In recent years networking in business has become an industry in itself, with professional networkers/organisations continually inviting us to link-up with others with the suggestion that your business won’t grow or succeed unless you formally link up with people you may vaguely know, or often haven’t even met or heard of.

While I am sure that occasional successful things may arise from this activity, it is my experience that referrals from suppliers who know you will get the job done well, or from old friends & associates is clearly the tried and true way of writing business in the equipment finance field – experience shows that if you look after your clients well, they will not only come back to you in the future, but will refer others (family, friends, business associates) to you, generally with a strong recommendation – referrals can happen anytime: you may be playing golf, talking to other parents from school, your doctor, lawyer, neighbour and of course, your accountant – these are all great sources of business, so don’t miss out, be honest & fair with your advice and you will be always “networking” the old fashioned way.