It's Who You Know If you really know how to work your connections, a successful startup is less than 6 degrees away.

The saying goes that every person on earth is separated fromevery other person by only six degrees. That means yourfriend's brother's nephew's wife could know MichaelDell, Donald Trump or Martha Stewart. You could conceivably be onlya few networking steps away from someone who could help you getyour business off the ground--be it an industry contact, a toplawyer or a state government official. You've heard all aboutthe importance of networking, but what about harvesting your ownnetwork to uncover someone who just might be able to get you intouch with a stellar business contact? That's six-degreenetworking.

Even if you don't think you know someone who can help,you'd be surprised. What about an old schoolmate you sendholiday cards to? Who might she know? Or could your softballteammate have a brother in the same industry in which you hope tohang your shingle?

Perhaps the biggest benefit of using the "six degrees ofseparation" method is that you have an "in" withthis new person. Since your friend of a friend is opening the door,you're not exactly a stranger. "The whole key to sixdegrees is you're coming with a reference; you're not coldcalling," says Keith Ferrazzi, author of Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationshipat a Time and CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight, a marketing and salesconsulting and training firm in Los Angeles. "You'recoming with a warm lead, so to speak."

A Friend of a Friend
A warm lead is exactly how Paul Taylor found someone who could helphim get his specialty clothing business off the ground. Taylor, 36,had been working as an arborist and found that his work clothingwasn't as practical for tending trees as he would've liked.He wanted to combine the durability of a canvas work pant with theagility and great fit of a rock-climbing pant--so in 1997, helaunched Arborwear LLC from his parents' Cleveland-areahome.

Like any entrepreneur excited about a new idea, Taylor wastalking about the venture one day with a friend who was also anarborist. This friend happened to have a friend whose sister workedin a New York City fashion enterprise. Taylor called that friend ofa friend, who then introduced Taylor to his fashion-industrysister. "I called her, and I ran the whole idea by her. Shedidn't know anything about chain saws or tree work orarborists, but she said, 'The key to it is that you have aniche, and that's really the only place you can ever hope toget started,'" recalls Taylor. "I wound up going toNew York City and meeting [this contact]. She loaned me a cellphone and gave me this list of people to see aboutfabric."

Taylor's fashion-industry contact was so helpful andencouraging, in fact, that he credits her with helping him launchhis business. "She gave me confidence that this was a goodidea--and she gave me a push in the right direction," hesays.

Sincerity is the key to making the six-degree method ofnetworking work for you, according to experts. If you go to peoplethinking only about what's in it for you, you'll turn off alot of potential contacts. "As you approach these individuals,be sure you've clearly defined what you can do for them,"says Ferrazzi. "Generosity is the [key] to your success withrelationships. Defining what currency you have--what you can do forothers-is crucial."

If you can bring something to the table, do it. If youcan't, as was the case with Taylor and the fashion-industrycontact, display complete humility, and be genuine in yourcommunication with contacts. Says Taylor, "The thing thathelped me most was that I never lied, [though] I always tried tosound like I knew what I was talking about. I really found thatpeople bent over backward to help me."

To get started, plumb your expertise, and look for things tooffer. Taylor, for instance, was able to barter his tree-removalservices with a lawyer he met through another friend--he got legalservices to help set up his business, and the lawyer got a problemtree removed from his property. Cultivating contacts has paid offfor Taylor, whose $1.5-million business now sells its Arborwearline of specialty climbing and outdoor-work clothing online. Thecompany's line of pants, shirts, T-shirts, belts and hats isalso sold through retailers such as REI nationwide.

Coincidental Meeting

The seeds of your six-degree network can grow in the mostunlikely places. You might sit next to someone on an airplane, orbe chatting with someone as you wait for an elevator, when businesskismet strikes--so be sure to bring your game face with youwherever you go. "Every interaction with anybody countsbecause it reflects on your brand," says Alaina G. Levine,president of Quantum Success Solutions, a Tucson, Arizona, companythat provides expertise on topics such as PR, personal branding andmarketing.

Kaz Kihara always had his business idea in the back of his head.While working for a CPA firm in the late 1990s, he was attendingnight school and started chatting with one of his classmates. Thetwo struck up a friendly rapport, and Kihara learned his classmatewas the chief information officer for an $80-million company in themedical services industry. In 1999, when Kihara decided to startPremier Data Technology Inc., a Torrance, California, provider ofIT services to small and midsize companies, this high-levelexecutive hooked him up with a former colleague--who became one ofKihara's first and largest clients.

Keeping his six-degree network of contacts in mind at all times,Kihara regularly calls his contacts socially--not always with aspecific business goal in mind, but to keep those lines ofcommunication open. "While I'm driving in my car, I callmy clients, friends, ex-employees, just to see how everything'sgoing," says Kihara, 35.

And just like the experts suggest, he approaches contacts withways of helping their businesses. Says Kihara, "I try not todo it too aggressively--I usually try to know the person or helpthat person in their business or personally. How can I help them sothat they might want to help me out?"

