The Power of Community Over Competition - My top 3 tips for collaborating with other businesses!
A year and a half ago I moved to the Barossa Valley with plans to open my rebranded photography studio. Being from a rural town originally (I grew up on the Limestone Coast), the Barossa already felt like home to me before I even had settled in here, but that’s not to say I wasn’t shitting myself! I was in the middle of a complete business model rebrand and I had absolutely zero clue where this journey was going to take me.
After a few people I know in the area had commented “Oh it’s pretty cliquey here, it will be heard to break in” and “You’ll probably find it pretty hard out here - No one wants to spend money”. Safe to say, I was terrified.
Terrified, but determined.
So despite the comments and my semi-introverted personality - I set out with a goal to get over myself, put my big girl pants on and network within the community. I wanted to learn more about it, meet like-minded business owners, make friends in the area and just introduce myself to new people. It was bloody hard work, it was scary, I hated it some times, I met some pretty rude people and made some stupid mistakes BUT within 6 or so months of moving here, I had already made an insanely awesome bunch of like-minded business friends. Since that time I’ve run multiple successful campaigns with multiple local businesses, I work with some brands on an ongoing basis, I’ve facilitated an online Christmas market with over 20 businesses at once and most of us have become really wonderful friends who catch up personally as well as professionally.
The power of community over competition is INSANE! The moment you connect instead of compare, is when you truly blossom in business. I’m all about supporting local, I love supporting small family businesses and I love catching up and talking about business with likeminded women… I also love sharing my experiences and that is why I wanted to write this blog for you all! If you’re someone who is wanting to set up some collaborations, connect with other likeminded women or just make friends in the industry - then this is for you!
MY TOP 3 TIPS FOR BUSINESS TO BUSINESS COLLABORATION AND CONNECTION :
TIP #1 : Scope your area/industry for likeminded businesses with similar target clients to yours.
- Figure out what kind of people/brands/businesses you’d like to connect with and why. The why, I think, is really important, as it helps you to recognise what kind of connection/collaboration you are seeking from this business and helps you to better identify your connection with that brand before approaching them.
- Become a member to SA WOMAN - This group is absolutely incredible for this kind of thing. There are often collaboration posts already set up on the facebook page and you can use their online directory to search for particular brands and businesses! It is a great tool. I didn’t use it so much at the start (I should have) but I have used it a lot since.
- Get your stalk on. Jump on instagram and follow these businesses. Start shopping local or within in the industries you’d like to connect with - Learn a bit more about what they do. Buy their things or experience their service!
TIP #2 : Build a RELATIONSHIP with the businesses you would love to connect with.
This ties in with my last point above.. And NOT doing this was probably my biggest mistake when first moving to the Barossa - I was WAY too keen. I had zero clue about collaboration, how it all worked and what was expected/etiquette. For the first two businesses I visited, I made the mistake of NOT building a relationship first. I went in store, emailed or called them and came out straight away with the whole “Hey, I’m Jade - I do this.. Wanna work with me?”.. I made this totally stupid “collaboration pack” to hand them and both times I was totally ghosted. They didn't know me - They didn’t know my brand, they were taken off guard and I approached them in the wrong way. At the time I didn’t know this. I felt like my offers were too good to pass up - and that they must be crazy to not want to work with me. I felt like a dick, I was so embarassed, but I reflected upon it and I learned my lesson. It was by far the most important one, too.
So (this should be my number one tip) - BUILD. THE. BLOODY. RELATIONSHIPS…… The rest literally just follows! But how?
Follow these business on instagram - THE GREATEST TOOL FOR COLLABORATION INVENTED! Engage with them, comment on their things, reply to their stories. I’ve made a lot of business friends through instagram!
Post on the SA WOMAN FB pages and ask on there or go to one of the connecting meetings - This is the PRIME time to meet people and build relationships as often these women are in the exact same boat as you!!
Buy their product or service. Experience their world. Enjoy it, share it with your friends and following, blog about it. Tag them on instagram, recommend them, do a story about them. Support them!
Learn more about them,introduce yourself but don’t “offer yourself” straight away, it can be as simple as just going in the store to say hello, being a familiar face.
Organise a business coffee morning and invite them along to just chat and meet new people
Some may not find this suitable or appropriate but it worked for me: I gave a bit of my service away for free to those who I wanted to work with. For me it was an investment of my time. I found it was a fantastic opportunity for me to show off my experience, it was an amazing way to build up a relationship with these people and it was like a taste tester for them as well so they could get their own understanding of MY brand and what I was bringing to the table - That way it was no longer a one way street. I loved what they did, and they then learned and loved what I did. This was the part for me that helped these relationships to blossom! I believe you can get creative here - Come up with interesting ways to share what you do and who you are with these people!
TIP #3 : Create an opportunity that is MUTUALLY beneficial and present it to them
Once you’ve researched your ideal businesses to collaborate with, you have a solid understanding of their business and why you want to collaborate with them, you’ve built a great relationship with them - I think you’re pretty well ready to go. At this point, they may have already mentioned connecting or collaborating and if they haven’t - really at this point you should know this business well enough to feel comfortable about sharing your ideas with them. You both should be on the same page, you will know by now if they would be keen and from here it really only is a matter of asking the question and simply sharing your ideas. You’ll know their best ways of communication - Some people hate being approached in person and others prefer to speak face to face - This is all part of the relationship building phase.
But before you do - I would recommend making sure you have a solid plan on what you’re aiming to do. Have a goal in mind, a plan on how to achieve it and make it very clear how it is going to benefit both parties. Collaboration is and should be about two or more businesses helping each other to achieve a common goal.
Once you’ve got your idea - Roll with it. You’ll often find with collaboration that your original plan will change as different businesses bring different ideas and perspectives and this is the true beauty of it all!
But more importantly - Have fun with it. Make friends and enjoy yourself!
I would love to know what you think of this advice and what tips you would give to others in the same position!!!
Much love to you all!
Jade x
A collaboration day with Pressed Pantry, Primp Style Co, Aster and Ivy, Winestains and Barossa Styling & Events! One of MANY collaboration shoots I’ve been a part of!
(Im the third from the right - Hello!!!)