Business networking

Short description: Sharing of information or services between people, companies or groups

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Business networking is the practice of building relationships with individuals and businesses for professional purposes.[1] It involves the strategic exchange of information and resources to create connections that can be mutually beneficial.[2] Business networking may involve face-to-face events, online engagement, or a combination of both. Repeated professional interactions can contribute to deeper relational ties among participating individuals and organizations. Through repeated interactions, companies create deeper connections. This encourages knowledge exchange, mutual adaptation, and a commitment of resources, which can be both financial and social, to one another.[1]

Business networking involves building relationships that may support career development, facilitate information exchange, and foster professional connections. There are two main approaches of networking: in-person events like conferences and online platforms like LinkedIn. Practitioners of business networking commonly report that preparation and continued engagement after initial meetings can enhance the usefulness of their professional contacts. It is estimated that around half of all jobs in the USA are found via networking.[3]

## Contents

* 1 Goals
* 2 History
* 3 Types
* 4 Strategies
* 5 Benefits
* 6 Challenges
* 7 See also
* 8 References

## Goals

Business networking offers a variety of advantages for professionals at all stages of their careers. Some goals individuals can achieve through effective networking include career advancement opportunities, gaining access to valuable knowledge and expertise, and building mutually beneficial relationships.[4]

Networks can be a powerful tool for identifying new job openings, particularly positions that are not advertised.[5] Connections can provide valuable recommendations and introductions to hiring managers. Networking allows individuals to showcase their skills and experience to potential employers. By building relationships with potential clients and partners at networking events, one can significantly increase awareness of their brand or business. A network may serve as a referral source for business opportunities, according to cited studies and sources.[6] These connections can become a source of valuable knowledge and expertise. Through conversations and potential mentorship opportunities with experienced professionals, valuable insights can be gained into industry trends and best practices.[1] Business networking fosters the development of mutually beneficial relationships. By connecting with like-minded professionals, organizations can build long-term, trusted bonds that offer support, advice, and collaboration opportunities.[5]

Many businesses utilize networking as a key element in their marketing plans. It helps to develop trust between those involved and plays a big part in raising the profile of a company. Suppliers and businesses can be seen as networked businesses, and will tend to source the business and their suppliers through their existing relationships, as well as with the companies they work closely with. Penny Power states that networked businesses tend to be open, random, and supportive, whereas those relying on hierarchical, traditional managed approaches are closed, selective, and controlling.[7]

## History

Historically, there have been multiple forms of business networks, such as those among religious or ethnic groups, among small businesses, or between large companies and their subcontractors. Business networks have existed between firms as well as between individuals. Guilds, associations of merchants and craftspeople, were the main form of business network in North America and Western Europe prior to the Industrial Revolution.[8][9] Beginning in the 1700s, chambers of commerce began to be founded.[10] In the early twentieth century, service clubs such as the Rotary Club, Lions Club, and Kiwanis Club were founded as social organizations for business networking.[11]

In the second half of the twentieth century, networking was promoted to help business people to build their social capital. Business networking by members of marginalized groups (e.g., women, African Americans, etc.) has been encouraged to identify and address the challenges barring them from professional success.[12][13][14] Mainstream business literature subsequently adopted the terms and concepts, and promoted them as pathways to success for all career climbers. Prior to the emergence of online platforms, in-person networking events and professional organizations were the primary venues for business networking activities. This was achieved through a number of techniques such as trade show marketing and loyalty programs. Though these techniques have been proven to still be an effective source of making connections and growing a business, many companies now focus more on online marketing due to the ability to track every detail of a campaign and justify the expenditure involved in setting up a campaign.[15]

## Types

Business networking can be broadly categorized into two main approaches: in-person networking and online networking.[16]

In-person networking allows organizations and entrepreneurs to connect with professionals face-to-face. Industry conferences and trade shows are a resource to meet potential clients, partners, and colleagues while also learning about current trends.

