U.S. SOUTHEAST: Networking the 400 Corridor From Buckhead to Dahlonega

By Larry Block

U.S. Southeast Bureau Chief
(The Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida)

Business 400 provides the Highway 400 Community with networking and business opportunities. They view the 400 corridor as a single economic engine that operates in Forsyth, Dawson, Lumpkin and Fulton counties. Business 400 functions as a business to business and a business to consumer network. They will encourage participants to function as a business to community network.

Their goal is to positively impact the Highway 400 community and the way these various entities interact. Encompassing Buckhead, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, Cumming, Dawsonville and Dahlonega Georgia, the short term goal of BUSINESS 400, simply put, is to build more relationships and do more business. Their monthly networking events are held at The Metropolitan Club, normally on the first Tuesday of each month, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. There are also several other events in addition to the monthly meeting. There is a $10 door charge for each meeting, which covers admission, and a chance to win one of many great door prizes. Approximately 30-35 Display Tables are made available to members who would like to showcase their business on a rotating, first-come, first-serve basis. These exciting events are designed to expand your business market presence along and throughout the 400 corridor. It is not just who you know but more importantly who knows you!

In addition to the networking events Business 400 is proud of their involvement with local charities and non-profits. Giving back to our communities is a central theme.

There are also many opportunities for members to learn valuable skills to help them succeed in business. Our consultants often hold training events for the benefit of the membership. Outside experts and members alike may all share their expertise to help everyone grow their business and networking skills.

There is no limit to the membership level of Business 400, in fact their goal is to achieve a membership of over 4000. The monthly venue will hold up to 600 members and guests. Each meeting has a monthly cost on only ten dollars.


Ron and Marie Dinsmore are the owners of Business 400, Inc. and also make up the Dinsmore Team, a RE/MAX real estate team serving the North Georgia area.
Paul Romanick is a Sales and Marketing Consultant for Business 400, Inc. and has played a major role in the creation and implementation of this new exciting Business Association. He is also the creator of the CitruSolution Carpet Cleaning Process.

Ron, Marie and Paul have developed a networking group that is extremely well organized and the attendees are TRUE NETWORKERS (interested in not just receiving leads, but also giving leads). Members and guests alike will be amazed not just at the amount of leads, but the quality leads and truly interested parties in doing business within the community. It is an extremely well orchestrated event and I look forward to attending many more in the very near future.

For more information on Business 400 check out their website at www.business400.com or better yet, attend one of their monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of each month.


Larry Block is a text messaging expert, president of Mobile Marketing Technologies, Inc. he provides text message advertising and marketing services nationwide. Need an advertising solution that actually works and gets directly to your target market – visit www.hippocketads.com, Larry can be reached at larry@RuTxting.com

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U.S. SOUTHEAST: Networking the 400 Corridor From Buckhead to Dahlonega

U.S., SOUTHEAST: Networking Over the Radio

By Larry Block
U.S. Southeast Bureau Chief
(The Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida)

Do you often think that you would make a great radio show host? People do business with people they know. And what better way to get to know someone than by interviewing them on your own internet radio talk show? Whether you want to meet interesting people in your industry, position yourself as an expert or just improve your website’s search engine ranking, hosting your own talk show can help you achieve all of those goals.

Atlanta Business Radio X offers a unique service that enables you to host their own radio show and podcast it on the internet. This is truly an innovative way to market your business and connect with the business leaders in your industry. Being a radio show host opens doors that traditional networking approaches just can’t match. By hosting your own radio show, you are instantly seen as an expert in your field and a true connector. Your guests get the benefit of the tremendous exposure that they receive on the internet as well as the status of being interviewed as a guest on a popular radio show.

Every talk show produced is also a face-to-face business networking opportunity. Each week the hosts get to build powerful business relationships with their guests. Their show allows them to be the center of a business community built around their specific niche or industry. The podcast of their show can then be put on their blog and in iTunes The show hosts can take advantage of viral internet marketing techniques used by no one else in their industry.

