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Online networks can turn into real world connections 'one business card at a time'

Networking can open you to new opportunities.

Getting your big break in business can come down to any number of things - a great idea, your partner's uplifting can-do attitude and something as simple as good timing.

But if these key ingredients appear fickle then it will come as no surprise that one of the most important aspects of any successful enterprise can seem equally unpredictable.

Professional networks, which these days include both the on and offline variety, are important to the longevity and profitability of your business.

In addition to being a valuable source of knowledge these social groups can help you connect with industry heavyweights, as well as act as a ringing endorsement of the products and services that you may sell.

And according to Barry Moltz, a business consultant and public speaker who is based in Chicago, working on your own network is one of the most important things an entrepreneur can do if they want to get ahead and stand out from the pack.

"Most business people realise that it's not what you know, it's who you know. What you know can get you invited to an opportunity, but who you know will get you the business every time," he wrote in Chicago Business (January 30).

Mr Moltz then went on to ask readers what they thought they would be able to do with a 50,000 member strong network in their own city, with the obvious implication being that people can get you into places that a normal marketing or advertising campaign may miss.

He said that the founder of Linked N Chicago, Mary McFarlin, had put this theory to the test in order to grow her own commercial activities.

By starting her own online network Ms McFarlin has made a number of real-world connections that - one eco business card at a time - have been invaluable to her own company's continued growth.