Business owners tend to be fiercely independent, hardworking, and self-reliant. These excellent qualities, however, can become difficulties as time goes on.
Independence can become very lonely when it feels like the success of your business rests squarely on your shoulders. A hardworking perspective can mean long hours, while self-reliance can mean not asking for help, or feeling unable to ask for fresh ideas.
One way to navigate these difficulties is to consider collaborating with like-minded business owners.
Need convincing?
A little help can go a long way in helping you achieve your dreams. Along with help from your financial planner, a network of like-minded entrepreneurs and small business owners can give you the advice and support you need to put your goals into action.
Seeking out collaboration with other business owners gives you the chance to pool your skills and experience. In this great article “Not growing it alone: The power of collaboration for expanding businesses,” CEO Andrew Morris discussed the new ‘sharing economy’ and how alliances with other business owners can reap big benefits.
Whether it’s mutual support, a formal or informal partnership, or a way to get honest feedback on new ideas, a collaborative business relationship can give your business the boost it needs to grow.
A meeting with other business owners can allow you to take a brief step away from daily operations.
This time can give you valuable information on how your business runs in your absence – an important part of any exit strategy. A business that can’t run without you – even for an afternoon – won’t be appealing for potential buyers. Look at where your organisational structure can improve so that you can build a business that can run on its own.
Time devoted to operations is time away from strategising. Without strategy, a business can’t expand and innovate.
Getting your business to a point where it can self-sustain gives you an opportunity to plan for next steps, think of unique ideas to implement, and develop ways your business can grow. Collaborating with like-minded people gives you a platform to work through new strategies and springboard from the experiences of others.
Never forget that your business should work for you, and remain one of your valuable assets to funding the life you really want to live.
If you can master the art of meaningful collaboration, then you should begin to see a way of releasing yourself from the daily requirements of your business and ultimately, gaining valuable freedom for yourself.