What’s The Difference Between Business Networking and Personal Networking?

First published: January 26, 2022 @ 6:00 am

Today, people who want to establish business relationships have a wide variety of choices. Many of them choose to do it through their friends and relatives, and that is one of the main reasons why people do “social networking”.

You might have heard the terms business networking and personal networking. Both provide a great opportunity for all those who want to start a business.

However, in order to succeed in these kinds of social networking, you need some knowledge about the business community, because the professionals who work there will certainly be interested in your proposal.

Business networking and personal networking are two very different things. However, they both share the same purpose: helping your business grow.

So, let’s find out what both networking methods are all about.

What is Personal Networking?

Personal Networking refers to any kind of informal networking that you do in your personal life. You can do it with personal contacts such as friends and relatives, for a start.

The main difference between personal and business networking is that the latter is a more formal activity, while the former is more informal.

You can start your personal network through social networks like Facebook or LinkedIn, as well as by sending emails to people you know.

In fact, you don’t need a professional to do this type of networking at all!

Personal networking is when you meet someone new in your personal life and decide to get to know them better over time by building a relationship with them. 

This type of networking has many advantages: It’s easy to set up and maintain – you don’t need to buy any software or services, so it won’t cost you much money. You can easily use it as a part of your existing business.

However, if you want to expand your business using this type of networking, then you should know that it will not be enough for you. You will have to do some work yourself in order to be able to use such networks effectively.

What is Business Networking?

Business networking is a professional networking program. The purpose of this program is to help businesses meet and develop business relationships with other businesses.

You should know that you can use business networking for different purposes – some people use it for making connections with potential customers and partners, while others do it for looking for business ideas and career building opportunities.

Business networking is usually done on social networks like LinkedIn or Facebook.

However, if you decide to use such networks as your main means of doing business, then you should know that there are several differences between them and personal networks.

The Differences Between Personal and Business Networking

It is important to know that there are some major differences between personal and business networking.

1. Purpose

The main difference between personal and business networking is that the former is informal, while the latter is professional.

The main purpose of personal networking is to build a relationship with people who can help you in your business, while the purpose of business networking is to develop business relationships with other businesses.

2. Strictness and Leniency

The main difference between these two types of networks is that the professional community in business networks has much more stringent requirements than the personal one does.

The business contacts you build during this type of networking is also generally more no-nonsense with a focus on professional relationships, compared to the type of personal contacts that is usually taken advantage of by personal networking.

On the other hand, personal networks are usually less strict than business ones – in most cases, people don’t need to meet in person or write reports about their business experience. They simply exchange information about their work, skills and achievements through emails.

3. Structure

The structure of personal and business networking is also different. Personal networking is very informal, so you can use it to expand your existing business. But it won’t be enough for you to grow your business using this method.

You will have to do some work yourself in order to be able to use such networks effectively. On the other hand, business networking is more formal. It is organized and done professionally.

Moreover, the environments for business networking tend to have a more competitive edge to it. Each person is scrambling to build as many beneficial relationships as they can.

The Similarities Between Personal and Business Networking

Despite having some differences, at the end of the day, both networking methods have the key benefit and purpose of finding like-minded people to help your personal advancement as well as create business opportunities.

Both networking methods can be used to help your business grow. Both of these types of networks can also help you meet people who can help you with your business. This includes potential customers and partners, as well as potential employees or consultants.

So, all you need to do to maximize your networking is to mix and match between these two options.

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