Webnames.ca, sponsor of The New Ventures BC Competition, would like to congratulate the top 10 Finalists recently announced for the 2010 competition.

The Top 10 in alphabetical order by company name are as follows:

• Catalyst oneMAR
• EnergyCzar Solutions
• Green Sense Innovations Inc.
• Hiretheworld.com
• Jostle Corporation
• MedVoxel
• Quadrogen Power Systems, Inc.
• Solegear Bioplastics Inc.
• Tingle.com
• Weddingful

These companies will go through Round 4 Oral Presentations on September 9th and 10th followed by a media training workshop on September 15th.

Join NVBC September 23rd at the Awards Ceremony at SFU Segal Centre where $300,000 in prize packages will be awarded.  REGISTER HERE.

When I used to think about Foursquare, my mind would go to rubber balls or squares drawn on pavement. Now the first place my mind goes to when I hear that term is social media.

So What Is It?

Foursquare is a location-based social network that connects you with your friends and syncs with your other social media like Twitter and Facebook. However,  unlike Twitter or Facebook, Foursquare is about sharing the places you visit (restaurants, clubs, venues, retail stores, etc.) and recommending them to other people..

The application allows you to share your physical location with friends. So, when you walk into a bar or restaurant or store, you "check-in" (Foursquare's term) on your cellphone or mobile device, and your friends cansee where you are on a Foursquare map.

Foursquare engages a local audience by encouraging them to explore their neighbourhoods and cities and rewards them for doing so.  

By combining friends and city guide elements with game-like technology, Foursquares' members earn points leading to "Mayorships" and can uncover all kinds of bonuses for not only trying new places, but going back to old favorites.

Playing the Game

As a Foursquare user, you can earn points every time you check-in at a location, unless you check in to the same location repeatedly. Foursquare encourages its users to step outside the box, awarding more points for visiting new places, trying new things, or going to multiple venuesin one night.  After the network has been built a user can earn points for giving recommendations and crossing off their "to-do" list ( a virtual "note to self" about what you should do or where you should go next).

The goal of the game however is not just to try new locations or revisit old ones, you need to claim these locations, and by doing so earn points towards a "Mayorship".  Becoming a mayor gives someone bragging rights for being the person who comes to a specific location the most and as businesses know, customers love being rewarded for visiting places they genuinely like. 
 
(Congrats to @Yarbo on Twitter who became the new Mayor of Webnames.ca yesterday!)

For your mayorship, you're not just competing against your friends; you're competing with everyone in your location that week (because on Sunday at midnight, the scores are all reset to zero- Monday is always a new game). Are you beginning to see how this can be good for business?

Foursquare for Business

Take me as an example. I recently moved to Vancouver, a big-ish city in which most people stick to their neighborhoods - Kitsilano, Main Street, Gastown, Yaletown, North Van, West Van - you get the picture. I already have a circle of friends in Vancouver who are on Foursquare. As a user, I can add tips for other locals to know where go in a 'hood and what not to bother with.  Before I even check out a new place (which Foursquare encourages me to do  ... remember new places equal more points), I already will have an idea of what to expect from what other people are saying about it.  A business can develop some serious word of mouth advertising through Foursquare these days.

As Foursquare continues to develop, so does the way businesses are using it to interact with customers and potential customers. Similar to Yelp, businesses can encourage their patrons to post reviews and also offer rewards to their customers. A café or shop can let its community know they are "in the game" by registering on Foursquare and adding their mailing information to the list for free Foursquare window decals. From there a business can promote itself by rewarding customers with discounts for checking in or even freebies like Starbucks, Sports Authority, Ben and Jerry's and Whole Foods have done.

To cite a local example, Granville Entertainment Group recently did a promotion that saw them raffle off Canucks tickets to FourSquare mayors who visited the company's Doolin's Irish Pub on a specific evening.

For businesses, the simple act of recognizing customers as "regulars" can better their relationship with them and encourage repeat customers. Since joining Foursquare, some Starbucks have seen a 50% increase in check-ins at locations and AJ Bombers (a Milwaukee burger joint) has seen a 30% increase in menu item purchases (Foursquare Blog, 2010). How is this possible? Well, Foursquare isn't exactly fringe anymore. This past spring it surpassed 1 million registered in April 2010, and since then has it has only picked up momentum! 
 
