We recently interviewed Evette Lewis about her group DC-MD Small Business Owner Networking Meetup. The DC-MD Small Business Owner Networking offers business related networking meetings and workshops for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners throughout the DC & Baltimore Metropolitan areas (DC, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, Anne Arundel County & Baltimore).

Networking meetings are held throughout the month, allowing each member the opportunity to introduce their business to the group and maximize the power of networking partnerships.  Quarterly workshops are held to help members gain understanding of relevant business strategies and tools.

DIIP: When and why did you start this group/organization?

EL:  I became Organizer of this group in January 2010, when the previous organizer stepped down.  Meetup has a policy of shutting down groups that no longer have an Organizer, so I stepped up. My goal was to create an active group that would allow people to network and create referral opportunities for the members.

DIIP: What type of events do you have and how often are they held (i.e. pitch parties, seminars, conferences, happy hours)?

EL:  DC-MD Small Business Owner Networking hosts 3 monthly networking mixers: 2 are networking happy hour mixers; 1 is a monthly charity-networking mixer. Seminars are quarterly. Our Meetup group also promotes member events by including them on our Meetup calendar.

DIIP: What is your value proposition to those that attend?

EL:  Those that attend our events can be assured that they will be in a professional, networking environment.  We offer free/low-cost networking options to help you grow your business.

DIIP: What makes your group unique or different from other groups?

EL:  Our Meetups are designed to accommodate the variety of experiences and needs within our field of membership. For those who are new to networking, we partner with a variety of networking organizations to introduce some of the the options available (Chambers of Commerce, NRG, Mid-Atlantic Networking, Team Network, etc.). We host events, both big and small, to enable members to choose the type of events that best match their networking style.

We also schedule Meetups at larger, outside events so our members will have familiar faces to connect with.

DIIP: Why do you think it is so important for people to go out to your events and “do it in person?”

EL:  It's very important for people to "do it in person", because it solidifies the business relationship.  There are many instances where our entrepreneurs have been acquainted with one another via social media sites, but were only able to convert the relationship into business after meeting in person.

DIIP: Describe the ideal attendee to your events.

EL:  The ideal attendee of our events varies greatly.  Generally, we have small businesses consisting of sole entrepreneurs to established businesses up to 50 employees.  Our events are for those who own businesses, are looking to start their own business or want to network with business owners.

DIIP: How has your group evolved since you started it?

EL:  Our group has grown from 191 members to 1,139+ over the past 2 years.  We now offer regularly scheduled Meetups in various locations in the DC-Metro area.  In addition, there are 2 Assistant Organizers and an Event Host to assume hosting responsibility for specific events.

DIIP: What other benefits, if any, do you offer outside of your events (i.e. discounts, mentoring, etc.)?

EL:  DC-MD Small Business Owner Networking offers members several benefits outside of our events:

1) FREE Promotional opportunities for your business.

2) Eligibiity to create a professional profile in our member Business Directory, ensuring that our members will have access to your contact info at all times!

3) The opportunity to earn a Custom Title for our Meetup group. The Custom Title enables you to "brand" yourself so our members will know exactly what you do.

4) Meetup Perks and discounts from other businesses.

DIIP: What tip or tips would you give to an attendee of your event on how to make it successful for them?

EL:  Some of my Top Networking Tips:

1) If you RSVP for an event, honor your RSVP.  If your schedule changes, update your status or contact the Organizer. No shows are no good!

2) Make an effort to introduce yourself to everyone, especially the hosts. Our Event Hosts are tasked with introducing new members to others and facilitating connections.

3) Be respectful of the other networkers time. A mixer is an opportunity to introduce yourself and make a connection.  Save your sales pitch for your follow up meeting.

4) Follow up! Follow up! Follow up!  If you don't contact those you've met after an event, all you've done is waste time and money.

5) Follow up with everyone. Most of the sales that result from our Meetups are not member-member; they result when a member refers another member to someone they know.

DIIP: What do you look for when choosing a venue?

EL:  When choosing a venue, we prefer to use locations that are owned by small business owners or our Meetup group members. If not available, we consider geographic convenience, parking and availability.

DIIP: How do you judge the success of an event?

EL:  Personally, I judge the success of an event by the number of members who were able to make connections that lead to follow up appointments and sales.  Meetup also allows members to offer ratings and feedback about each event.  The Meetup ratings provide a good barometer of an event's success.

DIIP: If you could pick one person that you would want to speak at/attend your event, who would it be and why?

EL:  Kevin Plank, Founder/CEO of Under Armour.  He has a compelling story of all he did to grow his business from the trunk of his car to multinational powerhouse.

DIIP: What was the best event you have ever been to?

EL:  GovCon

DIIP: Can you share any success stories from your events?

EL:  Members have successes whether our events are big or small.  I personally have benefitted from our events. I received a referral from one Meetup member that helped me close my biggest client to date: a group that enables me to offer my insurance products to their 6,000+ members.

When events are small, people have an opportunity to talk in depth and really learn about one another's business.  At one of our smallest Meetups this year, there were only 8 members there.  Yet, one member got 4 paying customers from that Meetup.

To learn more about DC-MD Small Business Owner Networking, please email Evette Lewis at elewis1234@yahoo.com. You can also follow DC-MD Small Business Owner Networking on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/DC-MD-Small-Business-Owner-Networking-Meetup/373495161071.

If you would like to have your group featured on the Do It In Person blog, please email info@doitinperson.com