By Mason Smith
•
06 Oct, 2020
The Power of A Network What is the secret to obtaining customers through networking? It may not be what you think. Tune in to this episode of The First 100 to find out! Kate Bowcut, CEO of RapidFire IT , joins Freddy Shelton of The Fifth Marketing on this episode of The First 100 to discuss obtaining clients through networking, work-life balance as an entrepreneur, and marketing lessons learned while starting her company. To be, or not to be? Kate’s introduction to entrepreneurship came in 2008 when both her and her husband were let go from their jobs in IT due to the declining economic environment at the time. After they were both let go, she thought to herself, we could totally do this ourselves! The decision to start a company can be difficult. For Kate, the decision was nerve wracking because of the state of the economy in 2008 and the worry that her investment might not be a profitable one. After consulting with her Father (an entrepreneur as well), they projected she could make up her initial investment in RapidFire within the first year of business and that starting the company was well worth the try. The First 100 During the initial phases of building RapidFire, Kate had a lot of questions about business, growing the company, and how to succeed as an entrepreneur. She decided to join a business networking group called BNI whose objective is to aid business owners with a network of talent and referrals to grow their companies. At these networking groups she learned an important lesson that has guided her in obtaining customers to this day: “don’t expect to be given anything, just ask yourself the question, how can I help?” Giving, not receiving, was the key to building relationships, trust, and obtaining her first customers. Other tips for networking: When meeting someone new, start small and say hi. Ask what they do for work and find out something interesting about the person. Ask for help. Asking for help provided Kate the tools to succeed as an entrepreneur, but it also provided the relationships that have continued to refer her customers to this day. Contributors Guest: Kate Bowcut , CEO and Owner of RapidFire IT Host: Freddy Shelton, Founder of @TheFifthMarketing Audio edits by Casey Yardley Show notes by Mason Smith