So why not get in the game? Not only is Foursquare a good way to connect with new customers and reward returning ones, like Twitter it has become an important tool for monitoring your brand and keepting tabs on the competetion. Sign up and play a part in growing a community around your business.

Learn More

Learn the lingo at Foursquare? An Introductory Guide by PublicRelationsblogger.com

Join in by visiting Foursquare's Business Page

Visit the Foursquare Church for news and articles 

  

In two weeks time the harmonized sales tax (HST) will replace the existing provincial sales taxes (PST) and the federal goods and services tax (GST) in the province of British Columbia.

As you know, Webnames.ca is located in Vancouver; this means that BC's adoption of the HST will impact you, our customers.


What Does the HST Mean for Webnames.ca Customers?

The HST will be applied on all Webnames.ca services at a rate of 12%, consisting of the 5% federal portion and a 7% provincial portion, beginning Thursday, July 1, 2010.

Hosting, Web Builder, Email

Because Hosting, Web Builder and Email are already subject to 12% taxes due to the nature of these services, there will be no changes to your invoices or receipts for these items.

Domain Registrations, Domain Renewals, SSL Certificates

Domain registrations, renewals, SSL certificates and special program fees will become subject to HST as of July 1, 2010. This means your invoices and/or bills for these items will increase by 7% for a total of 12% taxes above the retail price.

* Customers who wish to purchase or renew domain or SSL services before July 1, 2010 will realize a savings of 7%.

Webnames.ca invoices and receipts have been updated to show the HST and will take effect July 1, 2010.

Claiming the HST as a Business

While it is hard to get excited about a new tax, the HST does have advantages for businesses. The move to HST now means that businesses can claim 12% taxes, an increase of 7% over the GST.

As with the GST, if you are operating a Canadian business you can claim back the HST you've paid out during a particular reporting period by claiming it through Input Tax Credits (ITCs) on your HST return.

Additional HST Information and Resources

For general HST information, including how to apply for an HST account and HST credits/rebates, we recommend visiting Canada Revenue Agency's GST/HST Topics page and the "Information for Consumers" section of the HST for British Columbia page.

Outside of the CRA, About.com's Small Business Canada portal is the most comprehensive resource for information on all things HST, including information specific to BC and Ontario. If you have additional HST questions, you will be able to find answers here.

The first time I saw a QR Code was about a year ago on a photo of a realtor's lawn sign that was posted on Flickr.  I thought it was interesting but didn't understand what a QR Code was or could do.

It's amazing what a year can do for the popularity of a piece of technology.  We're beginning to see them everywhere.

QR Codes are the square shaped barcode thingys that you have been seeing in newspapers and on other print material. They are a 2D barcodes that hold information on the vertical and the horizontal. Regular barcodes hold 20 digits, these bad boys can carry loads more information than that.

If you scan them with your Smartphone they tend to return information from the other side of URL.  Your phone scans the URL and then launches your browser and takes you to the piece of information the code was advertising.

Our office in downtown Vancouver is in the historic Gastown area.  The Gastown Blog and the Gastown Business Improvement Society have teamed up to provide historical information on the buildings in the neighbourhood via the QR 2 code.  

The building next to our offices has a code in the window and all you have to do is scan it and it gives you the history of the building. 

This is such a fabulous idea.  Imagine you are in Milan and you see some beautiful building that you would like to get more information about but your Italian is "poor".  You just scan the code and get linked to a podcast perhaps or an English version of the historical society's website. DIY walking tours!

I like the QR 2 code for real estate - rental, sales and leases.  You walk by a For Lease sign on an office building.  You scan the code on the sign and it brings up the dot tel for the building that gives you rates, space available etc.  You scan the code on a For Rent sign and it shoots you off to the Craigslist posting with prices and pictures. You scan it on a For Sale sign and the virtual tour loads in an instant.

