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There’s no reason that you should neglect opportunities to network and find more business simply because you’re in a car or in a plane. In fact, you may have a ton of extra time while you’re travelling, and that’s time that can be spent being productive. In some cases, the two tools below can even help you score a good meal or a couch to crash on while you’re out of town, too.
Startup Stay
This online community gives you the opportunity to interact with other company owners that want to make a new friend or two. Usually these company owners are willing to offer up spare rooms and beds for the night as well. The site only launched in the middle of last year, and it already has over five thousand community members in various cities (including popular stops like New York). If you’re afraid that the people on that website aren’t trustworthy for whatever reason, when you do a search, entrepreneurs pop up with not only a name and location, but references, LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, and what kind of lodgings they have to offer. You can send as many requests as you’d like for free, and the business people on the other end get to choose whether they agree to put you up or not.
Here on Biz
If you have an iPhone or an iPad, Here on Biz is a free application that can help you connect with nearby LinkedIn members, including those who are in one of your networks. The app launched in August of 2012 and has almost 10,000 members. If no one is in your immediate vicinity, the app search area can be widened to a larger area. Here on Biz is basically another social networking website, but it can be useful when trying to connect with mentors or other people in your niche.
