Collaboration: How to go about it and why you should
The world is more connected than ever before, providing more opportunities for business owners to network and seek opportunities for collaboration with other like-minded businesses. From referring new clients to each other to working on specific projects together, collaboration with other businesses can create a mutually beneficial relationship that’s sure to help you reach your business goals.
Why Collaborate?
It’s easy to think when starting out in business that you need to do it all yourself. While it’s important to put your business’s needs and goals first and to focus on your specific brand, collaboration is a fabulous way to share resources, contacts, and goals with other businesses in your field.
Collaboration could help you:
Compensate for your weaknesses while enhancing your strengths
Assist your clients in areas you are unable to help with
Gain more clients through referrals and partnerships
Tackle big projects you can’t do on your own
Think about all areas that you could collaborate on. Perhaps you’re looking for a partnership where you can refer clients on to each other for different but complementary services? Maybe you need help with a big upcoming project? Reaching out to your network and finding places to work together will not only help you achieve your business goals but also form lasting relationships with people who have similar goals to you.
How to Network
Living in the digital age, it’s easier than ever before to network with other businesses and individuals. One of the easiest ways to find similar businesses in your niche is through platforms such as LinkedIn, which was formed primarily for businesses to network and form business connections.
Once you’ve found your core group of connections, it’s time to use those connections to further network and collaborate where possible. When considering potential businesses to collaborate with, it’s important that they’re the right fit for you and your business. Do you share the same vision and goals? Does your approach to business align with theirs? Do you get along with your main contact for the business? Collaborations are supposed to make your life easier, not harder, so make sure you choose to collaborate with those who truly “get you” and your business.
Collaborating with Indigenous Businesses
For me, finding passionate people who I can work alongside is such a joy. Closing the Gap is no simple task, and finding others to help along the way, while changing mindsets regarding Indigenous employment, is a huge step towards changing the lives of Indigenous peoples in Australia.
Collaborating with an Indigenous business can be so rewarding – perhaps you’re a non-Indigenous business seeking to employ diverse personnel and/or educate your workplace about cultural diversity? Maybe you’re an employment provider seeking like-minded businesses who you can work alongside, with an Indigenous perspective? From providing opportunities for job-readiness and employment to educating the wider community, collaboration with Indigenous businesses can diversify your business while also helping Close the Gap.
Collaboration with an Indigenous business could:
Help provide opportunities for Indigenous peoples to engage in job-ready programs, learning valuable skills to prepare them for the workforce
Increase diversity in the workplace, by providing positions suitable for Indigenous staff
Assist in a greater understanding of cultural safety and diversity in the workplace
Provide rewarding opportunities to collaborate on unique projects and ventures with passionate people
I’ll always be on the lookout for business owners who are passionate about Closing the Gap, who want to provide opportunities for Indigenous peoples, and who are friendly and welcoming to all. If you’d like to work alongside Barra-gi, contact me today to chat about how we can help one another in business, while working towards Closing the Gap.
留言