You can pay your restaurant bill via the code and phone these days (not everywhere but soon - soon).   I'm sure somebody has already thought of linking them to review sites so I can make intelligent decisions when I'm buying a camera or a netbook or some such.

What uses would you put them to? Send us any cool uses you have already seen.  This bandwagon needs a parade!

Image - Webnames.ca's .TEL GIft Card QR Code

As a sponsor of the New Ventures BC 2010 Competition, Webnames.ca can refer up to 5 technology companies to attend the seminar series for free (does not include entry fee for NVBC Competition).  And we want to refer you! [Learn more about the competetion]

 

 

 

Simply Tweet this post on Twitter or email to marketing@webnames.ca to be eligible to take part! Late comers welcome.

Details about the Seminar Series

The 10-week seminar and networking series starts April 6, 2010 and features 9 seminars and 1 networking event on business topics for tech start-ups.

The first of nine seminars:

Assessing the Opportunity - Tuesday, April 6th, 7:00pm.

Featuring Bob de Wit, Executive Director of New Ventures BC and Elisabeth Maurer, President LightIntegra Technology.

Future topics include:

• The Business Plan,

• Perfecting your Pitch

• Social Media for Start-ups,

• Corporate Structure,

• Dialing for Dollars, and more.

The cost for all nine seminars is just $100 per team or individual, which is transferable to the $200 competition entry fee for the teams which decide to enter the competition.

The fee to attend any individual seminar is $20 per team or individual. Students with valid I.D. cards plus competition volunteers/sponsors may attend seminars for free.

If you're an early-stage entrepreneur with a new technology business idea, join the seminar! For details visit http://www.newventuresbc.com, call 604-725-5740, or email contact@newventuresbc.com.

For those wishing to register for the New Ventures BC Competition with a chance to win $300,000 in prizes, see our previous blog post. Deadline is April 19, 2010.

 

Webnames.ca wants you to know about an incredible opportunity that we are proud to sponsor: The New Ventures BC Competition.

New Ventures BC is one of North America's largest technology business-idea competitions.

The five-month, four-round competition includes a unique mix of business education, networking and mentoring.

It's like a boot camp for business start-ups. Participants will:

• Learn from some of B.C's best business experts at our business-education seminars
• Network with top professionals in business, law, finance, government and academia
• Improve their business and strategies during each round of competition
• Receive advice and insight from mentors In Round 3
• Present condensed business plan to a panel of 'angel' investors, venture capitalists and industry experts in Round 4 

The 10th annual New Ventures BC (NVBC) competition deadline is April 19 and offers B.C. technology entrepreneurs and inventors a chance to win $300,000 in prize packages.

"Our goal is to help very early-stage entrepreneurs to acquire the business skills they need to get their technology to market," says Bob de Wit, executive director for NVBC. "And we're succeeding. To date, 33 previous competition winners have raised more than $67 million to finance their business ideas."

The competition is open to any B.C. resident, team or business with an innovative technology product or service that has not yet secured material financing.

Previous competition winners include 2001 winner AirG, now the world's largest inter-operator mobile community with 40 million unique users worldwide, and 2008 winner Saltworks Technology, which has raised more than $1 million and is now selling its innovative, energy-efficient water desalination technology around the world.

Prizes to be awarded September 23 include:

    * $120,000 BC Innovation Council first-prize package
    * $63,000 BC Innovation Council second-prize package
    * $37,000 BC Innovation Council third-prize package
    * $40,000 BC Hydro Sustainability prize
    * $20,000 BC Bioenergy Network prize
    * $20,000 BC Innovation Council Economic Impact prize

Competitors can also participate in nine business-education seminars, which start April 6, ahead of the April 19 competition entry deadline.

For more information and to REGISTER, visit www.newventuresbc.com

As a part of our core values  we are constantly trying to improve and strive for excellence. So when I heard about the new employee training program established by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, I applied right away.

Essentially, the Workplace Training for Innovation Pilot Program is designed to help BC businesses fund employee training. In fact, up to $1,500 for each employee to a maximum of $5000 worth of training for the whole organization. For small businesses, this is significant. 

