[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":625},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-\u002Fnews\u002Fwhy-networking-matters-for-small-business":3,"site:reading-news-why-networking-matters-for-small-business":268,"news-rows":382,"site:og:\u002Fnews\u002Fwhy-networking-matters-for-small-business":623},{"id":4,"title":5,"answeredBy":6,"atAGlance":6,"author":7,"blocks":6,"body":8,"date":219,"description":220,"events":221,"extension":228,"gettingThere":6,"image":229,"imageAlt":230,"imageCredit":231,"interview":6,"kind":232,"lifted":6,"means":6,"meta":233,"navigation":234,"now":6,"organisers":6,"path":235,"photos":6,"pick":6,"pull":6,"questions":6,"quote":6,"readMins":236,"scene":6,"seo":237,"source":6,"sources":238,"span":6,"standfirst":260,"stem":261,"steps":6,"tags":262,"town":6,"updated":266,"venues":6,"was":6,"__hash__":267},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fwhy-networking-matters-for-small-business.md","Why networking matters for small businesses",null,"hampshire.events",{"type":9,"value":10,"toc":209},"minimark",[11,15,20,31,40,43,47,50,71,74,78,92,104,115,118,122,125,128,132,175,188,192],[12,13,14],"p",{},"Networking has a reputation problem. It sounds like name badges and forced small talk, and a lot of business advice about it is vague. So it is worth starting with what is actually known: who small businesses are, where they go for help, and what research says about the people who make a difference.",[16,17,19],"h2",{"id":18},"most-businesses-are-very-small","Most businesses are very small",[12,21,22,23,30],{},"At the start of 2026, the Department for Business and Trade estimated there were ",[24,25,29],"a",{"href":26,"rel":27},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Fstatistics\u002Fbusiness-population-estimates-2026\u002Fbusiness-population-estimates-for-the-uk-and-regions-2026-statistical-release",[28],"nofollow","5.6 million private sector businesses in the UK",". Small and medium-sized firms made up 99.85% of them, and 4.1 million (74%) employed nobody but their owners. Small and medium-sized firms accounted for 60% of private sector employment. The South East had 864,000 private sector businesses, the second most of any region after London.",[12,32,33,34,39],{},"Hampshire looks the same. In March 2026 the ONS counted ",[24,35,38],{"href":36,"rel":37},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nomisweb.co.uk\u002Fdatasets\u002Fidbrent",[28],"59,420 VAT or PAYE registered businesses"," in the Hampshire County Council area, and 52,295 of them (88%) employed fewer than ten people.",[12,41,42],{},"For most of these businesses, there is no head of sales, no marketing team and no colleague down the corridor to ask. The owner is all of those things.",[16,44,46],{"id":45},"where-small-businesses-go-for-advice","Where small businesses go for advice",[12,48,49],{},"The government's Longitudinal Small Business Survey asks firms each year whether they sought outside information or advice. In 2025:",[51,52,53,62],"ul",{},[54,55,56,61],"li",{},[24,57,60],{"href":58,"rel":59},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Fstatistics\u002Fsmall-business-survey-2025-businesses-with-employees\u002Flongitudinal-small-business-survey-2025-sme-employers-businesses-with-1-to-249-employees",[28],"28% of small and medium employers"," said they had in the previous 12 months. The survey counts only substantive advice, not casual conversations. Accountants were the most used source (40%), then consultants and business advisers (31%). Business networks and trade associations were used by 17%.",[54,63,64,65,70],{},"Among ",[24,66,69],{"href":67,"rel":68},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Fstatistics\u002Fsmall-business-survey-2025-businesses-with-no-employees\u002Flongitudinal-small-business-survey-2025-businesses-with-no-employees",[28],"businesses with no employees",", 22% sought outside advice. Accountants were named by 34% and business networks and trade associations by 21%.",[12,72,73],{},"Two things stand out. Most small firms do not seek outside advice in a given year. And among those that do, business networks are one of the main sources, alongside