One of the most effective things that I have discovered in creating a website is plain, old fashioned networking.

I’ve been fortunate over the past few years to “meet” some very impressive players in the POD industry. Long before the concept of POD For You came into being, I learned by chatting with shopkeepers, programmers, company owners, affiliate marketers, affiliate managers, and more. Everyone has been extremely helpful and I have always tried to help others in return.

I know what you’re thinking…… OMG! Some of these people are your competition! WHY on earth would they give you accurate advice? And WHY would you turn around and help them?

Not every competitor is your mortal enemy. Some of the best business advice I’ve been given through the years came from other shopkeepers. Yeah, they’re my business rivals, but they’ve also become my friends…. my colleagues.

When I decided to do this site and approached these same friends about granting interviews, giving official permission to post company announcements, allowing me to use official graphics, and so on, they bent over backwards to help me out. If they didn’t have an answer, they went through the chain of command and other contacts to get clarification on the issue.

That’s when it dawned on me….. people like to do business with people….. not some anonymous signature on an email. If I had waltzed in 1 1/2 years ago and asked these same people for the same things, I seriously believe that many of the requests would have been put on the back burner, if not ignored all together.

Why? Think about it….. if some unknown chick walks in off the street and asks to borrow your car, would you let them? Of course not!

What about a trusted friend that has helped you out on several occasions? You’d let them have the keys in a heartbeat, wouldn’t you? And if that same friend needed gas money and directions, you’d probably dig through the couch for change and hunt down a map, wouldn’t you?

What’s the difference? Why refuse the first request, but grant the last request AND spend your valuable time making sure she had everything she needs? One word- trust. You trust your friend. You have no idea who the first chick is. She might jump in your car and drive to Alaska. But you have history with the friend and know that she’ll do her best to get your car back to you in one piece.

By building strong relationships, I’ve been able to do things behind the scenes that I never would have dreamed possible with this site. I believe the same principle holds true for your shops. Honestly, if you’re friendly and active within the POD community, people will respond. I know that I’ve gone out of my way to promote designs from friends on the forums. If I have an article that I need to interview a shopkeeper for…. guess what….. I’m calling on my friends first. Wouldn’t you?

So get out there….. chat…. mingle…. ya never know who you’ll meet. It costs you nothing except time, but networking can be one of the most powerful (and fun) things you can do to help make your business stronger.