There are many things that can be done in less than five minutes . In that time frame , youcan microwave a meal , sing a song , fill up yourgas tank , and now business networking can be added to that list . The latter was the focus of an event called 5-Minute Networking that was held at the Mill on the River restaurant in South Windsor on Dec . 3 .

“ Many times yougo to networking groups and youleave there only meeting two or three people . It can also be really uncomfortable introducing yourself, or people get monopolized by one person , so I thought what would be a great way to meet people in a quick and efficient fashion , ” said president and owner of Thrive Assistant Services , Melissa Bochet , who organized the event . “ I thought about speed dating , and sure enough , I found out someone else was doing [ speed networking ] online . I also found some free software programs to help facilitate it . ”

This is how the 5-minute networking worked ; there were tables set up with 20 individuals representing a variety of different businesses , including banking , real estate , electricians , marketing , lawyers , and designers-who remained stationary . Another group of individuals moved from table-to-table , speaking with the people in the first group .

“ Before they signed up , people could pick particular industries they preferred to meet with , ” said Bochet . “ For instance , a mortgage broker may want to meet with a realtor . So I would set it up so that we could try to make sure that we best optimize their positioning so they could meet the person in the industry they prefer . ”

The meetings lasted five minutes , during which small talk took place , business cards were exchanged , and future connections were made . After the five minutes were up , Bochet would ring a bell , signaling it was time to move on to the next seat where the process began all over again . The networking is mainly for business purposes , but sometimes there are personal connections made .

“ I had a ball just learning about other people’s businesses , ” said Jeff Roberts of Manchester , who is an electrical contractor with RMS and was one of those who remained stationary . “ It turned out that I found a lot more work for other people , and I’m of the mind set that if youhelp other people , then it will come back to you. ”

Nancy Sarra-Allen , a photographer who owns her own photography business in South Windsor , said she enjoyed the format that was used for the event .

“ I thought it was fun because you’renot at one station for long , ” she said . “ You’re just there long enough to introduce yourselfand get a feel for what they do , and they get a feel for what youdo . You get their card , and afterwards , if youwant to pursue them or if youthink that it would be worth yourwhile , youcan . Plus , if youare talking with someone that you’renot interested in connecting with , the five minutes can feel too long . ”

Bochet said she hopes to expand the 5-minute networking to be held every month and she hopes to also bring the event to other towns throughout the entire state . For more information on future events , visit the Web site www . thriveassistants . com .