Find your path.

Pick one. Take a few steps. Look around. Sounds simple but this type of approach can be applied to many things in life and business. Job search. Pick a job area of interest, talk to another person, learn more information, apply for a job, work on interview skills and more. That’s path. Finding new clients. Pick an area of interest or come up with an ideal client and then consider where you can meet those people.

These paths all take you to a new place and if you want to reach most goals, a network is a necessary part of making your way along the path. So once you’ve picked your path, look to see if you can find one or two people who are already on this road or are going to be at the end of your destination. For example, if you are in construction and you want to meet more clients who are building new buildings, where might you find them. What are the exact titles of those people? What groups might they be members of? What do they read? What social media are they on? The more you can know about the people you want to reach the more you can ensure you are on the right path to find them and work well with them.

A network is filled with people who want to go down the path with you. Sometimes it’s not as linear a path as you might desire but most of the people you meet along the way are helpful.