The Value of Partnerships for Small Businesses
We all know that starting a business means a lot of hard work. A one-man show business isn’t much different. Acquiring new customers, bookkeeping, sales, organizing a merchant account, design a website, keeping the burn-rate low and balancing a tight budget while expanding the business.
That´s hard work and a lot of new stuff to most entrepreneurs. You can only be an expert in a few fields, a jack of all trades hardly ever is a true expert on any subject. What can we do, to make an entrepreneur´s life a bit easiser?
1. Be social!
Tell your friends your ideas ask them what they think and what they would change. That´s cost-free feedback.
If you’re one of those people who’s afraid that somone could steal your precious ideas, how much is your idea worth if you can’t monetize on it? Good feedback is essential for business success, embrace it. And by the way, never mind competitors – watch them closely and study them – and they will help you to become better at what you do, too.
Ask your friends and business partners when you have an issue at hand. Ask if they may know someone who can help out. Use social networks like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and so on. Post your questions to all of your friends, post your services and products as well. People want to know about your business and which services or products you have to offer. A sure-fire way to get help is to provide help. Connect with your circle of acquaintances and help them wherever you can. This creates trust and trust is one of the most important parameters in marketing.
You will meet heaps of new people, keep in touch with the long standing contacts and eventually the one or other business partnership will develop. There are many new customer in the social business cloud waiting for you!
2. Outsourcing is a must!
Another way to redurce your “every day overhead” that prevents you from aquiring new customers or whatever you have to do to keep your business running is to source out some parts of you business. Many start-up entrepreneurs think nothing can be done properly without them. Mistake. Big Mistake.
Why do practically all businesses outsource parts of their business? You have friends and partners they are also experts in some fields. Take the chance and unclutter your every day overhead so that you have time to focus on the really important things: to grow your business.
- If you are NOT an expert in webdesign and SEO, hire experts in those fields. They can do the task at hand faster, better and more often than not, cheaper than you. Meanwhile you have time to do more important things for your business.
- If you are NOT an expert in merchat accounts, do your research and ask as many providers as you can. Ask them all questions you’re interested in, write down the answers and re-read the answers; if necessary give them repeated calls until you find a provider you can trust.
Carefully choose the parts of your business you consider strategic, source out the parts where you´re the layman. Be social every day, every minute and you will see, life will become easier by the day.
Kind Regards,