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Getting customers and making sales can be the biggest challenge for people moving from redundancy in to their own small business, but a quick, simple solution is to tap into existing relationships.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Anecdotal evidence from people making membership inquiries to BNI - <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />New Zealand’s largest referral networking organisation - is that they feel ‘cut off’ after redundancy.

There is also the panic that if they do take the step of starting their own business that they won’t find enough customers or that it may be too time consuming, and time and money is in short supply when you’re in that situation.

The reality is that we are never completely alone. We all have large personal networks which we can tap into quickly; including former colleagues, clients (if no restraint of trade agreements exist), close family, extended family, friends, parents associated with our children’s sports teams.

The time immediately following redundancy is a huge opportunity. People have heard your bad news and they’re eager to help.

Added to the mix is that Kiwis are natural networkers. Enough research has been done to establish that almost 90 percent of New Zealanders rely on word of mouth from other consumers when making their purchasing decisions.

The good news is that word of mouth is the quickest way to close a sale and also the cheapest. It is important that people who are starting their own small business tap into their own networks and then look to broader organisations like the local chamber, local enterprise development organisations and BNI.

Here are four steps for getting a referral business network up and running quickly: