Do you own a small business in Avalon Park or the Lake Nona area? If you do, there is a new way to do business in your area and it starts with a cup of coffee and a good conversation. The Avalon Business Referral Group and the Lake Nona Business Referral Group, respectively, are two new, free to attend business networking groups designed to help small businesses connect.

The Avalon group begins meeting September 16 at Davis Bakery in Avalon Park, but the Lake Nona group has already been meeting for several weeks. Within just a handful of meetings the group has almost outgrown its space at Sweet Mama’s Restaurant on Narcoossee Road with more then 30 business owners attending every Tuesday morning. “We’ve already had a ton of referrals and business created from members just sitting down and meeting with each other,” says David Mullins, vice president of Insight Marketing Group and co-organizer of the groups.

According to Mullins, the process is anything but stiff. The meetings aren’t harshly structured; instead, meetings are kept lighthearted and fun. “Business is generated when members have a chance to meet and build trust,” he says. The Avalon Business Referral Group, sponsored by Avalon Park’s own printing, shipping and design small business, Soho Office, will be set up in a similar way, offering members the chance to build relationships on a weekly basis.

“It’s not an entirely novel concept, but it is one that’s proven to work again and again,” says Jennifer Thompson, president of Insight Marketing Group and co-organizer of the groups. Thompson is also host of Central Florida’s number one weekly networking event, Coffee Club, held every Thursday at the Airport Marriott. Although more informal and larger in scale, the goal remains the same: generate business. “I say it all the time, small business is the backbone of our economy,” says Thompson. “These groups help cement small business owners in their communities and they build business from them, it’s really a win-win.” Thompson was instrumental in creating the Marketing Boot Camp for small businesses as well, which was recently featured in the Orlando Business Journal. The program is designed to teach small business owners the foundations of marketing with presentations, worksheets, case studies, guest speakers and more. “For a lot of these business owners, success depends solely on them,” she says. “We want to make sure they are well armed for the road ahead.”

Article by Corey Gehrold