The panel discussions at the seminar highlighted that networking offers entrepreneurs many opportunities to share resources, develop skills and find new business opportunities. While networking has its challenges, such as time constraints and reconciling different perspectives, it offers significant benefits to businesses that are willing to engage in collaboration. In the future, networks will only become more important and collaboration within them can be the key to successful entrepreneurship and growth.
According to the panellists, the power of networks is largely based on their ability to provide resources, skills and contacts that individual companies may not have at their disposal. Networks can include both public and private actors, offering the possibility for a wide range of collaborations and reconciling different interests. For example, growth projects that bring together RDI (research, development and innovation) actors and business services show in concrete terms how networks can contribute to the growth and competitiveness of micro-enterprises.
Henna Väätäinen, Project Manager of the Kerttu Saalasti Institute's KASVA project at the University of Oulu, pointed out that networks are in many ways a lifeblood for micro-entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs' networks consist not only of customer relationships but also of subcontracting chains, the management and administration of which is a key part of networking. Ms. Väätäinen stressed that networks can bring new customers, ideas and cooperation opportunities to businesses. This is particularly evident in situations where entrepreneurs can work together to create new services or find solutions to their problems.
Väätäinen also stressed the importance of peer learning. He said that networks where entrepreneurs from different industries share their experiences and ideas can lead to new perspectives and business opportunities. However, this does not happen automatically, but requires committed participation and a climate of trust. Ongoing dialogue is also important, where network members can develop cooperation and update common objectives as necessary.
Martti Saarela, Research Director of the Microentrepreneurship Centre MicroENTRE, University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute, said that MicroENTRE projects usually involve several partners from both domestic and international networks. Joint research projects and publications provide the basis for development projects with micro-enterprises, for example.
According to Martti Saarela, successful networking requires clear structures and roles as well as a clear common goal. When network members know what is expected of them and what their role is, cooperation is better and trust is built more quickly.
Saarela also noted that networking should take into account that micro-entrepreneurs often have limited resources. This can make development work more challenging, but this is where networks can provide valuable support. He said that networks enable micro-enterprises to tap into skills and resources that they do not directly possess.
Auditor Päivi Nummi of HT-Tilintarkastus emphasised the importance of networking, especially from the perspective of multidisciplinarity. She noted that no one can be a perfect expert in everything, not even an auditor. That is why it is important to gather partners around you who complement your own expertise and offer support in difficult situations. Ms. Nummi also stressed that the main benefit of networks is their ability to generate trust and different perspectives, which enriches the firm's activities.
Nummi also believes that the effectiveness of networks is based on the fact that their members share a common goal and purpose. This helps to ensure that cooperation remains focused and meaningful. In particular, she highlighted the role of driver companies, which can act as key drivers of the network, driving activities forward and engaging other members.
According to the panellists, one of the main challenges in networking is time. Entrepreneurs are often busy serving their customers and running their day-to-day business, which can make it difficult to find time for networking. Ms Väätäinen stressed that business service providers should be well aware of this challenge and try to offer as much concrete help to businesses as possible so that networking does not remain theoretical.
Marika Kumpula, Business Services Manager of NIHAK, pointed out that after the COVID-19, the use of remote communication has become a permanent part of networking, but it has also become clear that physical meetings are still essential for building trust. Remote networking cannot always provide the same level of interaction as face-to-face meetings. This is why Ms. Kumpula hoped that there would be a greater return to physical meetings, so that networking could be strengthened by genuine interaction.
Kumpula and Project Manager Jaana Jeminen are working together in the VATUPASSI project to develop corporate responsibility skills. As NIHAK and the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute are located along the same corridor in the Nivala Technology Centre NITEK, the coffee table discussions in the break room have also served as an important way to brainstorm and develop new solutions together. The discussions have also resulted in new development projects that serve the whole network.
Networking is also complex. Different actors may understand networking in different ways. Väätäinen pointed out that the interpretation of the concept of network can vary greatly between different entrepreneurs and organisations. This can lead to misunderstandings if common rules are not clearly agreed. Finding a common understanding and a common language is therefore crucial for networks to work.