Online networking provides another resource to connect with professionals virtually. Platforms like LinkedIn are designed specifically for professional networking, allowing individuals to build their network, share their expertise, and participate in industry discussions.[17] Online forums and communities focused on specific industries can be a valuable resource for connecting with like-minded individuals and asking questions about the industry. Industry-specific discussion boards offer another avenue for online networking, where individuals can showcase their knowledge, learn from others, and potentially find new collaborators or clients.[17]

## Strategies

Commentators on professional networking note that defining objectives for interactions before, during, and after events can influence outcomes. By planning a proactive approach, professionals can maximize the value gained from these interactions and connect to a network that promotes career growth and business development.[2] It is beneficial for organizations to establish clear goals for their interactions and to tailor the approach according to each connection one is trying to form. Researching event attendees beforehand, if possible, is beneficial.[18] Identifying individuals whose work aligns with interests or professional goals allows for unique conversation starters. This demonstrates genuine interest in connecting and establishing rapport which can in turn increase an organization's or individual's reputation.[1] Once the initial connection is made, following up after a networking event with a professional email that shows gratitude for the interaction and knowledge gained can continue the conversation and can begin the foundation for a strong business network connection.[5]

## Benefits

One of the most significant advantages is the potential for increased career opportunities. A strong network can provide opportunities such as unadvertised job openings through connections who might be aware of potential fits within their companies.[4] These connections can also provide valuable recommendations and introductions to hiring managers or other individuals who are interested in forming business connections. Additionally, networking events and online platforms offer opportunities to show one's skills or an organization's capabilities and knowledge to a wider audience of potential employers, increasing overall visibility in the job market and business community.[5]

Beyond career advancement, business networking builds brand awareness. By building strong relationships with potential clients and partners at networking events and through online interactions, organizations can significantly increase awareness of their brand or business.[1] These connections can then develop into paying customers or business connections that can help expand an organization. A strong network acts as a referral source, bringing in new business opportunities through trusted recommendations from one's network members.

The larger the network an organization or individual has, the more access to knowledge and experience they have.[18] This type of access proves to be valuable when attempting to expand the business into unknown territory or beginning one's business career. Learning from those who have been in a certain industry for a long time can improve chances of recognition from other brands and businesses who would want to form connections and builds reputation for the organization or individual.[1]

## Challenges

Some analyses suggest that professional networking may afford job-seekers access to opportunities that would not otherwise be visible within formal job markets. The skilled networker cultivates personal relationships with prospective employers and selection panelists in the hope that these personal affections will influence future hiring decisions. This form of networking has raised ethical concerns. The objection is that it constitutes an attempt to corrupt formal selection processes. The networker is accused of seeking non-meritocratic advantage over other candidates, advantage that is based on personal fondness rather than on any objective appraisal of which candidate is most qualified for the position.[19][20]

Furthermore, research has shown that underrepresented groups are disadvantaged from building professional connections. Given the value of business networks, this may explain persistent differences in labor markets between underrepresented and majority groups or between genders. Specifically, it is estimated that half of all jobs are found through professional networks.[21] Various descriptive studies show that members of underrepresented groups have less valuable connections and profit less from professional networking.[22] For example, McDonald (2011) shows that people that report to predominantly interact with white men in their professional lives receive more job leads and have higher status connections. The study is based on a representative survey of US individuals.[23] Further, a 2025 study provides causal evidence in this regard. In the study, the researchers conduct a large-scale field experiment on LinkedIn in which they vary the race of fictitious LinkedIn profiles via AI-generated profile pictures and sent connection requests to LinkedIn users. They find that Black users receive 13% fewer acceptances than their white counterparts, despite having the same CV. In a second stage of the experiment, the fictitious profiles send messages to the established connections. Here, the researchers show no difference in answers and response rates between Black and white profiles. They interpret this as a foot-in-the-door effect, where Black users initially face discrimination which vanishes once a connection is established.[24] A study on academic networks on Twitter shows similar results with respect to follow-back rates and race. The authors further show that follow-back rates for female fake accounts were higher than for male accounts.[25]

While social media offers a powerful platform for business networking, it still has its downsides. Social media interactions can sometimes feel superficial or inauthentic. Building genuine relationships takes time and effort, which can be difficult in the fast-paced online world.[16] It can be difficult to maintain a balance of showcasing one's expertise and oversharing personal or confidential information and this type of oversharing can cause damage to an organization's reputation.[17] Social media can be overwhelming, since it is filled with a constant stream of content. This can make it difficult for an organization or an individual to stand out and put their name out online. Social media can also be cruel to new content or those who post controversial topics, as these can also damage an organization's reputation.