You don’t have to have any experience or technical expertise to host a show. Lee Kantor and his production staff provides industry-leading training to show you how to be a host, find guests, get listeners, secure sponsors and, most importantly, how to effectively use your shows and podcasts to grow your business. They will also create and host your personalized landing page and provide a permanent archive for the podcasts of your show.

Each week the hosts get to meet and build great relationships with the amazing men and women who are doing great things in the Southeast and all over the country. As a host or a guest, the exposure is tremendous with shows such as Millionaire Moms with Joyce Bone, Gravity Free Radio with Erik Wolf and Stephanie Frost, Chic Perspectives and The Publicity Show with Elizabeth Gordon, Uniqueness is Power with Andy Greider and Dr Fitness and the Fat Guy with Dr. Adam Shafran just to name a few.

In addition to the opportunities that Lee provides a quarterly networking mixer that puts all the hosts and their guests in the same room for a tremendous networking event. Their first event of the year held in January at Alon’s in Dunwoody attracted more than 70 former guests, hosts and business associates. Check out their website at www.radiox.biz for more information and announcements for their next event.

For more information on hosting your own show contact Lee Kantor at lee@radiox.biz

Larry Block is a text messaging expert, president of Mobile Marketing Technologies, Inc. he provides text message advertising and marketing services nationwide. Need an advertising solution that actually works and gets directly to your target market – visit www.hippocketads.com, Larry can be reached at larry@RuTxting.com

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Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newsletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free, continuous RSS feed (available either by traditional RSS or by direct email), go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com. You are also invited to click our buttons:


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U.S., SOUTHEAST: Networking Over the Radio

U.S., SOUTHEAST: Old Fashioned Social Networking

By Larry Block

Southeast U.S. Bureau Chief
(The Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida)

It’s a new year full of great new opportunities. Despite the down economy, I have found that throughout the southeast everyone is getting much more creative in their networking. Many organizations are looking at new and exciting ways to connect to people. This past month at the various holiday parties that I attended, I ran across an organization that caught my attention. They combined the old fashioned sport of golf that so many send hours of leisure time each week and made it into a bonafide networking group.

The Virtual Golf Society is building a community nationwide that encourages networking among its members while at the same time offering opportunities to learn, play and participate in the golfing community. Through their website www.vgsgolfers.com, you can join for free and find golfers, golf events, tournaments and instruction. The Virtual Golf Society’s social site will enable VGS members to communicate with each other. With their video, blogging and text messaging tools, members can exchange ideas and expertise with ease. The features and articles are restricted to golf, but reflect the various interests and expertise of their members. In addition, they have a portion of the site dedicated to businesses and business networking. As we all know, golfing enthusiasts can be found in almost all business classifications, so this website gives you the opportunity to market and network with whomever you choose.

The Virtual Golf Society is an organization whose purpose is to bring together extraordinary people to affect changes in our communities, and as a result, in the world.

They believe that everyone is a star in their own right and should have the opportunity to share their gifts with others. The fabric that binds us together is our love for the game of golf.

Build Relationships By Networking on the Golf Course and In the Golfing Community

The Virtual Golf Sociey also works with groups and organizations who want to host their own golf tournaments but don’t want to do it themselves. Brad Peterson, president of VGS, will work with your organization and guide you through the process. They work with various groups and organizations to help raise money for a variety of charities. Brad says he works anyone who is interested in putting on a tournament – all you need is the idea and some manpower – and Brad will guide you through the process.

Networkers and business people have long used the golf course as a means to conduct business and meet new people, now the Virtual Golf Society has given us an organized outlet to truly get some business accomplished while we enjoy an afternoon of golf.

For more information on this organization, check out their website www.vgsgolfers.com

Anyone who plays golf will benefit from this networking opportunity – and what better way to spend your networking time than on the golf course.

