You have a position in the market place.  A position you have either carefully crafted after much consideration or one that you’ve defaulted into unwittingly. 

Let’s assume you have actually done the work; the soul searching of the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats); the research and analysis of your competition – and, let me say that even if you’re developing a PERSONAL brand there is de-facto ‘competition’; the interviews with your customers, team and advisors.  You’ve labored and examined every word in that 100 word statement and feel satisfied that you’ve found ‘it’ – a positioning statement of which you can be proud.  A position you can support and in turn, can support you.  Let’s not forget that positioning statements provide a solid foundation to guide our actions – to keep us on course.  They give back ten-fold for all that hair-pulling and gnashing of teeth.

Raleigh, NC - 2/16/2010– LinkingRaleighNC.com will be hosting its fourth speed networking event, called  SpeedLink, at the Wyndham Hotel just off I40 and South Miami Boulevard in RTP on March 16 from 5:45pm to 8:45pm.

Speed networking is based on the popular concept of speed dating where you meet a new professional every five  minutes and see if there is potential for a new business relationship. "Time is the most valuable asset small  business owners and working professionals have these days. It has become criticaly important to carefully  consider how you spend your time when it comes to professional networking. This event is designed to be one solution to this common issue." says Greg Hyer, Founder of LinkingRaleighNC.com.

Elissa James, owner of Elissa James Designs (www.elissajames.synthasite.com) says, "I have attended each of the  three SpeedLink Speed Networking events and I find them to be extremely beneficial. I am a freelance graphic designer, so building a professional network is essential to the survival of my business, and speed networking has been the most efficient way to do that, of any of the networking events I've attended. I find myself running out of business cards during speed networking, which was never a problem at other events, but it's a problem I like having! Speed networking allows one to meet a maximum of potential business contacts during the given time of the event, whereas at traditional networking events you may get bogged down in a conversation with someone you have no intention of creating a business relationship with. While it is never a waste of time meeting good people at tradition networking/social events, speed networking gets directly to the point of why you are there in the first place. If expanding your professional network is an integral part in your business' success, or your success in a career, then speed networking is for you."