As a small business owner, are you using relationships and resources that readily available to you?Webster says, one of the definitions of community is a body of persons or nations having a history or social, economic, and political interests in common.
Building a Community and Growing a Business Are Similar.
One of the essential components of growing a business is networking and developing strategic partnerships. That entails developing new relationships but also cultivating the existing relationships we already have.
BUT are you standing knee deep in a river of water and dying of thirst?
I live directly across the street from a supermarket that does significant business in my residential community. Nevertheless, I drive twenty minutes to another supermarket to do my grocery shopping. Granted, I have specific dietary needs that that particular supermarket cannot meet. But there are clearly some items that they have that I can buy like bottled water, soy milk, and etc.
Oftentimes, we have a rich pool of resources in our immediate circle that we don’t take advantage of. Recently, I had dinner with a college friend to catch up. In our discussion, we talked about a new initiative that she was doing at work. Well, one thing led to another and we will working together on that initiative. I would never have considered utilizing her as a resource before we had dinner even though she has significant influence at her job.
So, what is holding you back from utilizing your social community as a resource?
Well, sometimes it’s timing. One person in the potential partnership is not ready to proceed. Oftentimes, it’s our fear. We don’t want to taint our relationship by proposing a partnership that may or may not work or we don’t want to be rejected.
What are you going to do differently in 2010?
It is critically important in this economic environment that we utilize not only our monetary resources judiciously, but our human resources as well. We cannot afford literally and figuratively to leave money on the table. We must take advantage of every potential opportunity that stands before us!
I am starting an affiliate program in 2010 for my business development training program. Although, I am reaching out to people that I don’t know as potential strategic partners. I also made a list of people that I do know that would be interested in partnering with me. I have had already several discussions with people that thought it was a great idea!
Take advantage of your immediate community to help one another grow your respective small businesses. It’s amazing the resources that we have that we are not maximizing!
There is an old African Proverb that says, it takes a village to raise a child. Well , it takes a community to have a successful business.
Tags: community, networking, Small Business owner