Marjo Kolehmainen, Managing Director of the Entrepreneurs of Northern Ostrobothnia, highlighted the views of entrepreneurs on networking. She said that although entrepreneurs generally understand the importance of networks, they may still be alienated by the word "networking" because it sounds bureaucratic. According to Ms. Kolehmainen, it would be more important to talk about interaction and concrete encounters, as entrepreneurs are primarily focused on serving their customers. This makes networking a challenge in terms of time, especially in difficult times like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kolehmainen described how their organisations have tried to offer various opportunities to facilitate networking and interaction between entrepreneurs. In these events, it is important to give entrepreneurs a clear role so that they feel part of the event and can contribute to the discussion. Kolehmainen also highlighted the importance of peer networks - for example, networks for young entrepreneurs and growth companies have been particularly important in the Northern Ostrobothnia region.
Outi Myllymaa, Chair of the MicroENTRE Partnership Network, highlighted the role of national and regional networks in supporting businesses and growth. She stressed that the networks provide valuable research knowledge and tools to help businesses develop their operations. In particular, she highlighted the role of networks in internationalisation and how they can open up new business opportunities. Ms. Myllymaa described how in their region the share of micro-enterprises is high and therefore the support provided by networks is vital for the growth and competitiveness of enterprises.
Myllymaa also mentioned that meetings and discussions in networks can generate new innovations and business opportunities. In particular, she highlighted how companies in different industries can benefit from each other's perspectives and find solutions they would not have achieved on their own.
The panellists agreed that building trust is the most important foundation for networking. Päivi Nummi stressed that without trust, there is no genuine cooperation. However, trust does not happen by itself, it takes time and concrete actions. Outi Myllymaa pointed out that trust in networks can also open doors to innovation. When entrepreneurs and experts from different sectors share knowledge and experience, new ideas and solutions can emerge in unexpected ways.
Martti Saarela added that in a successful network, trust and cooperation can achieve more than the individual contributions of the parties involved. A network with strong trust and clear structures can deliver results that exceed expectations and help companies achieve their goals.
Discussants also highlighted concrete solutions to the challenges of networking. Henna Väätäinen mentioned that the key to the success of networks is that they are sufficiently concrete and are linked to the everyday life of companies. In other words, networking should provide added value that can be easily applied to the day-to-day operations of the company.
Jaana Jeminen pointed out that developing sustainability in micro-enterprises is one example of how networking can help businesses in concrete ways. Ms. Jeminen said that the sustainability projects she leads are based on close cooperation and identification of customer needs. In this case, supply coincides with concrete challenges. Sustainability issues are not always straightforward, but through networks, companies can get the support and tools they need to develop sustainability.
Martti Saarela stressed that the mindset of continuous learning should also be brought to micro-enterprises. In larger companies, development activities are commonplace, but in micro-enterprises the lack of resources can make development work more challenging.
At the Kerttu Saalasti seminar, the talk about networks did not stop at the level of an idea, but the participants' expertise was also sought in joint discussions. MicroENTRE, the micro-entrepreneurship research group responsible for the content of the seminar, wanted to gather hopes, ideas and concrete suggestions for future research and projects. At the same time, it was possible to hear what is topical for the different actors at the moment.
The thematic coffee tables discussed five pre-agreed themes: business growth and internationalisation, entrepreneurial skills and adaptability, networks in business services, entrepreneurship education and building an entrepreneurial culture, and sustainability.
In order to make the discussions function as genuine networking places, and not as chats between acquaintances and colleagues, no one could choose the topic themselves. On leaving the seminar room, participants were given tickets with tables marked on them. This allowed participants to be distributed across a wide range of tables.
Each table had a chairperson and a scribe to guide the participants through the theme. For each table, the facilitators had prepared in advance a "thesis" around which the discussion would be launched, as well as questions on the theme. The themes were directly linked to the themes of the seminar and the seminar provided a lot of input for the discussion tables.
"According to the theme of the seminar "Let's work together!" the coffee table discussions were very much about working together on a sunny Friday afternoon, amidst happy, active chatter in a delightful and inspiring art setting. The event gave us a lot of new ideas for further work", praised Heidi Pasanen from MicroENTRE, the BIOTUTO project manager responsible for the practical organisation of the coffee table discussions.
Watch the seminar here (in Finnish except the speech of Assistant Professor Robert van der Have, which is in English).
Text and photo: Minna Kilpeläinen, Communications Specialist, M.Phil., M.Ed., University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute
In Kerttu Saalasti Institute's blog we write about the topics of the Institute's research groups, micro entrepreneurship education and the Institute's general topics. The authors are researchers, experts and members of networks.
Our topics are: micro entrenepreneurship, future manufacturing technologies, regional excellence, micro entrepreneurship education