Collaboration can be such a fabulous way to build a business—especially for a small home business with limited resources and a sole business owner. Finding people with whom to collaborate and finding collaboration opportunities can be challenging, however. Not only do we have to find those individuals we can trust and with whom we actually want to work—but we also have to be on the lookout for what is best for our businesses.
Collaborating with another business can be a good way to increase your customer base, provide services and products to your customers that you otherwise could not, and grow and expand your business brand—among other advantages. Collaborating can also be a way to share a marketing budget, share labor, and even spark creativity. In order to build strong collaborations, however, we first have to find people to collaborate with.
Keep your mind and eyes open as you look for collaboration opportunities. Think of other businesses or industries that seem a good “fit” with the work that you do and you might even look at larger competitors and companies and see if there are elements that they offer that you cannot—but that another small business could.
As you talk to your friends and colleagues, look for ways that you can compliment each other and partner up to expand the business efforts of both parties. If you are looking for ways to make a collaboration a win-win opportunity for all involved, you may be surprised at how many opportunities for collaborating there are for your home business. Take your time as you explore and problem-solve and be sure to research potential partners as you search for collaboration opportunities. Keep in mind that it does not have to be long-term collaborations to be advantageous for your business.