Small Businesses as well as not-for-profits are eligible but the organizations must be less than 50 employees, have been around for at least 1 year and be in good standing with the BC Corporate Registry. The training is for employees of the organizations (owner/operators and contractors do not qualify; part-time or on call employees do qualify).

Note that the funding cannot apply retroactively to courses already taken; you must get the funding first and complete the required forms first.

The training has to meet the following categories:

• Improve productivity
• Introduce innovative training and workplace strategies to increase long term competitiveness
• Enhance international competitiveness
• Support the introduction of new technology, equipment or work processes

There is some paperwork involved including Participant Intake Forms and Participant Exit Forms, but it is well worth it! 

Here are the key links to finding more information, downloading application forms and more.

Download Application Form
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Program Guidelines Booklet 

Follow the instructions on the application form carefully.  Deadline for application is January 31 2011. 

For the non-BC businesses reading this post, bookmark this important link to other Government of Canada programs/loans/grants you can access and apply for: Canada Business - Services for Entreprenuers.

 

I'm asked to speak to small businesses frequently at a variety of technology or entrepreneurship events. A frequently overlooked, but important thing I always mention is to have an effective email strategy. People are typically surprised when they hear this. After all, how strategic is sending and receiving communication? Below are some do's and don't's when setting up your company email.

1) Don't use Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail or your ISP's email service as your business email. I cringe every time I see on someone's business card yourcompany@hotmail.com or yourcompany@ISP.net.

Many companies, in particular micro-businesses and small businesses use Gmail, Hotmail or their ISP's email service for business email. This looks unprofessional and gives the impression of a very small or even fly-by-night business.  

2) Do use your domain name for your email. Set up an email like yourname@yourcompany.com or .ca. You miss out on a great branding tool by not using your business name for email, in fact, you are actually promoting someone else's brand instead of your own. Why advertise for Google or Hotmail when you can advertise your own company?

3) Do set up multiple email accounts to organize your business, and where desirable, appear larger than you are. For example, info@yourcompany.com, sales@yourcompany.com, president@yourcompany.com, finance@yourcompany.com and support@yourcompany.com. All of these emails can be forwarded to the same person (or multiple people) but this gives the impression of sophisticated operation.

4) Do set up multiple email accounts to help determine your HR needs and business bottlenecks. Small businesses typically don't have the resources to implement sophisticated tracking systems to monitor what types of enquiries they get. The sole proprietor or business owner typically answers all the emails and by the end of the month, has no idea what kept them so busy. By setting up a separate email address for each division of your company, it is a great way to track types of questions you get from customers.

At the end of the month, just tally up the number of enquiries to each email account and you will know what area of your company kept you most busy. Over time, you can determine where your next hire should be or where you should make improvements in your operations.

5) Do use an automated signature. If you are typing your name, title and contact information every time you send an email, stop wasting your time. Most email programs have an automated signature function. You can include messages about a current promotion, new product or service, links to your blog or twitter and even a small image of your logo for branding purposes.  

6) Do determine if IMAP or POP email is best for you.

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) allows you to access email on a remote mail server. Essentially, if you access your email from multiple computers or locations regularly, you may want to consider IMAP. If your computer is stolen or damaged, your email is still on the mail server. The disadvantages of IMAP are that email is not available when you are offline and if you are storing all your past emails on the mail server, it can start to eat up disk space.

POP (Post Office Protocol)  downloads all new messages on the mail server onto your computer and deletes them from the server. POP's advantages are that email is available when you are offline and because email isn't stored on the server your disk usage on the server is less. The main disadvantage of POP is that you cannot access your email from another computer. You may want to couple POP with use of webmail as a work around.  
 

Promotion: Save 50% off new email accounts at Webnames.ca until March 31, 2010. Webnames.ca email also includes great business features such as shared calendar, shared contacts, instant messaging and more [learn more].  

If you need help with your email setup, please contact the Webnames.ca support team at 1-866-221-7878 or email them at support@webnames.ca.

The provinces of Ontario and British Columbia have agreed to implement the harmonized sales tax (HST), which would replace existing provincial sales taxes and the federal goods and services tax in those provinces beginning July 1, 2010.

