Growth Through Collaboration

In both my brick-and-mortar business and my studio, I have found the greatest success in partnership. So often, small businesses are put against impossible odds, and a scarcity mindset creeps in—if someone else wins, that means I lose. But in practice, I’ve found nothing to be further from the truth. There’s so much power in small businesses partnering and finding ways to collaborate. Entrepreneurs tend to be highly independent people, but the most successful folks I’ve met know how to work well with others and make everything they do win-win, so they don’t need to carry the weight of every endeavor alone.

So now you might be asking, "Ari, okay, so if partnerships are so great, how do I make them happen?" Well, first, take an inventory of what you have to offer and what you need. Are you great at marketing and bringing people together but terrible at graphic design? Do you love planning and putting together events but hate hosting and speaking on a mic? Find someone who complements you, not someone who is your twin (some of this sort of sounds like dating advice because, at the end of the day, it’s all about building strong relationships). Be clear about what you have to give and what you need.

Next, trust your gut. If you seek out a business to partner with, and in the first meeting, you get the feeling that the leader is a little too competitive or maybe makes a joke about needing to be in charge, they might not be a good fit. Remember, we’re going for a healthy partnership here—if you have issues at the beginning, they’ll only get worse. Like most things in life, your intuition and gut have something to tell you.

Once you’ve found the right partner, make sure your goals are both aligned and very clear. The best partnerships are win-win-win—meaning you win, your partner wins, and your customer/client wins. Be explicit about what each of you wants from the partnership. How can you support each other, and how will you split the responsibilities? What happens if you find that you’re not a great fit anymore? What’s your plan for parting ways? One thing we do at the studio is a pre-mortem. Basically, we ask ourselves, "If this project is a failure, what do we think would cause it to fail?" Going through potential issues helps us anticipate areas that might need troubleshooting before we even get started.

Finally, build strong communication. Check in throughout the partnership to make sure things haven’t shifted so you’re still in alignment. Offer each other kind but honest feedback throughout the partnership, and doing a recap at the end can be an incredibly helpful practice.