2012 may be the year when our very business survival depends on the relationships we have developed with fellow businesses. There’s no indication the international economy is going to improve any time soon, in fact Europe is looking increasingly precarious and while we may be on the other side of the world any fallout will most certainly drift our way.

So, we can’t really expect much improvement, if any, in our local economy. In other words, things could get worse before they get better. We may need to look to our own resources and abilities instead to find a solution. One of those resources is the people we know and the businesses we already have a relationship with. Our network, if you like.

Keeping in touch with these people is no easy task, in fact it’s a lot like hard work. So how are you going to achieve that?

Here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

• A series of semi-personal emails sent over the course of the year
• A regular, printed or emailed newsletter
• Personally hand written cards
• Social media or online updates.

You’ll find a free communications plan template right here. Take a few minutes to work out what resources you have or need and then match it with what you want to achieve. Sketch out a time line with deadlines and you’re set to go.