The Canada Revenue Agency is offering information seminars, at no charge, to ensure businesses receive the information they need for the transition to the federal administration of the harmonized sales tax in British Columbia and Ontario.

The following links provide locations, dates, times and other registration details for seminar attendees:

British Columbia:  http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/vnts/hrmnztn/bc/menu-eng.html

Ontario: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/vnts/hrmnztn/on/menu-eng.html

Note: New locations are being added each week. 

Vancouver seminars are being held in partnership with Small Business BC

 

Congratulations to Vancouver Sales and Social Media Experts Shane Gibson and Stephen Jagger on their new book "Sociable! How Social Media is Turning Sales and Marketing Upside-down."

Gibson and Jagger talk about using social media to create real relationships that impact individuals, businesses and community, having fun and being profitable.

 As they note in their introduction, Gibson and Jagger are "sales professionals and entrepreneurs who have built our businesses using social media and social networking combined with the ability to sell and close a deal. We're business people using technology to grow our businesses, not techies trying to fit technology into a business setting". It is this perspective that informs the book and their approach to social media.

Sociable launches today on Amazon.ca. Get a taste for the book by reading or listening to the first chapter by visiting the Sociable website at http://www.sociablebook.com/.

 

My fellow Small Business Roundtable board member Garth Frizzell, CEO of Terra Cognita Software Systems Inc. has compiled 10 tips on how small businesses can prepare for media interviews that I want to share with Webnames.ca readers. With the mass of media about to descend on Vancouver in less than a month for the 2010 Winter Olympics, I believe that these tips are especially timely.

With reporters and videographers roaming the Mainland for human interest stories, are you ready to capitalize on the opportunity for your business to be featured? 

  Here is a quick checklist of do's and don'ts in getting the most out of free media exposure:

1) Choose interview locations with powerful visual impact since stories with the best visual appeal have a higher probability of being featured

2) Open and close an interview with reference to name of your small business.

3) Ensure your straightforward call-to-action information is up to date and at your finger tips      e.g. "go to www.mywebsite to get more information about..." or  "go to www.mywebsite to get your own..."

4) Keep the story angles and language simple - reporters focussed on human interest stories related to the Games may not have the background to appreciate business complexities.

5) Don't give quotes about things outside your expertise; don't speculate, or give an opinion, stick to the facts.

6) If you can't answer, say why you can't, don't use the phrase "no comment".

7) Don't speak off the record; assume everything you say may be used.

8) Repeat the question before you answer - this gives you time to compose your response BUT don't repeat negative questions.

9) When you have an open-ended question and a lot of time to fill, don't.  Answer the question, then stop.

10) Project the confidence and energy of a small businessperson with a compelling story.

 

So I am thinking of quitting my job here at Webnames to start my own business coming up with super cool names for iPhone apps, Web 2.0 companies, new products, gizmos and gadgets!

All you developers and entrepreneurs out there think that all the great names like Twitter and Shazam are gone and you are reduced to plopping "i" in front of things and adding extra "o"s to the middle of your name.

Au contraire mes amis!

At my new branding business it is simple for me to have a 5 minute conversation with you about your company and come up with names like Maxco, Meager, Moonman, Chompers, Red Paint, and Drifter.

"Good names", you think, "but you'll never get the domain".  Oh ye of little faith.  These are all available as .CA's and I'm sorry, but what are you  - you're Canadian companies.  You should have the .CA.  And you didn't have to pay $14,000 to get it from the owner.

The secret to my new branding business is using the CIRA To Be Released list to find great names that people are allowing to expire.

It's cheap and easy and afterwards I can turn around and charge you $200 an hour to come up with names like:  Oxidation, Cuticle, Sawhorse, Suss and Vapid ... which all happen to be on the latest CIRA TBR, so prebook them already!

BTW - We publish a list of the best expiring .CA domains on WebnamesBlog.ca every week, so be sure to check the TBR .CA Domains category each week for our top picks.  

Sometimes I seem to do the same things over and over again.  I frequently find myself awash in an ocean of information, and then I think, "GET ORGANIZED!"  Here are a few good tools that are FREE, and extremely useful in my managing my daily online activities.

