| |
| |
|
Small Business Information |
|
|
|
How to Integrate Yourself in Someone Elses Business
When do you need to get more involved with the day to day activities of your business partner? The best business relationship you can have is one where the client does not know whether you are a contractor or whether you are an employee. Working alongside the client, you are the one that offers solutions to problems. These relationships take time to develop, but if your expertise helps make them a profit, then they will be more open to having you "on staff". In order to place yourself in this type of position, you need to possess an expertise that the client does not have. You also have to make sure that you have a working knowledge of their processes and procedures. You are not there to make policy decisions but to push them in the right direction when your technical expertise is required. I know a company in the aeronautics industry that works so closely with one of its clients that they help them design their airplanes and give them advice on where they can save money and improve on their processes. This company is so ingrained in the other organization that upper management takes them for granted. The main problem they are facing is getting in front of the decision makers so that they can do more business. This is not a bad problem to have, but you still have to maintain your identity. Companies that work this well together have gone past the dating game and are now well matched and have a solid long term relationship. This does not mean that you want to work for one company; it simply means that you need to get close enough to your client that you know how you can be of value and let them know where they can make improvements. Getting involved with other businesses is the best way to cement a relationship and to ensure longevity with the projects. It will also eliminate the threat of competition as they are an unknown and you know the trade secrets on an intimate basis. You need to bond the relationship to make sure you stay in the client's mind. Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people's attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the "Networking Queen". Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://www.BlueprintBooks.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Small-Business - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Have You Thanked Your Competitors Today? Competition in the business world is often viewed as a negative thing, but it doesn't have to be. Competition can benefit you, your competitor, and especially your customer!Let's look at some of the ways in which competitors can help you:1) They prevent you from becoming lazy and overly comfortable in your business practices. How to Avoid the Most Common Reasons for Small Business Failure The life cycle of the typical small business is short and painful. It starts out with a dream and ends with a whimper. How to Promote Yourself to Small Business Riches You've heard it before; we're living in an information age. The business world is no longer driven by tangible products but on information and ideas. Why Internet Shopping is the New Mall of the Future Last year, trillions of dollars transferred hands on the internet with regard to sales, or as the internet wishes to call it, eCommerce. The internet is becoming an increasingly complex manipulation of do's and don'ts. Employee Email and Internet Use - A Small Business Guide IntroductionIt is widely recognised that Email and the Internet is here to stay! Both mediums have become a vital part of business and personal communication in a world that increasingly relies on technology. We understand its benefits and sometimes berate its downsides; too much email, lack of personal communication, spam, the risk of employees accessing inappropriate material and using employer resources for personal gain. Small Business Success: Thriving During Change (And Landing On Your Feet!) If I had $1.00 every time I heard someone say " I don't like change or, change makes me uncomfortable" I'd be a millionaire. Creating a Power Plan Part of the power plan is making sure you have all the necessary contact information within a company. It is one thing to have the CEO's information, as he is the decision-maker, but it is quite another to have the information on others that you may be working with directly. Your Small Business Suggestion Box A suggestion box is a really good idea for your business. It can help you get valuable feedback from your customers -- feedback that they don't normally think to share with you. 6 Ways Small Businesses Can Survive In A Crazy Economy Contrary to popular belief, small businesses can survive a crazy economy by taking some proactive steps. Provide spectacular customer service -- every time. Financial Strategies for a Mobile Car Wash Business Plan Writing a business plan for a mobile car wash is fairly easy, yet often operators fall down in understanding the financial strategies and costs. Bankers and Investors alike will want to see that you have a well thought out business plan to insure your start-up goes successfully. Franchise Territories are Generally Delineated On a Map; Why? If you own a mobile service or home based franchise your exclusive territory will be delineated on a map in the attachment of your franchise agreement. You will be assigned generally a single city, county or region and another franchisee or team member of the same system will not compete with your although may be right around the corner. Online Search: Small Businesses Level The Playing Field Seventy percent of US households use the web when shopping locally, and about 25 percent of all searches are looking for local information. As more and more households make the switch to broadband connections, this trend will continue to escalate. Create a Win Win for Your Small Business Discover How Specialized Cost Containment Creates A New Win-Win Position For Property Owner's And YouProperty Management: A simple strategy to increase client loyaltyProperty managers who pro-actively employ advanced techniques to help property owners and anchor tenants reduce operating costs, will most certainly be considered a more valuable business asset. When you can achieve this with lower administrative functions and no out-of-pocket cost to you or your client's, you've created additional benefits. Debit and ATM Card Advice for Small Businesses Your business account comes with an ATM, Debit card. Pick a really secret pin number. Family Business and Conflicts What is a Family Business? A family business is basically any business in which the majority of the ownership or control lies within a family. Involvement of members of family in a business can bring with it its own complexities because the line between the business system is sometimes separated by a thin line from the family system. The Truth About Government Grants for Your Business Free money! Receive up to $25,000 that never has to be paid back -- Guaranteed! Get a grant to start your own business today!If you're a small business owner, or you've always dreamed of starting your own business, you've probably run across ads like these. Companies that "guarantee" you'll get a grant to start your own business that never has to be paid back. Franchise Buyers from Hell I ran a franchise company for many years, a car wash franchise, and we use to get the most ridiculous franchise buyers who thought they wanted a franchise. It seems we had to deal with these Kookoo birds because they have consumer rights and the Federal Trade Commission, which looks over franchising goes out of their way to let these consumers get away with these tall tales. Yeah, It IS Lonely At the Top Sometimes when you run a business you feel as lonely as the Maytag repairman. Loneliness and isolation are very common problems for business owners. Franchising Companies Relationship Strategies Franchising Corporations need to maintain an iron fist when it comes to certain things in order to maintain absolute integrity of the system; Consistency, Quality, Cleanliness and Customer Courtesy or Service. Ray Kroc in his book; "Grinding it Out" made that point perfectly clear, some called him a hard ass on the details and indeed it served him well and turned 11,000 franchisees into millionaires along with some 1500 executives early on. Look Out for that Great Accountant There are many factors to be considered when you are trying to select the accountant who is right for you. In other words how to find that good one.
|
|
|
|
|
