Kevin Eyres, head of Tech City’s mentorship programme, knows a thing or two about networking; below he shares his 5 top tips for entrepreneurs looking to make the most of Tech City’s many opportunities for meeting people and building contacts:

1) Meet as many people as possible

When starting out it’s worth meeting as many people as you can. Even just speaking to friends and friends of friends can help you when starting out, and professional networking events can also provide opportunities.

You never know who will be able to help you. Even if someone you meet isn’t able to help you directly, they may be able to put you in touch with someone who can, or be able to help you further down the line.

2) Know why you’re networking

Have a goal in mind when you’re meeting people so that you know what you need. What are the gaps in your business or team that you need to fill?

You could be seeking a business partner or meeting a connector who can put you in touch with crucial contacts. By meeting people you can fulfil many objectives to strengthen your start-up and help it succeed, but different targets will apply if you’re seeking funding versus recruiting new talent.

3) Understand your value proposition

Every entrepreneur has an idea that provides the starting point for their venture. What elevates that idea is knowing that it solves a real problem. You know what you want to do, but why? What’s the benefit to others?

Being able to effectively communicate that will demonstrate that your idea has substance to back it up and will help when sourcing investment to get it off the ground.

4) Networking is a virtuous cycle

You should not be meeting people with the sole intention of benefiting yourself and your business. Other people will be more inclined to do something that benefits them, and demonstrating how you can help them and their companies in turn will attract support for yourself.

You get back what you give, so supporting other people is important, especially in the start-up community where companies collaborate and help each other constantly

5) Be authentic

Above all, you should be yourself when networking. Don’t just be a walking pitch – be who you are. If you’re eccentric, then be eccentric. If not, don’t try to be. Playing a role rather than being you will weaken your approach and others will pick up on it. It’s not worth it in the long run!

So those are Kevin’s tips – but what do you think? Let us know, either in the comments or on Twitter!