Password Safe

I have so many passwords to keep track of! Working in the domain industry, I have even more than ever before.  I don't want to lose any and can't possibly remember them all, so I've got to have a system to keep all of them organized and safely available.  Password Safe is a great tool - you can store all your usernames and passwords, along with notes if you need any, and a link to the login page.  You will have one main login for Password Safe, which in turn gives you access to all the other logins you've stored. 

I recommend backing up Password Safe on a USB flash drive, or in your web based email client,  that way you can rest easy if ever your whole computer dies or something.

Password Safe - http://passwordsafe.sourceforge.net/

Texter

Texter is a text substitution application that was recommended to me by my colleague and it pleasantly surprised me with its utility. It allows you to  define text substitution hotstrings that, when triggered, will replace hotstring with a larger piece of text. By entering your most commonly-typed snippets of text into Texter, you can save countless keystrokes in the course of the day.

I now enter all the text I find myself typing repeating throughout my day into Texter. At first I don't think I have much to enter in it, but as I go along I use it routinely.  I can enter greetings for example. For things I explain by email repeatedly, Texter is awesome. I can access Texter to copy and paste the content, but even cooler are the hotstrings. I can set a lengthy greeting with a word like 'hello' which becomes a hotstring.  This means I just type in 'hello' and it gets replaces with my full greeting.  What a time saver! Texter can also be stored on a USB flash drive, allowing you to take it with you.

Texter - http://lifehacker.com/238306/lifehacker-code-texter-windows

GIMP Portable

I often want to edit my photos, fix the contrast or saturation, optimize them for the web or for emailing to friends, however I don't work in graphic design so I just can't justify the cost of an expensive photo editor. Well, that's fine ... I have discovered GIMP!

GIMP is a FREE image editor, and there are two versions; one is portable and doesn't even need to be installed, it can sit on your USB flash drive.  GIMP is very powerful, and I think it important to share with you; even with prior Photoshop experience I was still overwhelmed by all the features of GIMP.  So here is a tip: search on Google for GIMP tutorials, they are a life saver!

GIMP Portable: http://portableapps.com/apps/graphics_pictures/gimp_portable

GIMP Full Version): http://www.gimp.org/

Don't forget to check out the GIMP Tutorials: http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/

 

The above three tools have been constants in my life for years.  They help me to stay organized and get things done without having to scramble around like a madman.  Zen is maintained.  "Ooooommmmmmm!" 

So you've registered your domains. Score. You set them all up and made them appealing. Score. But do you know if anyone seeing them?  Good question.  There are some great ways to capture that feedback, and here are some of them:

Counting Visits

A simple 3rd party counter is often all it takes to make me feel better about the traffic on my domain name.  As someone who is starting out I don't really care too much about the details.  The most affordable solution is a 3rd party free counter service like what is offered by tinycounter.com.  I have tried this on my blog and it works well enough.  It allows you to either count each website visit, or unique visitors and displays that number on your website. 

Other counter services can be found by doing a Google search and can offer all kinds of information such as where the visitor is located, what their IP address is and much more.  The only drawback of having this on the blog, is we're not sure if they went to the domain to get to the blog or reached it via a search engine.

For more in-depth web stats you would need to actually have your website hosted somewhere, like Webnames.ca.  This allows the information to be given about the domain instead of where it has been pointing to. Webnames.ca has multiple hosting options.

Google Analytics

Now if you want to get really serious, check out Google Analytics

Google Analytics can give you even richer information such as what website they clicked in from to get to your domain, how long they stayed on your website, what pages they viewed, and tonnes more. This can be very interesting, especially if you have lots of content.

Ask Away

Don't be shy to ask visitors how they heard of you.  You can post a request that they email you this information, a web form, or a survey.

PHP "Yeah You Know Me" (Advanced)

I actually went through a phase where I was obsessed with my web stats - I wanted to be emailed every time I got a visit. I had a webhosting package with PHP and used a PHP mailer so if anyone visited me I'd get notified and do a little happy dance.  One of the best places to learn more about PHP programming is w3schools.com.

I am sure there are other tools out there and if I hear about them I will post them.  Happy Counting!