## See also

* Brown Skin Brunchin'
* Guanxi
* Personal network
* Professional network service

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Öberg, Christina (April 2019). "The role of business networks for innovation" (in en). Journal of Innovation & Knowledge 4 (2): 124–128. doi:10.1016/j.jik.2017.10.001. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2444569X18300076.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Håkansson, Håkan; Ford, David (February 2002). "How should companies interact in business networks?" (in en). Journal of Business Research 55 (2): 133–139. doi:10.1016/S0148-2963(00)00148-X. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S014829630000148X.
3. ↑ Topa, Giorgio (2011-01-01), Benhabib, Jess; Bisin, Alberto; Jackson, Matthew O., eds., "Chapter 22 - Labor Markets and Referrals", Handbook of Social Economics (North-Holland) 1: pp. 1193–1221, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780444537072000050, retrieved 2025-10-08
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Hoang, Ha; Antoncic, Bostjan (1 November 2001). "Network-based research in entrepreneurship" (in en). Journal of Business Venturing 18 (2): 165–187. doi:10.1016/S0883-9026(02)00081-2. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0883902602000812.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Pierson, Orville (2009). Highly effective networking: meet the right people and get a great job. Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career Press. ISBN 978-1-60163-050-6.
6. ↑ Stocking, George W.; Mueller, Willard F. (April 1957). "Business Reciprocity and the Size of Firms" (in en). The Journal of Business 30 (2): 73. doi:10.1086/294135. ISSN 0021-9398. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2350827.
7. ↑ James, Bev (2011). Do it or Ditch it. London: Virgin Books. pp. 197–198. ISBN 9780753539996.
8. ↑ Deakin, Simon (March 2006), The Return of the Guild? Network Relations in Historical Perspective, University of Cambridge, https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cbrwp322.pdf
9. ↑ Pearson, Robin; Richardson, David (2001). "Business Networking in the Industrial Revolution". The Economic History Review 54 (4): 657–679. doi:10.1111/1468-0289.00207. ISSN 0013-0117. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3091626.
10. ↑ Bennett, Robert J. (2011). "Historical Overview". Local Business Voice: The History of Chambers of Commerce in Britain, Ireland, and Revolutionary America, 1760–2011. Oxford Academic. pp. 12–43. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199584734.003.0002. ISBN 9780199584734.
11. ↑ Charles, Jeffrey A. (1993). "From Fraternity to Service, Serving Business". Service Clubs in American Society: Rotary, Kiwanis, and Lions. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-02015-5.
12. ↑ Phillips, Damon J.; Ranganathan, Aruna (2025-09-01). "Addressing Marginalized Populations in Management Research" (in EN). Administrative Science Quarterly 70 (3): 587–610. doi:10.1177/00018392251347282. ISSN 0001-8392. https://doi.org/10.1177/00018392251347282.
13. ↑ Stewart, Phillip J. (2023). Strategies for Minority Owned Businesses' Success (Thesis). Walden University. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
14. ↑ Aldrich, Howard (1989). "Networking Among Women Entrepreneurs". in Hagan, Oliver. Women-Owned Businesses. New York: Praeger. ISBN 978-0-275-93177-3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/245024254.
15. ↑ Peter Symonds Why Offline Marketing Still Works in a Digital World , The Display Hub by Display Wizard, 28 July 2014
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Indrupati, Joel; Henari, Tara (2012-01-01). "Entrepreneurial success, using online social networking: evaluation". Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues 5 (1): 47–62. doi:10.1108/17537981211225853. ISSN 1753-7983. https://doi.org/10.1108/17537981211225853.
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Dwivedi, Yogesh K.; Ismagilova, Elvira; Rana, Nripendra P.; Raman, Ramakrishnan (2023-06-01). "Social Media Adoption, Usage And Impact In Business-To-Business (B2B) Context: A State-Of-The-Art Literature Review" (in en). Information Systems Frontiers 25 (3): 971–993. doi:10.1007/s10796-021-10106-y. ISSN 1572-9419.
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Terziovski, Milé (2003-01-01). "The relationship between networking practices and business excellence: a study of small to medium enterprises (SMEs)". Measuring Business Excellence 7 (2): 78–92. doi:10.1108/13683040310478011. ISSN 1368-3047. https://doi.org/10.1108/13683040310478011.
19. ↑ Dobos, Ned (2013-10-01). "Just What are you Trying to Pull?". The Canberra Times. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/just-what-are-you-trying-to-pull-20130928-2ul2m.html.
20. ↑ Dobos, Ned (2017-09-01). "Networking, Corruption, and Subversion" (in en). Journal of Business Ethics 144 (3): 467–478. doi:10.1007/s10551-015-2853-4. ISSN 1573-0697. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2853-4.
21. ↑ Topa, Giorgio (2011-01-01), Benhabib, Jess; Bisin, Alberto; Jackson, Matthew O., eds., "Chapter 22 - Labor Markets and Referrals", Handbook of Social Economics (North-Holland) 1: pp. 1193–1221, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780444537072000050, retrieved 2025-10-08
22. ↑ Fernandez, Roberto M.; Fernandez-Mateo, Isabel (2006-02-01). "Networks, Race, and Hiring" (in EN). American Sociological Review 71 (1): 42–71. doi:10.1177/000312240607100103. ISSN 0003-1224. https://doi.org/10.1177/000312240607100103.
23. ↑ McDonald, Steve (2011-10-01). "What's in the “old boys” network? Accessing social capital in gendered and racialized networks". Social Networks 33 (4): 317–330. doi:10.1016/j.socnet.2011.10.002. ISSN 0378-8733. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378873311000554.
24. ↑ Yulia, Evsyukova; Felix, Rusche; Wladislaw, Mill (2025). "LinkedOut? A Field Experiment on Discrimination in Job Network Formation" (in en). The Quarterly Journal of Economics 140: 283–334. doi:10.1093/qje/qjae035. https://academic.oup.com/qje/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/qje/qjae035/7842027.
25. ↑ Ajzenman, Nicolás; Ferman, Bruno; Sant'Anna, Pedro C. (September 2025). "Discrimination in the Formation of Academic Networks: A Field Experiment on #EconTwitter" (in en). American Economic Review: Insights 7 (3): 357–375. doi:10.1257/aeri.20240298. ISSN 2640-205X. https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aeri.20240298.

