Showerthought: Are formal networking events in Phoenix worth the time anymore?

I keep seeing people spend $50 on tickets for crowded mixers but never make real connections, while my best client came from a casual coffee chat in Tempe. Which approach actually works for building a business network here?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_angela1mo ago

Can I count my awkward small talk as a business expense?

hart.cora1mo ago

Awkward small talk" feels like a stretch to me. The coffee meeting example works because there was a clear goal, even if the chat was bad. But just random uncomfortable talk at the office mixer? The IRS wants a real business link. You need to show you were trying to get a client or learn something specific, not just that you suffered through a boring talk about the weather.

hart.cora1mo ago

Honestly, you probably can if it happened at a work event. I've written off coffee meetings that were mostly painful chit-chat. Just keep a note of who you met and the business reason.