Growing My Social Capital

1) One person must be a domain expert in your industry. This would be someone who's engaged in the same type of business activity as you would like to be. They may own the same kind of company that you would like to own, or they may be a technical expert who knows a lot about the kind of product or service that you would like to produce.

2) One person must be an expert on your market. This would be someone who is targeting your market with similar products services -- or knows a lot about conducting customer research in your area -- or represents a major piece of your market (this might be most applicable with B2B markets).

3) One person must be an important supplier to your industry. This would be someone who is selling products and services to other organizations/firms in your industry. 

I have an idea which will allow the children/caregivers to track to the amount of stress in a senior citizen's system using biofeedback technology. It is BioRead. I want to open up this service through a thriving hospital such as UF Health Shands. This would be a helpful service for families who care to maintain the mental health of older people and for consumers who desire to use the product and remain updated on fundraising initiatives by the hospital. It would act like a blood pressure machine at the pharmacy, but BioRead would allow families to do this anywhere. 

Jim Greenwood (domain expert) 

1) Who they are and what their background is.

Jim Greenwood is the president of Greenwood consulting group. He is an expert in grant writing proposals and in soliciting professional advice for companies. He could play an essential part on the team. 

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Greenwood is the domain expert because he is good recognizing how features and benefits could appeal to the government about certain issues and research ventures. Moreover, he is an excellent writer who could advise BioRead's company to sell to potential host hospitals. 

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

I first found Greenwood at the UF Innovation Hub. He gave a lecture on SBIR proposal strategies, which means he gave a speech on how to receive federal grant funding for innovative ideas that you could sell to the government. We were able to speak after his speech, and he gave me his business card. 

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

He really didn't want a favor. He thinks the idea is very big and will need some development. If this were to take off, he would just want to help out initially with how to plan for this product. 

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

He will enhance our ability to exploit how important the service is to those who understand how mental health plays a huge part in preventing depression and sadness for older people. 

Alex Powell (market expert) 

1) Who they are and what their background is.

Alex Powell is a former Director of Sales for HarborChase of Gainesville and the marketing director of UF Health Shands. He has an extensive background in business administration and has experience working within a hospital. 

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Powell has expertise in the marketing field and in business management. He could service to provide the vision for promotion strategies for the host hospital. 

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

I met Powell at a HIV/AIDs awareness event hosted by a service organization over the weekend. He gave me his phone number, and I added him on LinkedIn. 

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

Alex only asked me to assistant him for a political campaign which he is managing for a local preacher running for the city's commission. I'll just be passing out fliers and setting up post signs. 

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

Alex will provide a great direction for where the company to go and how to pitch BioRead to potential buyers. 

Amy Bucciarelli (supplier) 

1) Who they are and what their background is.

Amy Bucciarelli is a board-certified art therapist and licensed mental health counselor at the UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine. 

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Bucciarelli would supply for this idea by managing the team who will develop the service for families and testing the biofeedback technology out on groups. 

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

I called ahead before visiting UF Health Shands to schedule a quick meeting with anyone who worked with or studied mental health. I reached Amy, and she was happy to talk with me for a little bit about my idea. She gave me her card to call back later. 

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

Amy asked for her profile to be exhibited on the digital service since it will be using her expertise and her connections in the hospital industry for BioRead's biofeedback technology. 

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

Amy will help enhance this opportunity by pitching this to the UF Health Shands administration or competitors who could be potential buyers. 

Finally: Reflect. This experience requires you to do a little 'targeted networking.' How will this experience shape how you participate in any future networking events? Did this experience differ from your networking experiences in the past? How?

This opened my eyes to how deliberate you have to be when you go out to networking events. Moreover, knowing what you would want from a person and what that person would expect back in return should be reflected on before you officially meet the person if it's possible. Before, I networked to make connections to just have them. But now I see how effective networking through purposeful engagement can open better opportunities for big ideas.