Photo credit: The Count von Count, from Sesame Street (www.sesamestreet.org)

I was invited to speak at a really great event last week "Leadership Lessons from Influential Women in Business". It was put on by Business in Vancouver, Professional Women's Network, and Young Women in Business. The event was sold out!

I was honoured to be part of a group of women that included Tamara Vrooman CEO of Vancity, Sarah Morgan-Silvester Chancellor of UBC, Karen flavelle of Purdy's Chocolates and many other successful women in Vancouver. Here is a complete list of all the women who spoke.

The room was a constant buzz of energy. The topic I spoke about was "The Power of Networking".  The 3 groups of women who joined me, in true networking form, traded business cards as soon as they arrived at the table. We discussed everything from the fear of networking, networking outside of your comfort zone, how to turn networking into sales, some of the great networking groups in Vancouver and of course, the big topic of social media & networking.

Here's a short summary of our lively discussions with some takeaways:

1. Recognize your fear - Most people who don't network a lot have a fear of it. When you're talking to someone, they are probably more nervous than you are. Recognizing that fear is normal and common is a great first step to overcoming it.

2. Develop your networking style - Do men and women have different networking styles? Some thought that men were more aggressive and women had softer styles. Personally, I don't like to generalize. The point is, be true to who you are and be genuine, honest and natural in your interactions in order to develop valuable connections and relationships.

3. Use Social Networking tools - from LinkedIn to Facebook to Twitter, there are great ways to connect with people these days. Everyone who used LinkedIn found great value in it as it allows you to keep up-to-date on the activities of your network without actively having to talk to each person regularly. You can also keep your network abreast of your updates. Many people didn't understand the value of Twitter although more people are starting to try it out. Twitter is a very fast way to get your message out to a lot of people.

The key point to remember is to make sure you use these tools appropriately and manage your reputation carefully. Maintain work-related content and avoid posting anything too personal and certainly avoid anything inappropriate. Your reputation is out there for anyone to see whether it be future employers, future clients or business partners or future acquirers of your business.

4. Recommended networking groups - There are many industry specific groups.

I'm on the Board of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and can attest to the amazingly high quality of programs and networking events. The next FWE 2010 Gala on January 18, 2010 will celebrate the people who invest in entrepreneurs. Keynote speakers will include stars of the popular shows Dragon's Den and Fortune Hunters.

One group I joined recently is the High Output Business Network They combine the power of social networking and weekly chapter meetings in a no non-sense "this is what I need" and "how can I help you" format, that I find surprisingly refreshing.

The Vancouver Board of Trade has some great events as well and at the beginning of each event, people are invited to exchange cards and ask "how can I help you". This format really helps those who are typically too shy to approach others at a networking event and I highly recommend it to those who are just starting to network.

The Women's Enterprise Centre has a comprehensive list of the various networking groups for women in BC.

5. Start your own group!  - There are a number of less formal groups in your local area called "Meetups". These are formed with specific topic areas like entrepreneurs, sales, social media, real estate. I joined the dotTel meetup recently. Go to www.meetup.com to find one that suits your interest. If you don't find a group that fits your interests, you can even start your own.

6. Importance of Followup - Many people go to a networking event and come back to the office with a stack of business cards and they sit on a desk for a while before they get tossed in the garbage -- wasted time and some trees sacrificed in the meantime. When you meet someone, write on the card where you met them and a few notes about them. Write a followup to the people you met the next day to continue the conversation you had and to build on the connection you made.

.TEL - Making Networking More Successful

To facilitate easier networking and life-long connections, Webnames.ca gave away three .TEL names as prizes at the event. .TEL is like a virtual business card. You give out your easy to remember .TEL name rather than a business card.

The information in a .TEL is much richer than what fits on a small card and can include email, phone, fax, Skype, SMS, Google map, links to blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and more. The true beauty is you can update your contact information as often as you like without having to reprint business cards and whoever has your .TEL name will have your up-to-date contact information for life.

Photo:
L to R. Cheryl Carter-Business in Vancouver, Laurel Douglas-Women's Enterprise Centre, Paulina Lipska-Young Women in Business