There are thousands of articles written on how to make the most of networking events. Most of the articles offer advice on how to find clients at those events.

Here’s another reason to network: finding future consultants, partners, and employees to help grow your business. At some point you will need to hire a virtual assistant, accountant, project manager, etc. How will you find the right person/firm to hire? Let me tell you, it’s much harder than you think.

Before you begin your search for the right person to hire, you must narrowly define the mission, vision, and ideal client for your business. Why does this matter? Because the consultants and employees you hire can’t help carry out the mission of your business if they don’t understand it.

Defining the mission, vision, and ideal client for your business is just the start. Determining what tasks to delegate will help you spend your money efficiently and get the results you want. Here’s something else to consider. If you’re not sure it’s time to hire a person to help you, does it make sense to invest in software such as task/project management, CRM (contact relationship management), etc?

So the next time you attend a networking event, consider whether the people you meet might be someone you could hire someday and not just a potential client. And don’t forget the networking you are doing on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.