2 things-
1) the Op describes something that sounds like a business networking group.
I am not a member- but my printer is. they meet once a month. she says it has been VERY helpfull to her in different ways.
EVERY person present is required to speak in front of the group at each meeting.- you are allowed to miss the meeting once per year---- miss more than that and you are out. Basically you must get up in front of the group----describe your business briefly and describe exactly what you are looking for in a referall.. after a few meetings you know about everybodies business and what they are looking for----and you referr back and forth............
2) someone else mentioned a mentor.
I suggest you look into SCORE------which is a group of retired executives helping out small businesses. I HIGHLY recommend this.
I have gotten some help from this a couple of times---- you might have to try a couple different people to get one that is a good fit for you
Definitely, do not be afraid to seek advice from someone who is NOT in your field. DEFINITELY
the last SCORE executive I met with, helped me immensely.
He had built one of the top 50 specialty food stores in the US--- possibly top 10. His family business started out as a Great Depression era butchers shop-- he turned it into a destination gourmet emporium, LOL
what he taught me----was the importance of a good story about your product.
For Example- you can go to piggly wiggly and buy a can of cambells tomato soup for 80 cents, right ?
but you go to this store----and a a can of tomato soup is $4.86---- but it's not cambells- it's tomato soup made from organically raised tomatoes loving tended by virgin belgian nuns, carefully watered with pure spring water from the alps and its the best effing tomatoe soup you ever had....... and so on and so forth
this guy was selling craft beers before the term was invented---- every bottle of wine, every cheese, each piece of fruit,every box of cereal---- it's all the best quality, super high priced---and it comes with a story.
so---when I go to look at a slate roof----we talk about the 5th generation of family tradesmen in my business, we show some of the exact tools we still use that are used by my sons today---and my father and grandfather before ME---we talk about the slate on the roof, where it came from and what it originally looked like..... did my family install it back in the 1920's?????? we talk about our stock of vintagr ceramic roof tiles----some of which hasn't been made since the 1930's---and how we can restore their historic roof ( we don't call things 'old"--- they are vintage, or historic, or classic or timeless---- I learned to use the word patina without laughing
anyhow--- I digress--definitely look into SCORE.
stephen