Tips for Collaborating with Other Businesses

One thing I’ve learned as a business owner is that I can only do so much within my personal network, but real growth happens when I connect with other businesses!

We can help each other reach new potential clients, find connections, get paid opportunities, and more that I couldn’t do just by myself.

The hardest part is knowing how to actually get those conversations started and make connections happen. Today I’m sharing my top five tips to help you find those collaboration opportunities and make them happen!

Women working together on a project for their small businesses. #mangumdesignco #supportsmallbusiness #graphicdesignservices #networkingtips #helena #montana #marketingtips #womenrunbusiness #howtomarketyourbusiness

Two businesswomen discussing collaborations on a leather couch in the office. #mangumdesignco #supportsmallbusiness #graphicdesignservices #networkingtips #helena #montana #marketingtips #womenrunbusiness #howtomarketyourbusiness

Women working together to network and market their businesses with other supportive women. #mangumdesignco #supportsmallbusiness #graphicdesignservices #networkingtips #helena #montana #marketingtips #womenrunbusiness #howtomarketyourbusiness

Five tips to help you successfully collaborate with other businesses and grow your business. #mangumdesignco #supportsmallbusiness #graphicdesignservices #networkingtips #helena #montana #marketingtips #womenrunbusiness #howtomarketyourbusiness

Know Your Market and What You Have to Offer

Ask yourself what is one thing that your business offers, and who does it help? Find another business who serves the same clientele in different ways that your product can go hand-in-hand with to serve the client more fully. These are the connections that will help both of your businesses by aligning your missions with your ideal client.

Build Connections

The best way to create a genuine connection is to engage with their marketing efforts! Follow, like, comment, share, refer, and engage with the content they create on social media and start a genuine conversation to get to know them and their business before pitching your idea. And if you can get to know them outside the online world, even better!

Pitch the Idea

Now that you know more about the business and the owner you want to connect with and their ideal client, you can recognize how they serve that client. Put your presentation or pitch together with this info as your starting point to show you know their business and understand their mission. THEN show how your business supports that mission and how your products and services will bless their client even more! Finally, be open to suggestions on how to build a joint offer together that will serve both businesses the best.

Make it Simple

Before approaching a business for a collaboration, think about how you'd make the process simpler for your client – the less steps the better! Contracts, payment, communication, etc., need to be streamlined to make the relationship with your client as smooth as possible. Thinking about these ahead of time shows the business you've thought through the technical details and have some options in mind.

Combine Networking & Marketing Efforts

Instagram reels, joint lives, the collaboration feature on Instagram,ads, be guest bloggers for each other and present together, etc., are all excellent ways to promote your new joint offer to both existing audiences and show the combined value! More followers seeing both of your businesses will increase your reach and help them see the value of two businesses designed to serve their needs.

Does it feel more exciting to collaborate now that I’ve broken down my approach? I hope so! Comment below with any questions and suggestions. For more business tips and tricks, check out the blog!