How to build your London business tribe

London is one of the world’s major business hubs, so if you are starting your career, it can be pretty scary. Luckily, everyone wants to have their own business tribe and, today, we are going to tell you some of the ways that you can do that in London. 

Network relentlessly

One thing to do is to network in both virtual and physical spaces. In fact, you will want to attend as many vaguely-related business events as you can, from the largest conferences to the most informal business social gatherings, both in person and online. Some teams prefer team-building outside the City, while others opt for live events within London’s business core or online. For instance, escape rooms and casinos qualify pretty high on those lists of preferences. With the UK’s relatively relaxed laws around betting and gambling, for instance, you can also socialise at UK online casinos, or their offline counterparts, where people from all social backgrounds gather to play and exchange ideas. While you’re there, try to chat, mingle, and hang out as much as possible.

People might think that someone who is talking about work and business partnerships of whatever kind is going to be a bit too pushy and want to avoid having any dealings with them, so just socialise in the way you normally would. And joining business groups that are already there, whether it’s on an online platform such as WeWork or in a local association, can give you a ready-made circle of people whom you can meet and help form your tribe.

Know what you want

That said, you could be the world’s greatest networker, but it won’t do you that much good if you don’t know what you want. You need to get your priorities in order. Do you want your tribe to be one of mentors, one of collaborators, one of potential clients, or one of people who do the same sort of thing you do and can give you some mutual support? It is also good if you understand what your sector’s culture is like. In London, people who work in finance are going to be very different from people who work in tech, who are going to be different from people who work in creative start-ups, and so on and so on. Keep in mind, too, that things can vary from company to company, but with a House of Commons report claiming that there are nearly one million businesses in London, there will be opportunities for you if you know what you want. 

Be persistent

If you want to get anywhere with anything, let alone finding your business tribe in London, you will need to be persistent. Now, it is very important to point out that being persistent isn’t the same thing as being annoying. You should, however, consider sending follow-up messages after meeting someone, just to say it was nice to get to know them. And if you want to meet them again and build your network, then you can do more than just get a coffee or something like that. Instead, you can see about sharing one of your resources with them, or even help them build their network by letting them know about another event. Meanwhile, you can attend the same events regularly. This will mean that people recognise you more, which, in turn, will mean that you’ll start to become established. This might take a little while, but that’s OK. London is a very busy place, but even so, connections will always take a little while to build up properly. So long as you turn up and keep your word, things will happen. 

Diversity and scale

London is one of the most diverse cities in the world. A study from 2005 found that more than 300 languages were spoken in London and there were restaurants from more than 70 countries and cultures – figures that have almost certainly risen since then –  which, along with the sheer number of businesses and companies in the capital, gives an indication of how many opportunities there could be out there. With so many opportunities, though, knowing where to start can end up feeling a little overwhelming. This is where knowing where and how to scale things can come in handy. Attending big events so you can at least introduce yourself to new people works well, because it’s a case of meeting as many people as you can and then, ultimately, whittling it down to the 10 or 20 people who will end up being your real business tribe via further meetings and discussions. It’s useful to remember that you’ll have an outer circle of acquaintances and an inner circle of friends in the world of business, so it’s important to work out which group someone will end up in.