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Business organizations

Types|

* Employers' organization
* Chamber of commerce
* Inter-professional association
* Trade association
* List of food industry trade associations
* List of industry trade groups in the United States
* Cooperative federation

Corporate groups|

* Chaebol (South Korea)
* Combine (Russia)
* Concern (Germany)
* Conglomerate (Anglosphere)
* Keiretsu (Japan)
* Xi (China)
* Zaibatsu (Japan)

Business network|

* Bamboo network (Sinosphere and Southeast Asia)
* Business alliance
* Consortium
* Joint venture
* Patent pool

Oppositional groups|

* Trade union
* Consumer organization

See also|

* Business networking
* Cartel
* Company registers

* v
* t
* e

Employment

Classifications|

* Casual
* Contingent
* Full-time
* Part-time
* Self-employed
* Skilled
* Independent contractor
* Temporary
* Tenure
* Unskilled
* Wage labour

Hiring|

* Application
* Background check
* Business networking
* Contract
* Cover letter
* Curriculum Vitae (CV)
* Drug testing
* e-recruitment
* Employment counsellor
* Executive search (list)
* Induction programme
* Job fair
* Job fraud
* Job hunting
* Job interview
* Labour brokering
* Overqualification
* Onboarding
* Personality-job fit theory
* Person-environment fit
* Probation
* Reference
* Résumé
* Simultaneous recruiting of new graduates
* Underemployment
* Work-at-home scheme

Roles|

* Mentorship
* Co-op
* Employee
* Employer
* Internship
* Job
* Permanent
* Permatemp
* Supervisor
* Volunteer