the professionals they pay.",[16,75,77],{"id":76},"the-strength-of-weak-ties","The strength of weak ties",[12,79,80,81,86,87,91],{},"The best-known research on why meeting new people matters is more than fifty years old. In 1973 the sociologist Mark Granovetter published ",[24,82,85],{"href":83,"rel":84},"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1086\u002F225469",[28],"\"The strength of weak ties\""," in the ",[88,89,90],"em",{},"American Journal of Sociology",". His argument was that the people you know only slightly, acquaintances rather than close friends, are more likely to bring you new information, because they move in different circles from you. Your close contacts mostly know what you already know.",[12,93,94,95,103],{},"For a long time that was a well-supported theory rather than a tested one. In 2022 a team of researchers from MIT, Stanford, Harvard and LinkedIn published ",[24,96,99,100],{"href":97,"rel":98},"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1126\u002Fscience.abl4476",[28],"a causal test in ",[88,101,102],{},"Science",". They analysed large randomised experiments on LinkedIn's \"People You May Know\" feature, covering more than 20 million people over five years, during which 2 billion new connections and 600,000 new jobs were recorded. They found:",[51,105,106,109,112],{},[54,107,108],{},"weaker ties did more for job moves than strong ones, up to a point, after which the benefit tailed off;",[54,110,111],{},"moderately weak ties, measured by mutual connections, created the most job mobility;",[54,113,114],{},"weak ties helped most in more digital industries, while strong ties helped more in less digital ones.",[12,116,117],{},"The study was about jobs on one online platform, not sales or partnerships in Hampshire, so it does not prove that a breakfast meeting will win you work. What it does support is the idea behind going to events: the useful connection is often someone you meet a few times and know a little, not a close friend and not a stranger.",[16,119,121],{"id":120},"what-face-to-face-adds","What face to face adds",[12,123,124],{},"None of the sources above compare in-person and online networking directly, and we will not claim they do. What a regular local event does offer is the kind of repeated, light contact the weak-ties research describes. You meet the same few dozen people a handful of times. They learn what you do, you learn what they need, and introductions follow from that, sometimes months later.",[12,126,127],{},"That is also why the format matters. A one-off expo gives you breadth: many people, once. A regular group gives you repetition: fewer people, several times. Most people who find networking useful do some of each.",[16,129,131],{"id":130},"what-this-means-if-youre-going-to-events","What this means if you're going to events",[51,133,134,146,152,158,164],{},[54,135,136,140,141,145],{},[137,138,139],"strong",{},"Pick a rhythm you can keep."," A regular group you attend for a few months will do more than five one-off events you never follow up. Our ",[24,142,144],{"href":143},"\u002Fguides\u002Fchoosing-a-networking-group","guide to choosing a networking group"," covers the kinds on offer.",[54,147,148,151],{},[137,149,150],{},"Aim for weak ties, not best friends."," The goal is a wide circle of people who know a little about what you do. Talk to someone from a different trade.",[54,153,154,157],{},[137,155,156],{},"Ask for advice, not just business."," The survey figures show most small firms go without outside advice in a typical year. Events are a low-cost way to ask a question you would otherwise pay an adviser to answer.",[54,159,160,163],{},[137,161,162],{},"Follow up once, briefly."," A short note after you meet someone turns a conversation into a tie.",[54,165,166,169,170,174],{},[137,167,168],{},"Try an online one if mornings are hard."," Several groups meet by video, and the ",[24,171,173],{"href":172},"\u002Fformats\u002Fonline","online"," page lists them.",[12,176,177,178,182,183,187],{},"If you have not been to one before, start with ",[24,179,181],{"href":180},"\u002Fguides\u002Fyour-first-business-event","your first business event"," and ",[24,184,186],{"href":185},"\u002Fguides\u002Fwhat-happens-at-a-business-breakfast","what happens at a business breakfast",".",[16,189,191],{"id":190},"find-one-near-you","Find one near you",[12,193,194,195,199,200,204,205,187],{},"The listings below are a mix of regular groups, an online meeting and a start-up session. For everything this week, see ",[24,196,198],{"href":197},"\u002Fthis-week","this week","; for groups that meet on a pattern, see ",[24,201,203],{"href":202},"\u002Fgroups","groups","; and for events with no ticket price, see ",[24,206,208],{"href":207},"\u002Fno-ticket-price","no ticket price",{"title":210,"searchDepth":211,"depth":211,"links":212},"",2,[213,214,215,216,217,218],{"id":18,"depth":211,"text":19},{"id":45,"depth":211,"text":46},{"id":76,"depth":211,"text":77},{"id":120,"depth":211,"text":121},{"id":130,"depth":211,"text":131},{"id":190,"depth":211,"text":191},"2026-03-19","What the research on weak ties and the government's small business survey say about meeting people, and how to make it worth your time.",[222,223,224,225,226,227],"fsb-connect-online-in-hampshire-dorset-and-isle-of-wight-november","portsmouth-business-exchange-wednesday-morning-networking","romsey-mbg-networking-breakfast","get-connected-basingstoke","coffee-connect","so-you-want-to-start-a-business","md","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1531058020387-3be344556be6?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","People talking at a business event","Jakob Dalbjörn · unsplash.com\u002Fphotos\u002FcuKJre3nyYc","article",{},true,"\u002Fnews\u002Fwhy-networking-matters-for-small-business",4,{"title":5,"description":220},[239,243,247,250,252,256],{"title":240,"publisher":241,"url":26,"date":242},"Business population estimates for the UK and regions 2026: statistical release","Department for Business and Trade","2026-11-05",{"title":244,"publisher":245,"url":36,"date":246},"UK Business Counts: enterprises by industry and employment size band, 2026","Office for National Statistics (via Nomis)","2026-09-24",{"title":248,"publisher":241,"url":58,"date":249},"Longitudinal Small Business Survey 2025: SME employers (businesses with 1 to 249 employees)","2026-10-15",{"title":251,"publisher":241,"url":67,"date":249},"Longitudinal Small Business Survey 2025: businesses with no employees",{"title":253,"publisher":254,"url":83,"date":255},"The strength of weak ties (American Journal of Sociology, 78(6), 1360 to 1380)","Mark Granovetter","1973-05",{"title":257,"publisher":258,"url":97,"date":259},"A causal test of the strength of weak ties (Science, 377(6612), 1304 to 1310)","Rajkumar, Saint-Jacques, Bojinov, Brynjolfsson and Aral","2022-09-16","Most businesses have no employees, and most small firms take advice from only a handful of places. Fifty years of research on weak ties suggests why meeting people outside your usual circle pays, and the evidence is clearer than the usual networking clichés.","news\u002Fwhy-networking-matters-for-small-business",[263,264,265],"Tips","Networking","Community","2026-11-12","gHGW6A_ihK2bDU0b2cpm_iaMBnkXT6BqUE5MVNtoAu4",{"today":269,"events":270,"pick":6,"organisers":379,"venues":380,"town":6,"townEvents":381},"2026-11-13",[271,296,309,330,347,362],{"id":272,"series":226,"date":273,"href":274,"title":275,"start":276,"end":277,"day":278,"time":279,"endTime":280,"slot":281,"town":282,"townSlug":283,"venue":284,"venueSlug":285,"organiser":286,"organiserSlug":287,"price":288,"isFree":289,"priceWords":290,"isOnline":289,"access":291,"checked":292,"checkedAt":293,"lat":294,"lng":295},"d221b2d8-df7b-474e-9ff4-6791c24b67e8","tuesday-17-november","\u002Fevents\u002Fcoffee-connect\u002Ftuesday-17-november","Coffee & 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Exchange","portsmouth-business-exchange",11.55,"£11.55",50.796217,-1.068111,"https:\u002F\u002Fbusinesseventstack.lon1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\u002Fhampshire\u002Flisting-images\u002F91715ac6-da71-4ff4-ae04-32225df82dad.jpg",{"id":331,"series":224,"date":332,"href":333,"title":334,"start":335,"end":336,"day":337,"time":338,"endTime":304,"slot":317,"format":318,"town":339,"townSlug":340,"venue":341,"venueSlug":342,"organiser":343,"organiserSlug":344,"price":307,"isFree":234,"priceWords":308,"isOnline":289,"access":291,"checked":292,"checkedAt":293,"lat":345,"lng":346},"874e92ef-2ae2-4e4f-ab82-926e0fe9e6a1","thursday-10-december","\u002Fevents\u002Fromsey-mbg-networking-breakfast\u002Fthursday-10-december","Romsey