Collaboration is an Entrepreneur’s Best Friend
As entrepreneurs, we are always looking to create something, whether it is a new business, or new opportunities for our current business. Where business is concerned, to generate momentum of any kind you have to be able to build relationships, whether it’s with your target audience, your team, your investors, or anyone who would affect or be affected by what you do. It is all about collaboration.
The old adage for child-rearing “It takes a village” rings true when it comes to entrepreneurship. To get to success with your venture, you will need to tap into a number of different support channels. Here is why this collaborative approach is so important:
Whether you like it or not, you don’t know everything. It can often be hard to admit your weaknesses, but as an entrepreneur, the sooner you can identify what you do well and what you don’t means that you can find people to fill the gaps for you. Of course there are tasks that you can learn, but you have to weigh the pros and cons of adding that longer learning curve into your timeline. More often than not, it’s worth it to just hire someone to fill your gaps.
The more you learn to talk about your business, the better it will become. It can be true that too many cooks in the kitchen make life difficult, however, if you have the right number of cooks, then you can add a bunch of amazing flavours to your meal – a fusion. The same can be said for your business. You need to learn to talk about what you do and be able to talk about the brand. Collaboration with the right people will give you the opportunity to get valuable feedback that can help to build your brand.
Learn from mistakes. Not only can you learn from mistakes you have made in your entrepreneurial journey, but you can also learn from what others have done. Yes, sometimes, you just have to make your own path, but why not see how other people got there as well? The more people you talk to, you will be able to find trends and that will help you to determine what your path will look like.
To generate ideas is one thing, but to set them in motion is another. Most entrepreneurs need a support system, whether emotional, financial, or otherwise to get their idea off the ground. Burnout when starting a business can easily happen and one way to avoid it is to lean on others.
If you are ready to kick-start your collaborative juices as an entrepreneur, SongBird is a sponsor for the upcoming Immigrant Women’s Small Business Expo happening this weekend! The work that Canadian Small Business Women is doing to support women in business and encourage a collaborative spirit is extremely important. The event is free to attend and there will be a number of educational workshops and seminars in addition to the trade show featuring many businesses that can help move your business forward. Be sure to stop by our booth to talk a bit about your strategy.
Register for the event and take a huge step forward for your own business!
When: November 8, 2015 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Where: Atlantis Pavilion (Ontario Place), 955 Lakeshore Blvd. West, Toronto, ON M6K 3B9Details: Admission is FREE!
Image source (not the event flyer): freepik.com
