So, the economy is still stuck in the ditch, getting better, but nothing to write home about. You have most likely noticed that most of your local restaurants are not quite as busy as they were a year ago. This is where your opportunity to make money by helping people network comes in.

Find a local establishment that has room to host a decent size group, one with a large banquet room or bar. And preferably one that is friendly and customer focused. Schedule a meeting with the owner or manager and pitch him your plan to help him increase his business by hosting networking nights.

Here is your pitch (loosley) to make money by helping people network:

You will take care of placing the advertising and doing the promotion for the networking groups and the restaurant will provide the cheap drinks and appetizers. You make money by helping people network by charging the restaurant a fee for each group. This fee would include any advertising and promotional expenses, plus your fee. Too keep you promotional cost down, take advantage of places to advertise for free, such as Craigslist, social networking sites (such as Facebook and Twitter) and local bulletin boards. Also, word of mouth is a great way to spread the word for a local event. You could also charge each person attending a small cover fee, like $5. However I would keep this low.

You could organize a Financial Planners Night, an Artists Night, a Moms Who Work at Home Night. You get the idea, be creative and see were it takes you. You could even try hosting a night for specific Astrological signs; can you imagine a room full of Leos?

The restaurant wins by gaining more exposure and potential new customers, especially as the economy improves (and it is improving). It is undeniable that those establishments that cater to their clientele, especially during an economic downturn, are more likely to survive and thrive. And the group wins by being able to host their venue in a nice establishment with minimal expense. You can obviously structure the financial fees however you like. Be fair and reasonable, and know that you are benefiting both parties. No, you will not become a millionaire with this idea, however you can definitely generate some cash for yourself, meet new people and hopefully have some fun. You never know what connections you might make that could lead to something else.

I wish I could take credit for this idea to make money by helping people network, but the truth is, a friend came up with it. I thought it was such a simple win-win idea and any mom with a little PR-savvy could run with it.

Good luck and think green
Evalee