Interview with Mindy Selinger, publisher ~ NetworkingEventFinders.com
 

Tell us about your business.
NetworkingEventFinders publishes local Networking Guides and local NetworkingEvent Calendars across the country.  We are not a social  networking organization nor do we host our own networking events.  We promote & support the networking industry which includes the event hosts, the networking public seeking events to attend, and the venues that host events. We provide many opprtunites for free promtions as well as enhanced paid promotions, Networking trainings, training, aricles, interactive forums, anything the networking public could use to enhance their networking experience. 
 
Please tell us what being a business owner means to you and why you became an entrepreneur in the first place? 
I grew up in a household of entrepreneurs, and learned first-hand the personal freedom it offered..and the economic roller-coaster that comes with the entrepreneur experience.  As an adult I found little joy and satisfaction in the constraints of hourly positions. I found myself moving towards outside sales that afforded me with a little more personal freedom before striking out on my own in 1991. 

What or who has been your greatest influence in business and why?
It was a point of pride that my father said he had never worked for another person.  He started his own business after leaving the military and was self-employed all his life and at one point had offices worldwide.  That gave me my busines-owner mindset. What  influences me today is the  unshakeable spirit of the everyday business person I come into contact with on a daily basis.  They network, they help each other and they show up.  They are the backbone of our economy and I want to support them any way I can.  These are “my people”.
 
What would you say is your greatest professional accomplishment to date?  
In 2001 I started including a few networking event listings in my weekly newsletter for my coaching clients. I now have  networking event calendars nationwide, and we are just getting started. The site & service we have created is unique and when we get positive feedback on what a great resource we provide…well..it makes it all worthwhile.
 
What’s the best advice you have received in business that you wish to pass on to our readers?
I don’t know who coined this phrase, “The Riches are in the Niches”, but it fits with my personal inclination to set myself apart from others, no matter what I profession I was in at the time.  It has really served us well in designing NetworkingEventFinders.com When I was a child, my mother always told me to be different…boy,. that really stuck!
 
What one thing have you learned as a small business owner that has served you well over the years? 
Focus on what is best for the client, not on an immediate need for a sale. 
 
Are there any resources or tools you’d like to share with other small business owners that have helped you succeed?
Technology is changing so fast, but in recent months a resource that I have used and recommended is Peter Shankman’s Help A Reporter Out – HARO – http://helpareporter.com . He’s a PR expert who puts out queries from reporters looking for experts to interview.   I have used them to locate networking organization leaders to profile, and have passed on queries to experts I know.
 
What is Number One Business Goal you plan to accomplish over the next year? 
To get our site traffic up to the top 100,000 websites (or higher),  by the end of this year. This will result in increased sales (advertising, affiliate, product) with the goal to be $5,000/ per month revenue.
 
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers? 
We are offering local networkers the opportunity to ride our coattails in their community.  Become one of our editors and leverage your exposure on our site to position yourself as the local networking “go-to” person.  Go to http://NetworkingEventFinders.com . Look at the Networking Guide in your area for more information. You will have something to offer selected people…free promotion.
 
How can our readers find you online?

http:.//TheLinkSystem.com
http://NetworkingEventFinders.com
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/mindyselinger   
Faceboook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=762457782
Twitter @NetworkingGuide