Become a local business insider and get the inside story.

Small business owners do not operate in a vacuum. Quite the contrary, small business owners, many of whom are franchise owners themselves, and financial professionals are part of a tight-knit club in the community where usually everyone knows everyone. You need to get in and get involved and build a reputation of trustworthiness. There are several important community organizations where you can network and get to know key business leaders in the community where you want to locate your business. You need to get your face out there and meet people and let them know what your business is all about.

Here are a few organization you will want to join immediately and attend as many meetings as you can.

1. The Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber of Commerce is the primary local business network designed to promote local small businesses in an area.

2. Rotary Club
The Rotary Club is a “service organization” whose purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders. The Rotary provides humanitarian services and encourages ethical business behavior to benefit the community as a whole.

3. The YMCA
The Young Men’s Christian Association, (YMCA) is not just another gymnasium. Today’s YMCA provides athletic programs for free to underprivileged youths usually in or near small towns or cities.

4. The Local Golf Club
Successful local business owners play golf. If you don’t know how to golf, learn! Practically every successful community leader and business owner is a golfer and they can learn a lot about your personality, temper, and demeanor during a single round of golf.

There are benefits to getting to know local business insiders. First, you will be privy to much information that will never make it to the local newspapers. You will be doing activities, like attending business seminars, going to lunches and dinners, playing sports, and generally conversing about business with local construction contractors, real estate brokers (not agents), and other franchise business owners who will be more than happy to tell you about why their business succeeds and give you information about who to avoid doing business with.