What’s up side hustlers, Jamasen here, CEO of LoopGenius and author of Beyond9to5. If you’re new here, we cover tips on Monday, tools and news on Friday. We’re all about helping you grow your side business so you can escape the 9 to 5 grind!

👋 In today’s newsletter:

• Fast-facts: stats on networking you need to know

• 5 ways to grow your network

• #1 ChatGPT prompt to generate networking questions

Stats on networking you need to know

Your network is your net worth.

Networking is the key to growing your side business quickly. And it’s become increasingly important in recent years.

Here are some fast facts you should know about the power of networking, courtesy of Zippia:

• ~80% of jobs are filled by professional and personal connections.

• Networking is responsible for the success of 78% of startups.

• Networking emails sent between 9 and 11am have the highest rate of engagement.

• 40% of professionals say that they network more online than in-person.

• 79% of professionals think that career success depends on networking.

But we know building a strong network of industry experts and professionals isn’t easy. So read on for tips and ideas!

5 ways to grow your network

Looking to expand your network but don’t know where to start?

We’ve got you covered. The most important thing is to find the right people. You want to connect with people in your industry who you can learn from.

Let’s get right to it. Here are 5 easy ways to meet new people and grow your business.

Slack communities

Slack is a popular platform for networking, with many companies and organizations running their own networking communities there. Here are some of the top Slack networking communities

• Gen Z VCs: Great for founders, VCs, students and aspiring entrepreneurs. There are channels for opportunities, events and locations for in-person meet-ups (like NYC and SF!).

• Brydge Club: Great for female founders and VCs to connect. Be sure to post an intro and respond to others’ intros to start networking.

• Contra’s Slack Community: Join 10,000 other freelancers in Contra’s Slack. You’ll get to share your work, resources and connect with independents.

LinkedIn “warm” messages

LinkedIn networking is much easier when it’s a “warm” reach out. This just means you have something in common with the person you’re reaching out to. This could be a common connection, school, workplace, etc. Here’s a template you can use for your connection requests:

Hi {Name}! I saw we both have/went to {X in common}. Would love to connect and learn more about what you’re working on.

Industry events

Events are always happening, and with many of them virtual, it’s easy to attend! But in order to attend events, you have to know where to find them. Here are some places to start:

• Slack communities: Use the ones we mentioned above and pop into their Events channels. Most Slack networking groups will have general Events threads and location-specific threads that feature in-person events from different cities.

• Meetup: Many event platforms have both professional and social events. Meetup has awesome in-person and virtual events for founders, VCs and more.

• Facebook groups: Join groups in your industry and be on the lookout for events each week.

Personal brand

The more you talk about your work, the more people will come to you. Investing in your personal brand is one of the best ways to grow your network. Here are some ways to start:

• Create content on social platforms, like IG, TikTok and Threads. Share your work, ideas and tips for other people in the industry.

• Engage with posts on professional networking platforms like LinkedIn. Repost, comment and share your thoughts on popular content in your industry.

• Start building an email list for your business. You can use LoopGenius to set up a waitlist landing page that will automatically collect emails.

Mentorship

Having a mentor can open up many opportunities for you, including expanding your network. Your mentor can provide intros to people in their network, making it easier to build relationships in the industry. Here are some places to find mentors:

• Mentorgain: Mentors in tech, finance and marketing for people returning from career breaks.

• ADP List: Mentors in UX/UI design, marketing, writing and product.

• MentorCruise: Mentors in data science, engineering, design, finance and more

#1 ChatGPT prompt to generate networking questions

Copy the prompt:

I have a networking call with a {role} in {industry}. I am interested in learning more about their {topic}. Please provide 5 questions I should ask in our call to better understand three key things: 1), 2), 3) {insert each learning}.

That’s all for now.

See you on Friday, side hustlers! 👋

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That's it for this week's edition of Beyond9to5. Stay tuned for more tips, news, and spotlights in our next issue. Until then, keep hustling!