Worker class|

* Blue-collar
* Green-collar
* Grey-collar
* Pink-collar
* White-collar

Career and training|

* Apprenticeship
* Avocation
* Career assessment
* Career counseling
* Career development
* Coaching
* Creative class
* Education
* Continuing education
* Continuing professional development
* E-learning
* Employability
* Further education
* Graduate school
* Induction training
* Initial Professional Development
* Knowledge worker
* Licensure
* Lifelong learning
* Practice-based professional learning
* Professional association
* Professional certification
* Professional development
* Professional school
* Reflective practice
* Retraining
* Vocational education
* Vocational school
* Vocational university
* Mentorship
* Occupational Outlook Handbook
* Practice firm
* Profession
* Tradesman
* Vocation

Attendance|

* Break
* Career break
* Furlough
* Gap year
* Leave of absence
* Long service leave
* No call, no show
* Sabbatical
* Sick leave
* Time clock

Schedules|

* Four-day week
* Eight-hour day
* 996
* Flextime
* Overtime
* Retroactive overtime
* Shift work
* Telecommuting
* Working time
* Workweek and weekend

Wages and salaries|

* Income bracket
* Income tax
* Living wage
* Maximum wage
* National average salary
* World
* Europe
* Minimum wage
* Canada
* Hong Kong
* Europe
* United States
* Progressive wage
* Singapore
* Overtime rate
* Paid time off
* Performance-related pay
* Salary
* Salary cap
* Working poor

Benefits|

* Annual leave
* Casual Friday
* Day care
* Disability insurance
* Health insurance
* Life insurance
* Marriage leave
* Parental leave
* Pension
* Sick leave
* Take-home vehicle

Safety and health|

* Epilepsy and employment
* Human factors and ergonomics
* Industrial noise
* Karōshi
* Protective clothing
* Occupational burnout
* Occupational disease
* Occupational exposure limit
* Occupational health psychology
* Occupational injury
* Occupational stress
* Repetitive strain injury
* Sick building syndrome
* Work accident
* Occupational fatality
* Workers' compensation
* Workplace phobia
* Workplace wellness

Equality|

* Affirmative action
* Equal pay for women
* Gender pay gap
* Glass ceiling

Infractions|

* Corporate abuse
* Accounting scandals
* Corporate behaviour
* Corporate crime
* Control fraud
* Corporate scandals
* Discrimination
* Dress code
* Employee handbook
* Employee monitoring
* Evaluation
* Labour law
* Sexual harassment
* Sleeping while on duty
* Wage theft
* Whistleblower
* Workplace bullying
* Workplace harassment
* Workplace incivility

Willingness|

* Boreout
* Civil conscription
* Conscription
* Dead-end job
* Extreme careerism
* Job satisfaction
* Organizational commitment
* McJob
* Refusal of work
* Slavery
* Bonded labour
* Human trafficking
* Labour camp
* Penal labour
* Peonage
* Truck system
* Unfree labour
* Wage slavery
* Workaholic
* Work aversion
* Work ethic
* Work–life balance
* Downshifting (lifestyle)
* Slow living

Termination|

* At-will employment
* Dismissal
* Banishment room
* Constructive dismissal
* Wrongful dismissal
* Employee exit management
* Exit interview
* Layoff
* Notice period
* Pink slip
* Resignation
* Letter of resignation
* Restructuring
* Retirement
* Mandatory retirement
* Retirement age
* Severance package
* Golden handshake
* Golden parachute
* Turnover

Unemployment|

* Barriers to Employment
* Depression
* Great Depression
* Long Depression
* Discouraged worker
* Frictional unemployment
* Full employment
* Graduate unemployment
* Involuntary unemployment
* Jobless recovery
* Phillips curve
* Recession
* Great Recession
* Great Recession job losses
* List of recessions
* Recession-proof job
* Reserve army of labour
* Types of unemployment
* Unemployment Convention
* Unemployment benefits
* Unemployment extension
* Unemployment insurance
* Unemployment rates
* Employment rates
* Employment-to-population ratio
* Structural unemployment
* Technological unemployment
* Wage curve
* Youth unemployment

See also templates

* Aspects of corporations
* Aspects of jobs
* Aspects of occupations
* Aspects of organizations
* Aspects of workplaces
* Corporate titles
* Organized labor

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