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Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newsletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free, continuous RSS feed (available either by traditional RSS or by direct email), go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com. You are also invited to click our buttons:


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U.S., SOUTHEAST: Old Fashioned Social Networking

TNNW, November, 2008, Week 2: "New Writers at TNNW"

By Adam J. Kovitz
CEO, Founder & Publisher

I've always considered November to be one of those transition months, bridging the gap between Autumn and Winter. We start off with the sugar-high of Halloween (and the subsequent crash that follows), turning our clocks backwards and then moving towards the Holiday Season (anyone else seeing ads on TV and hearing carols yet?) as we approach Thanksgiving (one of the major holidays in the U.S. that truly unifies the country as it knows no religion or ethnicity). By the end, everyone is thinking about getting together with the family by the fireplace and "hunkering down" for the winter as the days get shorter.

Well it's transition time for us at TNNW as well. This week we introduce two new writers as we transition our humble publication into something more. More information to follow on that...

In the meantime as the weather gets colder and the nights get longer, we are proud to bring back the warmth and the sunshine of America's Southeast with our newest Bureau Chief, Larry Block. When he's not bringing you the best in networking from the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, Larry serves as the President of Mobile Marketing Technologies, a firm dedicated to wireless marketing out of the greater Atlanta-metro area. WELCOME LARRY!!!

We are also proud to bring back Douglas Castle this month. Douglas was gracious enough to fill in for me on my featured column last month - the first time in nearly four years that I took a month off. Douglas, aside from being a good friend serves as the Product and Program Development Director for TNNW, helping us to develop new features for you, our readers. Douglas is also a prolific writer, and as such, has agreed to become TNNW's new Political Editor. WELCOME BACK DOUGLAS!!!

Still more to come this month...stay tuned!

As always, I look forward to Networking with you...

- Adam
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Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free RSS feed, go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.
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TNNW, November, 2008, Week 2: "New Writers at TNNW"

Specializing in Enthusiasm - Tapped Into the Source!

By Anne Kelley
Southeast Bureau Chief
(the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi)

How could I possibly resist the line: "Specializing in Enthusiasm - Tapped Into the Source!"? Of course I wanted to know more!

That is the tag line that closes Benjamin Turpin’s email. I know Ben and it is certainly true. Ben is a Christian, a husband, a father of three, a master (of Dutch, his chocolate lab) a friend, a businessman, a salesman, a coach and a good listener. His is also half of the Inspiration Agents team (www.inspirationagents.com) that helps bring networking to a different level. I have enjoyed many of their seminars over the past few years as well as attended hosted events in Atlanta. Not only to the attendees learn new or improve upon their networking skills – they also network for their businesses as a result of the format of the meetings.

The newest launch for The Inspiration Agents is Leads To Business. This closed networking group has Hubs rather than teams and each Hub is owned by an individual, not the Inspiration Agents. There is a standard format and agenda for the weekly meetings with different formats for each week keeping things fresh and interesting. Once a month the weekly meeting is “open” to allow guests from any category to visit even thought that seat may be “owned” by someone on the team. The non-intimidating way of sharing leads is also unique to this networking group, yet everyone that attends leaves with a lead or referral. I have seen this system work in an open networking luncheon of about 70 people. Needless to say I was skeptical at first and totally impressed as I left the meeting.

The annual membership is currently $250 with a $25 application fee to secure your seat in the Hub. Meeting fees apply to cover food or room cost depending on the location of the hub meeting.

The exciting thing about the Leads To Business group for me is that it is connecting members from the Sarasota, Florida area hubs to members of the Metro Atlanta hubs by way of a member only website that features profiles, blogs, networking ideas and education.

Also available is a new tool for preparing your “elevator speech” ( www.elevatorspeechbuilder.com ). I know this is always a challenge for me. What do I say that will make an impression? How can I tell someone what I do in just 60 seconds? For me, it is about creating enough interest to be able to talk later. I always envy the people that can stand up and totally engage a room full of people when they speak. The Elevator Speech Builder will help you do just that. Increasing your confidence level is always a bonus in sales!

As interest grows in other states it will be exciting to see this close contact member network helping our businesses grow. As Ben says, “the object of the exercise is the building of a better networking mouse trap -- one that does what networking is intended to do and that is get people more business, without intimidation.

This month’s question is….What do you do to make your elevator speech more exciting? What works well for you? I will share your responses in next month’s column.

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Specializing in Enthusiasm - Tapped Into the Source!