In running the Internet Networking Group at the WBLDC we've found that a meeting should last from 1 and 1/2 hours to 2 hours long. We divide our meeting up into 4 four sections, Introduction, Main Topic Presentation, Open Discussion and Social Time. We meet once a month but you may adjust this to what your group needs.

Find a place to meet: Check with local business help groups, the local Chamber of Commerce or SCORE and ask if they will help sponsor your group. They may even have space for you to meet or can help you find a space that will be available. They will be interested in helping you grow and may have assistance available, materials and workshops.

Find members: Send a press release to the business editor of your local paper about the group you are starting. Post it on online boards or on Craig's List, send emails and ask people to pass it on, post a flyer at the local Library and Community Center. In your publicity be sure to mention that you are looking for people with established online businesses and newbies, that you're looking to share knowledge and experience and that all levels will benefit. Include a beginning topic to get people's cusiosity piqued.

Here's some suggestions:

Members can take turns preparing and giving a short 5-10 presentation about the topic with handouts and information sheets. Suggest that people not only talk about what they know but consider taking on a topic they want to know more about. Their research can then be presented to the group and everyone benefits.

It's important to keep everyone up to speed during the presentation and to allow for questions and additonal information. A computer projector will let everyone see the web sites that are being discussed. If you don't have a projector you may be able to use a couple of computers or laptops. Be sure to give a hand out with the sites that were mentioned in the presentation so people can look it up later on their own. Choose one person as the moderator to keep the discussion going, to be sure everyone has a turn to speak and to help wind it up to go on to the next section of the meeting.

3. Open Discussion --- For this section of the meeting encourage people to share information about a project that they are working on, to ask questions they might have or ask for advice or assistance. It's up to the whole group to try and answer the questions and share their know-how. This open ended discussion is very useful. Not only will it help anyone who is stuck or needs inspiration but it's a good way to find out what the group is interested in and to develop a list of future meeting topics. The moderator can help here to keep the talk focused in the group and on the topic. Anyone who needs extensive help can be referred to the right person or place or worked with after the meeting. It helps to get everyone involved in the discussion and keep it moving.

4. Social Time ---- Try to allow time at the end of the meeting for casual conversation. That's often when connections are made, help is arranged and people get to talk one on one for encouragement and inspiration. Be sure to announce the next meeting time, date and the topic.

Good Luck from the Staten Island Netpreneurs - The Internet Networking Group !