Don't Isolate, Collaborate

“Collaboration is the new competition.”

David Amerland

 I learned early on in my business to embrace collaboration vs. competition. I remember, many years ago, the first time I learned that there was another professional organizer in my small town. At first, I was shocked because I was new in business and thought I was the only organizer in my area. Instead of being stressed, I decided to reach out and scheduled a coffee with her so we could meet in person. It went really well and, not long after we got together, she made the decision to let her business go because she wanted to pursue something else. So you really never know what’s going to happen with your competitors.

I realized it was so much better to collaborate with others in my industry instead of being worried about competition and being in the scarcity mindset. Having other professional organizers that I can lean into to bounce things off of or even to refer business to makes me stronger as a business owner.

Collaboration doesn’t have to be only related to other business professionals in your industry. It can include getting to know other ancillary service providers that can help your clients in the areas that you cannot. Having an arsenal of contacts that you’ve vetted and can pass along will make you more valuable to your customers and clients and will reinforce that you are the ‘go to’ person to help them get things done.

As a professional organizer, these are some of the referrals I’ve been able to give my client for service in their homes:

• Plumbing
• Handyman
• Pest Control
• Realtor
• Housekeeping
• Carpet Cleaning
• Closet Design & Install
• Even mortgage refi!

 It’s important to get out and meet other people so you know who they are, how they operate and what your client or customer is going to get when they contact your referral partner. When you refer to another business professional, you have to have complete confidence that they will provide the same level of service your customers have come to expect from you. Your name is now being associated with the other business owner so a positive experience is critical.

Ways that you can connect with other professionals:

• Attend networking meetings in person or virtually. Consider if you want to attend meetings that are only held once per month versus weekly.
•  Meet for a quick one-on-one coffee. I think it’s important to place a time limit on these types of meetings to be respectful of each person’s time.
•  Attend business training events.
•  When you chat, make sure you understand at least the basics about their business and how they operate and provide their service and invoicing.
•  Take a look at their website and social media presence. Make sure they give a good first impression to clients and customers.

 Wrap Up:

Think about who would be a good fit for you and your business to collaborate with. Consider what your clients general needs are and also consider if you’ve had multiple people mention the need for the same service. 

“Alone we are smart. Together we are brilliant.”

Steven Anderson, Educator