Had lunch today with Doreen Long of Allegra printing.  (If you haven’t met her you should) Her firm does a great job.

We have been friends for a number of years, but somehow time gets away from us, and it has been  a year since we did more then just nod at each other across a room.

So today we had lunch and caught up.  We discovered a lot had happened in our businesses since our last conversation.

• She has expanded her facility and added a new press - I have clients who can use this service
• We have hired two new employees and added an expertise in starter websites. She has clients who can use this service.

What a wake up call this meeting was for me!  Here is someone I like, and send referrals to, and yet, because we had not chatted in awhile, both of us have missed more then a few great opportunities.

The lesson - Stay connected.  Even as you meet new people, make sure you find time to get back together with old referral sources, and keep the relationships healthy!