The Role of Collaboration as a Solo Business Owner
My business started as fun projects for friends, using skills I was enjoying developing. I didn't have much of a plan when I first started; I was just taking on the occasional side-project here and there. When my business started to grow, I was still very much part-time, and with a service-based business, it's easy to forgo reflection or intention with your own business altogether.
As my kids get older, there's more room for my business to grow but no matter the amount of time I choose to focus on my business, I want the time spent on it (and in all areas of my life, really) to be intentional. For Nikkita.Co, that's meant a few things:
- Simplifying my business offerings—I now offer thoughtfully packaged services tailored to passionate small-business owners, writers, and publishers respectively.
- Partnering with other service-providers to connect my clients with the related services they may need along with new branding, such as robust web design, copywriting, marketing, and coaching.
- Continuing to work with clients in a collaborative spirit, valuing their passion and vision, and focusing my energy on bringing that out with the best design solution
Collaboration has always been a value I uphold with my clients; never condescending or presenting myself as the final authority, but trusting my clients as partners who are the experts in their own business, knowing that they have entrusted me to showcase that through design. But as I move forward mindfully, I realize collaboration comes through also knowing when it makes more sense to trust the professionals in areas I am not strong in such as photography and legal.
If you're a solo business owner like me, ask yourself: is there another business that compliments mine that I could talk to about some type of collaboration? What am I doing that costs more time than it's worth? Where do I lack skill or talent that doing myself could hinder my business?
“There comes a point where your growth is limited if you don’t hand off some of the responsibilities to people better able to manage them—so that you can spend more time doing what you’re great at and want to be known for. ”
As service providers, we need to place value in investing in others, just as our clients do with us. Of course there are times when business is lean, but there comes a point where your growth is limited if you don't hand off some of the responsibilities to people better able to manage them—so that you can spend more time doing what you're great at and want to be known for.
In the coming weeks, I hope to be sharing insights, tips, and looks into the lives and businesses of some of these complimentary services.
Is there any type of service you'd like to learn more about, and what specifically would you ask that business? Let me know in the comments!