There's one definite no-no of the six-degree system:Don't be too pushy or aggressive when pursuing your leads. Anddon't rush a connection too quickly, says Steve Harper, authorof The Ripple Effect: Maximizing the Power of Relationships forYour Life and Business. "If person A can get youaligned with person B, but you don't have enough rapport builtup with person A, you have a tendency to really burn abridge," he says. "You [can] make people feel used andseedy in the process [by] leapfrogging them. It's reallyimportant to let everybody know that they're individuallyimportant in the process--and give the proper credit to person Afor opening that door of opportunity." You can do that byfollowing up with a thank you, he notes.

Ever appreciative of his business relationships, Kihara'scompany grew to a second location in Las Vegas in May thanks tosix-degree networking. He is currently establishing and buildingrelationships in Asia with hopes of bringing his services to theJapanese market, which will likely push sales past the 2005projections of more than $2.4 million.

Proactive Network
Consider the biblical adage "seek, and ye shall find"when it comes to six-degree networking. As Ferrazzi notes, you haveto be proactive when employing this approach during startup. First,you must decide exactly what type of startup help you need: Are youlooking for someone to help finance your business? A mentor toteach you about your industry? A source of great employees?"Once you identify what you want to achieve, you canspecifically target the individuals you need to associate with toachieve [your] goals," says Ferrazzi. "Some are going tobe prospective clients, community leaders, influencers,etc."

That kind of preparation is precisely what helped Cindy Pagebuild her Blockhead Bath line of bath and body products. Whenshe launched her company in 2002, she needed help determining hercompany name in addition to general information about the bath andbody industry. A former assistant buyer for Filene's, Page knewa vendor who referred her to a friend who worked in marketing for alarge bath and body manufacturer--and she was able to glean a lotof industry knowledge from that contact. "When I talked tothat person, I really made sure I had a goal in mind and the kindsof questions I wanted to ask [all prepared]," says Page, 35."I made sure I did my homework."

Do your homework, and don't be afraid to ask politely forwhat you need. But, Ferrazzi cautions: "You've got to makesure the intimacy you have with them is commensurate with therequest." There's a fine line between being proactive andbeing aggressive, but experts agree that many people are willing tohelp if you approach them in a positive, "what can I do foryou" kind of way.

It's really just being brave enough to open your mouth aboutyour business. Says Page, "I tapped into every friend, everytrusted colleague, every business associate." A friend of aformer co-worker, for instance, was organizing a Ronald McDonaldHouse fund-raising event; thanks to that connection, the organizertapped Blockhead Bath to donate to the silent auction-a social coupand a brand boost. Page was also invited to participate in a salesevent at an arts fair in Chicago when a friend of hers, who went tocollege with the person who ran the fair, put in a good word. Thereal-life implication of such relationships is clear: Page has seenher company's 2005 sales approach $500,000, and her companycurrently sells its products online at www.blockheadbath.com and at the Amazon.com Beauty store. SaysPage, "People like to do business with people they know, andthey like to help people they know-or kind of know."

Six Degrees of Success

It would seem that using your six-degree network of contacts isnot only smart for business, it's essential. "It'samazing to think that we are connected to every other person on theplanet by only six steps, which means there are unlimited businessopportunities out there," says Levine.

And if you've learned anything, it's that this isn'tjust an easy, one-time gig. It's important to keep yoursix-degree network thriving as you grow your business."It's a never-ending process. It isn't just going toevents and collecting business cards--it's about finding peopleyou can build something with and cultivate a relationship[with]," says Harper. "It's a lot of hard work tobuild that trust and rapport, but you'll be rewarded handsomelybecause you're willing to put the time and effort intoit." Cultivating your six-degree network is a deliberate andvaluable act, so tend to it as you would a garden, and watch thebusiness opportunities grow.

6 Ways to Start 6-degree NetworkingRight Now
Ready to build and cultivate your own connections? These six actionsteps will help you get your six-degree network up and running:

• 1. Make a list of the 250 people most important to you.Keith Ferrazzi, CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight, a marketing and salesconsulting and training firm in Los Angeles, suggests you considerbusiness leaders, community leaders, friends and family--basicallyanyone who can help you and to whom you might have something tooffer. Start cultivating those relationships.
• 2. Become a master at relationships. It's not justabout picking up the phone; it's about creating long-termconnections and developing a real rapport. Ferrazzi says toremember things like your contacts' birthdays and favoritehobbies.
• 3. Join business and social groups. Start attendingmeetings, luncheons, mixers, whatever--anything that will buildyour contact list. "As you grow [your] business, yourcircle--your network- should grow as well," says ZoeAlexander, networking expert and founder of Divas Who DineLLC, a women's business networking group in New YorkCity.
• 4. Assess your attributes. Clearly define what you canbring to the table for all your new contacts. The more you bring tothe party, the more willing people will be to help you, Alexanderpoints out.
• 5. Engage in conversations. No matter where you are,start talking with your seatmate or line buddy. Ask questions abouttheir business or industry and talk a bit about yours, Levinesuggests. You'll get ideas, inspiration and, if you'relucky, a really good six-degree contact.
• 6. Bone up on current events. "Leaders arereaders," says Steve Harper, author of The Ripple Effect:Maximizing the Power of Relationships for Your Life and Business.To be relevant to your desired contacts, you've got to stayabreast of news, happenings and the like. Doing so will also giveyou good conversation-starters for any networking situation.