MBG networking breakfast","2026-12-10T07:30:00+00:00","2026-12-10T09:00:00+00:00","2026-12-10","07:30","Romsey","romsey","The Cromwell Arms","the-cromwell-arms","Romsey Mutual Business Group","romsey-mutual-business-group",50.984005,-1.505051,{"id":348,"series":225,"date":332,"href":349,"title":350,"start":336,"end":351,"day":337,"time":304,"endTime":352,"slot":317,"format":318,"town":353,"townSlug":354,"venue":355,"venueSlug":356,"organiser":357,"organiserSlug":358,"price":307,"isFree":234,"priceWords":308,"isOnline":289,"access":291,"checked":292,"checkedAt":293,"lat":359,"lng":360,"photo":361},"67ab13f1-b710-46f9-9183-ac9554418160","\u002Fevents\u002Fget-connected-basingstoke\u002Fthursday-10-december","Get Connected | Basingstoke","2026-12-10T10:30:00+00:00","10:30","Basingstoke","basingstoke","Metro Bank Basingstoke","metro-bank-basingstoke","Get Ahead South Office","get-ahead-south-office",51.265912,-1.0876131,"https:\u002F\u002Fbusinesseventstack.lon1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\u002Fhampshire\u002Flisting-images\u002Ff372e2f8-de8c-46ea-81fe-afd33c742e52.jpg",{"id":363,"series":227,"date":364,"href":365,"title":366,"start":367,"end":368,"day":369,"time":370,"endTime":371,"slot":372,"format":372,"town":319,"townSlug":320,"venue":373,"venueSlug":374,"organiser":375,"organiserSlug":376,"price":307,"isFree":234,"priceWords":308,"isOnline":289,"access":291,"checked":292,"checkedAt":293,"lat":377,"lng":378},"303708d0-cea7-4c75-973e-2dc7949fe6b8","tuesday-15-december","\u002Fevents\u002Fso-you-want-to-start-a-business\u002Ftuesday-15-december","So You Want To Start A Business?","2026-12-15T18:00:00+00:00","2026-12-15T19:30:00+00:00","2026-12-15","18:00","19:30","after-work","Portsmouth Guildhall","portsmouth-guildhall","Shaping Portsmouth","shaping-portsmouth",50.7975937,-1.0929897,[],[],[],[383,391,400,406,413,421,427,434,442,449,456,464,472,480,489,497,504,512,519,527,534,541,548,550,557,565,572,580,587,595,602,609,616],{"path":384,"title":385,"date":266,"tags":386,"image":388,"imageAlt":389,"kind":390,"readMins":236},"\u002Fnews\u002Fnovember-edition-2026","The November edition: ideas, expos and awards",[387,264],"Events","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1711390811937-1b061eaf28ea?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","Visitors walking between stands at a trade show","article-edition",{"path":392,"title":393,"date":394,"tags":395,"image":396,"imageAlt":397,"kind":398,"readMins":399},"\u002Fnews\u002Fchristmas-business-networking-2026","Christmas networking 2026: festive dates across Hampshire","2026-10-21",[387,264],"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1511988617509-a57c8a288659?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","A group of friends laughing together","article-season",3,{"path":401,"title":402,"date":403,"tags":404,"image":388,"imageAlt":389,"kind":232,"readMins":236},"\u002Fnews\u002Fhampshire-business-show-2026-guide","Hampshire Business Show: getting the most from an expo","2026-10-20",[387,405],"Southampton",{"path":407,"title":408,"date":249,"tags":409,"image":410,"imageAlt":411,"kind":232,"readMins":412},"\u002Fnews\u002Fintroducing-hampshire-events","Introducing hampshire.events: one checked list",[265,264],"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1579045846121-299dc925c614?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","Boats moored at Southampton",5,{"path":414,"title":415,"date":416,"tags":417,"image":419,"imageAlt":420,"kind":232,"readMins":236},"\u002Fnews\u002Fsustainability-on-the-business-agenda","Sustainability on the business agenda: figures and meet-ups","2026-10-08",[418,387],"Sustainability","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1719962865624-e3196c1e1206?