Relationship building is critical to entrepreneur and business success. It’s important to have a community of other business owners to network, share leads, and find your tribe. Because of this, we have updated our list of the best networking for small business owners in San Diego.
These groups will give you access to like-minded people who you can network with, resources you can use to grow your business and, potentially, capital you will need to get started.
If you live in San Diego and you are a business owner, here are 18 groups you should consider joining:
- San Diego Entrepreneur Meetup Group – Taking its inspiration from business guru Seth Godin, this group believes the business world will continue its march away from industrialism and toward a “connection economy”. This means that the real value is created through the human connections business people make.
- Six Degrees Networking – Six Degrees is an exclusive referral group filled with vetted professionals who are serious about advancing their careers through meaningful relationships with trusted peers. There are two different groups you can join as well as events throughout San Diego County.
- San Diego Young Entrepreneur Network Meetup Group – Not just for networking, this group is also for young entrepreneurs to stay up-to-date on innovative technology. Each week, the group gives a guest speaker 15 – 20 minutes to talk about a technique that is currently working for them so others may learn from it.
- San Diego Small Business Meetup Group – The San Diego Small Business Meetup Group holds semi-regular networking events, workshops, speaker events and personal development opportunities for entrepreneurs in San Diego.
- San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce – San Diego’s Chamber of Commerce is filled with active members. If you take advantage of their events, meetings, and resources, you would have the opportunity to network with and learn from more than 2,500 business people throughout San Diego County.
- San Diego Entrepreneurs Exchange – A nonprofit organization, the Exchange is run by local entrepreneurs to encourage new entrepreneurs, and sponsor networking and educational services for people interested in Life Sciences, Biotech, Pharma, Medical Devices, Tech, and Alternative Energy.
- Sales And Marketing Leadership Alliance – A favorite of our sales and marketing team, the Sales and Marketing Leadership Alliance (SMLA) is a great networking group with topics that focus on business leadership. They do focus more on sales and marketing, with an objective to build a community of sales and marketing professionals, providing world-class educational opportunities while connecting these professionals to the region’s top-notch resource providers.
- San Diego Venture Group – Another non-profit business association, its mission is to support and promote the venture capital and startup eco-system in the San Diego region. The group includes venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, experienced executives, and professionals who support them.
- Startup Grind San Diego – Another global group, Startup Grind is sponsored by Google for Entrepreneurs and has a presence in a multitude of cities around the world. It hosts events throughout the year.
- Youth Entrepreneurship Program San Diego – Featuring lessons, mentoring and counseling, this group focuses on young people who are interested in starting their own business. It even has a business plan competition for them to enter.
- Entrepreneur Organization (EO) San Diego – A global organization, EO is a network of more than 12,000+ business owners. They have 170 chapters in 53 countries. In San Diego, there are more than 150 members with median sales of approximately $2M. EO isn’t for everyone, but those who are members tend to be raving fans.
- Connect – Connect gives entrepreneurs access to people, capital and technology that can help grow their startups. It holds events throughout the year.
- The VineSD – The VineSD connects entrepreneurs and allows them to grow under one roof. The organization has partnerships with EvoNexus, ROC, Irvine Company and ReadyNow®.
- San Diego SCORE – A volunteer-run non-profit organization with a mission to promote the success of small business in both San Diego and Imperial Counties, SCORE mentors provide free and confidential business assistance to entrepreneurs and existing small business owners.
- Exceptional Entrepreneurs – Founded in 2008, Exceptional Entrepreneurs has four weekly networking events in San Diego. No membership is required, but there is a small cost.
- LeTip of Greater San Diego – A referral marketing group, similar to BNI, LeTip of Greater San Diego gives members the opportunity to network with people outside of their field. Members exchange business referrals and leads, network and build their community in San Diego.
- San Diego Business Networking Group – The purpose of SDBNG is to foster relationships and business for group members. As a non-profit, they also aim to use their network, time and resources to support charitable organizations and causes in San Diego.
- San Diego Women in Business Groups – Last but definitely not least, San Diego has a very active community of women entrepreneurs. From the Athena San Diego to Women’s Wisdom, and all the groups in between, there is a large number of exciting networking opportunities for women entrepreneurs!
Join Primary Funding at the local San Diego community events for business owners in San Diego!
