By ERIC SNYDER / Guest Columnist

Someone asked me a question the other day. “Why does the Calera Chamber offer Business After Hours?”

My response to them was, “We want to offer as much as possible to our members and potential new members. Everyone lives such busy lives and not all can make it to our luncheons that are held on the second Tuesday of each month. Because of this, we wanted to give business owners another opportunity to visit with us after their workday. This gives them the chance to network with other businesses and hopefully grow their business in a relaxed atmosphere where they do not have to be concerned about the time.”

An article I once read this about networking: “Networking is the single most powerful marketing tactic to accelerate and sustain success for any individual, business or organization. Networking is about making connections and building enduring, mutually beneficial relationships. Strategic Business Network serves as the catalyst to ensure you meet the “right” people to include in your network and expand your sphere of influence.

Ask any senior executive, community leader or successful salesperson which one skill or habit helped them excel in their career and an overwhelming majority will respond with one simple word… networking.

Making those connections is critical. We are constantly bombarded with advertisements, emails and sales pitches creating a cluttered message. Personal relationships enable you to stand out and rise above the noise.

People do business with those they like and trust! Networking provides the most productive, most proficient and most enduring tactic to build relationships.

To succeed you must continually meet new people, build relationships and leverage your network.

Each month the Calera Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours event is hosted at a different location and sponsored by a different business. This allows the host place to be noticed as well as the business sponsor. The only things that are promoted at our Business After Hours are the businesses and networking.

If you are a business owner and have not had the opportunity to join us at one of our events we hope to see you soon. For the location of our next B.A.H., please visit http://www.calerachamber.org.

Eric Snyder

2008 Calera Chamber Presiden