Commentary

Are you part of your community? Networking pays

Networking and being involved in your community is a great way to help grow your food truck business. There are many opportunities available, and being involved has rewards both for the business and as an individual.

Image courtesy of iStock

September 12, 2019

Niki Hodgskiss is the assistant general manager at Venture Food Trucks based in Napanee, Ontario, Canada.

By Niki Hodgskiss

Many of us consider ourselves reliant on technology for just about everything, including connecting with people. Sometimes it seems easier to communicate through text, keep up with a friend's life through "liking" an Instagram photo, and give support by commenting on a Facebook post. Social media is a powerful tool for any food truck business, but when it comes to keeping your food truck schedule busy all summer or even year-round, do these online actions positively contribute to the success of your food truck?

The truth is that nothing beats forming meaningful relationships with people in real life – and this applies not only to personal relationships, but business ones as well! How can networking, and being involved in your community help grow your food truck business?

Becoming a member of organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis or the Lions Club is a great way to establish yourself as an active community member while getting exposure for your food truck business. You will meet all kinds of people, many of whom can use your services, or connect you to others who can. By consistently being involved, you will develop trust in community members, who will refer your food truck business for catering or events.

For example, if a local business wants to hire a food truck for a staff appreciation lunch, they will be more inclined to hire someone they have already met than look to Google for a food trucker they have no personal ties to.

Another tip is to always have business cards on hand, ready to distribute to someone who may benefit from your food services. Or, you can tell people to follow your business on social media, where they can see pictures of your food options — this will keep you at the front of their brains and they will be able to easily connect with you later. The goal is to create a positive, lasting impression!

You may be thinking, "I'm too busy to do this kind of stuff!" The truth is, we can all make time to get involved and network with the people around us if we make it a priority. Inevitably, going out of your way to take advantage of key networking opportunities will be beneficial for you. You could start by attend monthly meetings, contribute to a neighborhood clean-up day, or sponsor one or two fun events each year. While the return may not be immediate, you will surely notice that by being involved you and your business will become increasingly well known around town.

Networking through local organizations can not only be rewarding in terms of building relationships, but it can also be used as a tool to create lasting success for your business. Of course, there are many ways to get involved — we have just listed a few for you here. Happy networking!