Collaboration Matters

 

Collaboration? Is this something you have considered for your business?

 

Of course, we can be a matter of fact and write down the practical advantages: leveraging someone else’s audience, widening your reach, sharing the workload, etc.

 

However for me, the advantages of collaboration run much deeper - they help me feel more fulfilled in my business, achieve things that would otherwise be out of reach, and make new and valued friendships.

 

Collaboration brings us together. As solopreneurs, running your business can be fulfilling, exhilarating, and joyful. I love the freedom and flexibility it gives me, so I can be there for my sons and choose the hours I work. However, it can also be isolating and exhausting. A lot of hours are spent by myself in front of my computer.

 

In my previous corporate role, I managed sporting events at some of the world’s biggest venues. Through both my job and the events that we hosted I saw the power of teams, and the energy that comes from being part of something bigger than yourself.

 

Collaborating with other business owners allows me to combine the best of both worlds - the freedom of running my own business and the sense of community that comes when you are working with others.

 

Collaborating with the right person

 

So how do you find the right person to collaborate with?

 

Here are a few questions to consider:

 

• Do you have a similar customer base? Will your ‘fans’ be interested in your collaborators’ products and vice versa?

 

• Do they share your brand’s feel? Consider the tone of your marketing, the personality of your business, and the general vibe - do these match?

 

• Do you share similar values? For instance, is sustainability crucial to both of you? Do you value the same qualities in your products?

 

• Will your customers benefit from your collaboration? Will it allow you to offer them something more?

 

 

Lean into your intuition. Take time to get to know who you might be collaborating with. You will know whether it feels right. If it does it will be magic. It will spark big new ideas for both of you, and the work will flow. Soon you will be achieving more than you thought possible, and enjoy doing it with a new business best friend.

 

Combining skills and ideas, building a sense of community, and starting exciting new projects, that is what I love to do in my business. It keeps me passionate and excited about what lies ahead. 

 

Who can you reach out to for a collaboration?