SENSSE

A:  It’s a new network of small, micro and solo business owners forming now in the Springfield MA/Enfield CT area.

SENSSE stands for Social Exchange Network for Small and Startup Enterprise. Click on “Stay Up to Date” to be notified about upcoming events. Upcoming Events” box to the right of any page to register.

Q: What makes this group different than other business networking groups?

A. Three things:……

1. We’re focused on micro, startup and solo businesses.

Microbusinesses are usually defined as having 5 or fewer employees.  We also include any small business just starting up, as well as all self-employed contractors, consultants and freelancers.

2. We don’t require a big, long or expensive commitment to join.

You can come to any and all events by registering and paying the event fee which will range from  $10-20$.  We also don’t require mandatory referrals, a yearly fee, a percentage of your income or business line exclusivity.  Any small business who wants to improve their skills, knowledge and local connections is welcome to join us.

3. We’re interactive and participatory.

We aim for a 75% active-participation and 25% leader-focused mix.  If you’ve ever been to ‘networking’ functions where 90% of the time is focused on the main speakers and only 10% given to actual interaction and networking, you know there’s not much opportunity to find prospective customers, clients, partners, vendors and collaborators.

Speakers can be great, referrals are wonderful but getting to know who you can ask, hire, sell to or collaborate with is at least, just as important. Though there will be plenty of open networking time, our meetings will have some structure and even tools to empower participants to better find potential contacts. CBGs (Community Business Guides) are local experts in their fields and will be on hand to answer, guide and help participants find good matches for their needs.