of this group is hold what they call “sessions” in which they have about 15 attendees with 3 business speakers. Said speakers will then present their business and key problem(s) they may be facing in a rapid-fire approach. At which point the attendees will offer questions, insights, or suggestions that may benefit the presenter. As they say, “the true genius is in the collaboration”. It may be a little unorthodox, but it has helped a lot of young entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurial Meetups
Another great site to connect with people with like interests is www.meetup.com. More specifically, if you check out the group labeled “Denver Entrepreneurs”, people often post of different cyber and physical ‘meet ups’ that offer a large range of variety. These can vary from anything from a cocktail hour, to a start-up weekend. What I love about entrepreneurship is that either of one those may help your business. You never know when you will meet your next partner, or when the next bright idea is going to strike.
There are always groups and forums out there with ample information regarding any questions a start-up or small business owner may have and they are virtually useless unless utilized, so go out and shake some new hands and get to networking! One of the best things an entrepreneur can do is surround themselves with like-minded people. No matter what type of Denver entrepreneur event you attend, break out of your comfort zone a little and try something new!
