Make a New Business Ally for Support and Profit

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called ‘Spark an Idea Thursday’. Each week we’ll be sharing some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to grab our image and carry the tradition through to your own blog! If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired!

This week’s Spark an Idea deals with making a new business ally.

Often working at home can feel like a lonely and stressful endeavor. You’re responsible for all aspects of earning an income and the burden of its success or failure rides on your shoulders. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Finding a good business ally can offer support, feedback and even a partnership in projects, and the results can mean increased profits for you.

Some WAHMs are resistant to reaching out to other people. For me it was because I was a die-hard-do-it-yourselfer. For others it could be a lack of confidence in what you have to offer someone else. Or maybe its a fear that others will steal ideas or take advantage. But the benefits far outweigh the concerns and in fact, finding a good ally can boost your business in ways you may have never expected.

There are several ways to find a business ally. One is by joining a mastermind group. Members of these groups are already open to sharing, helping, and joining in partnerships. It can be like getting a whole team of allies instead of just one.

Another options is through social networking. Linked-In in particular is a good place to make business contacts. But other social resources such as Facebook and Twitter are also great places for finding allies.

Finally, if you’ve been in your business for some time, you probably are aware of others who offer similar products or services as you do. You may have the mind set that these people are your competition, but they can also make excellent allies as well.

Like all quality relationships, creating a business ally takes time. Don’t expect to contact someone out of the blue and have them jump into a project with you. They need to get to know you, your strengths and assets just as you need to get to know theirs. Connecting through a mastermind group and social networks makes this easy. You can ask or answer questions that allow you have conversations with others. When you find someone you feel is a good fit with your business, you can reach out to her in a way that helps both you and her. For example you can invite her to guest blog on your site or be a guest on your podcast. If she does something that you like, compliment her on it and see if she can help you do something similar. As the relationship grows, not only will you have a great source of support and feedback on your work, but also you have a resource to learn more and even get referrals.

The most important thing to remember about allies is that its a two-way street. Each member of the ally team needs to be giving and receiving for it to be mutually beneficial and profitable. That means you need to also provide support, feedback and resources that can help your ally just as she is doing the same for you. Together you and your ally can expand your customer bases, flesh out ideas, and grow your profits!