Relationships require ongoing maintenance

I mentioned in a previous newsletter I met with the husband/wife owners of a government contracting company.

They live in South Dakota for most of the year and are planning on moving there permanently.

Since I'm moving next year, I asked them if there have been any consequences to moving out of the DC area in terms of their business.

They said the main problem to solve is making sure you maintain relationships with the prime PMs and the customer.

If you're out of sight, you're out of mind, and it's hard to grow the business if you're not meeting with them at regular intervals.

They recommended coming out once ever 4-6 weeks to meet, have a drink, etc.

As a solo 1099, you're probably working pretty closely with the prime and the customer.

BUT, you still have an extended network that you don't work with directly you should stay in touch with.

In person is great, but so is a quick e-mail with an interesting article or even a phone call.

So be consistent and frequent with your network. If the only time you reach out to them is when you need something they won't be in your network for very long.

Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.