The key to any successful business is in creating relationships with like-minded individuals. More often than not, business owners who network together recommended clients to each other. The more supportive relationships you make, the higher the chances of a potential client walking through your door.

Unfortunately, many business owners don't network enough or don't even know how to go about doing so. The three tips in the section below will help you figure out how to take advantage of business networking. Here are 3 top tips for successful business networking -

1. Give Support To Other Business Owners And They Will Support You

When you are talking to business owners in any setting, make a point of showing them how you can be of service to their company. During your first meeting, resist the urge to talk about yourself, and ask as many questions as you can to show the other person that you are genuinely interested in their service.

Provide them with valuable information by discussing different tactics, business strategies, and suggestions. This alone will make a person want to support your business as well, but help them out even more.

2. Keep Your Business Goals Simple

When you are talking to other business owners at networking events, try not to confuse them with complicated plans or explanations of what you do. Create a short, memorable 'elevator pitch' that explains what you do and who you help, so people 'get' it immediately. This will help them to see how you might be able to help them, or they may know somebody who is the perfect prospect for you to contact.

3. Do Most of Your Business Networking Online

LinkedIn has grown over the last few years and is now a huge online networking opportunity especially for business owners, sales people and people who are self-employed. You can look at a person's public profile and tell whether or not they are somebody you would like to build a relationship with. Offline networking meetings are still important, but you'll find it's a lot better use of your time searching for networking opportunities online, at least initially before you make the first contact.

Practice Growing Your Business Through Networking

So take a few minutes out of your schedule some time today, and create a clear, compelling description of what your business is and does. You'll then use this as your Elevator Pitch whenever you meet new business owners. Visit Linkedin and meet some prospective networking partners by offering to help them with something first. By doing this, you're going to start finding people who can refer clients to you, and you can refer people to them. Business networking done the right way really is a win-win for everybody.