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","Steps leading into the gardens at Mottisfont, near Romsey",{"path":422,"title":423,"date":246,"tags":424,"image":425,"imageAlt":426,"kind":232,"readMins":236},"\u002Fnews\u002Fhampshire-business-awards-season-2026","Awards season: Hampshire's business awards this autumn",[387,265],"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1587825140708-dfaf72ae4b04?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","A speaker on stage in front of a large audience",{"path":428,"title":429,"date":430,"tags":431,"image":432,"imageAlt":433,"kind":232,"readMins":236},"\u002Fnews\u002Fbreakfast-groups-back-september","Hampshire's breakfast groups: how they work and why","2026-09-03",[264,263],"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1604881988758-f76ad2f7aac1?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","Two people holding mugs of coffee at a table",{"path":435,"title":436,"date":437,"tags":438,"image":440,"imageAlt":441,"kind":232,"readMins":236},"\u002Fnews\u002Fautumn-business-calendar-2026","Hampshire's big business days this autumn","2026-08-13",[387,439],"Industry","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1540575467063-178a50c2df87?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","An audience seated in rows at a conference",{"path":443,"title":444,"date":445,"tags":446,"image":447,"imageAlt":448,"kind":232,"readMins":236},"\u002Fnews\u002Fnetwalking-business-outdoors","Netwalking: why business conversations are moving outdoors","2026-07-23",[264,265],"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1486579425215-d11603200406?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","A walker on a forest track in the New Forest near Lyndhurst",{"path":450,"title":451,"date":452,"tags":453,"image":454,"imageAlt":455,"kind":232,"readMins":236},"\u002Fnews\u002Fsummer-networking-hampshire","Summer networking in Hampshire: keeping in touch","2026-07-09",[264,263],"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1592118829208-de1511706a02?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","Fields and trees outside Winchester on a summer day",{"path":457,"title":458,"date":459,"tags":460,"image":462,"imageAlt":463,"kind":232,"readMins":236},"\u002Fnews\u002Fbreakfast-networking-in-winchester","Breakfast networking in Winchester: what's really on","2026-06-18",[264,461,265],"Winchester","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1749490129703-56790a541757?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","Winchester Cathedral behind the trees of the Close",{"path":465,"title":466,"date":467,"tags":468,"image":470,"imageAlt":471,"kind":232,"readMins":236},"\u002Fnews\u002Fsouthampton-maritime-business-connections","Southampton's maritime economy and who it meets","2026-06-12",[405,469,439],"Maritime","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1613423468841-f8d8ca10bf3f?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","Boats moored on the Hamble near Southampton",{"path":473,"title":474,"date":475,"tags":476,"image":478,"imageAlt":479,"kind":232,"readMins":236},"\u002Fnews\u002Fbni-chapters-in-hampshire","BNI in Hampshire: how the weekly chapters work","2026-06-05",[264,477,265],"BNI","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1740506700638-01aba0ffbbc0?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","A group meeting over breakfast at a long table",{"path":481,"title":482,"date":483,"tags":484,"image":487,"imageAlt":488,"kind":232,"readMins":236},"\u002Fnews\u002Fstarting-up-in-eastleigh","Starting up in Eastleigh: what the figures say","2026-05-28",[485,486,265],"Eastleigh","Startups","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1534432295314-d934309ea09d?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","A cappuccino beside a laptop",{"path":490,"title":491,"date":492,"tags":493,"image":495,"imageAlt":496,"kind":232,"readMins":236},"\u002Fnews\u002Fportsmouth-tech-sector-networking","Portsmouth's tech sector: the figures and where to meet","2026-05-21",[319,494,439],"Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1666294380353-8cd2f6b0d3bd?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=70","Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, at 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