What does Mark Zuckerberg, Issa Rae, & Bill Gates have in common?
I’ll give you a hint: think strategic networking…
That’s right, they all collaborated with their peers to grow their business. When well established companies would not give them the time of day, their peers offered them opportunities.
Horizontal networking is a powerful strategy most business owners over look.
I was certainly guilty of this and questioned this strategy.
What do two entrepreneurs in the same stage of business have to offer each other?
Asking this question opened the flood gates of creative answers and transformed how I network.
Just like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Issa Rae transformed their businesses, you can too.
True BOSS ladies know the value of horizontal networking and use the power of peer groups to grow their business.
Here are my top 5 ways to leverage your peer group.
- Honest feedback. It’s a huge advantage to have a group who’ll test your branding, products, and marketing. A large company would pay thousands of dollars to a marketing research company for the feedback your peer group would gladly provide for free.
- Support. It’s challenging talking about business to loved ones. Often times, they’re tired of hearing about it, they don’t understand, or it’s boring to them. No matter if it’s to celebrate or vent, your peer group will understand your victories and pain. They can also help plot your next move.
- Project Opportunities. Peers are more willing to include you in proposals for joint opportunities such as workshops, webinars creations, conferences etc. If your business offers adjacent services/ or products, it’s a win-win situation for you, peers and clients.
- Marketing. Marketing opportunities are abundant in peer groups. Guest blogging, podcast interviews, and event sharing are just a few inexpensive ways peers help one another gain visibility.
- Build life-long relationships. Experiencing collective emotional highs and lows build strong, lasting bonds. It’s amazing fun making money with people you enjoy being with.
Building strategic alliances with your peers can make all the difference in the world when growing your business.
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