Those of us addicted to professional networking are in luck: a new app is here that will make our iPhones sizzle.
Networking events, trade fairs and professional meetings have become the best way to meet new contacts and discover new business opportunities. In times like these, the people who know how to get the most out of their network of contacts, and who are able to grow it effectively and sustainably, enjoy a real competitive advantage.
Ever since first the Palm, then the BlackBerry and then the iPhone and other smartphones arrived, networking has become easier and easier, and if you know how to use these devices they will be a great help to you.
Until now, as well as the classic address book where you can add your contacts’ photos, notes, dates and so on, we also had the option of exporting our contacts from Facebook, Xing or LinkedIn to our phone, adding more information, but… where are my contacts physically?
That is the solution offered by the Bizzonia app: it geolocates the professional profiles near your position, whether or not they are your contacts on other social networks, so it lets you discover both current and potential professional contacts. Here is the link to download it from iTunes.
It is something we networkers have always missed: knowing who is around us, because when you are at an event with more than 100 people you always miss some key contact, whether someone you already know or someone you would like to meet.
Bizzonia’s aim is to help us find these new business and professional growth opportunities in the real world. Anywhere in your city becomes a potential networking zone. Bizzonia is a free iPhone app that lets users find the contacts closest to their location, see their professional profile and contact those users directly through the chat, without needing their phone number or any other contact details.
Here it is in action, locating interesting people around us.
It couldn’t be easier: using your phone’s GPS, it will quickly locate your current contacts.
You will see the list of contacts and how far away they are from you, a bit like Foursquare.
As we are all more and more used to using Skype or WhatsApp, we will be able to chat with them.
If it is a contact we don’t know, you can add them to your network on Bizzonia, as if you had their business card.
The best thing about Bizzonia is that I know some of the brilliant people who created this app, and it is something they are passionate about.
So I wish them, and predict, success with their startup and their new app, which I hope will revolutionise networking a little more.
Happy Networking!