Simon Paul Thurston

As a businessperson, one of the first things that many people believe they should do is to build your reputation and presence. I would agree with this, however it is not necessarily essential.
One way that you can do this, is to not do everything yourself and indeed, not to necessarily work alone. So what do I mean by this?
One thing that many business owners overlook is working with others. Typically many like to do things themselves rather than work alone, as they feel that it means that they’re not really succeeding if they involve others.
Remember that the more you involve others in your business, the more mutual benefit you gain for a better chance of success. And here’s a word that you will hear me use an awful lot and I think it’s a very important aspect of running your own business…
Leverage.
Involving others, whether its contracted work or employees gives you leverage. There are only 24 hours in a day and so time is such a precious commodity. Money however, can be earned back over time.
Here are some ideas for building powerful relationships in your business.
Outsource work
Outsourcing is a very important factor in many businesses. This is because as an expert, I don’t suggest you working in fields other than your field of expertise. On the other hand, it is better to outsource tasks to people who are experts in these fields.
Its also an idea to outsource some of the more mundane tasks too, as they can often be done with minimal investment on your part.
So if you are not that good a writer, it is better to hire someone to write your website content instead of you trying to write content.
Networking both online and offline is a great means of connecting with other people. There are so many social networking sites available online these days (such as FaceBook, MySpace and Orkut) that you will soon have a large web of acquaintances.
Also, do not overlook the power of offline events such as Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club and other such regular meetings – they’re all effective for networking.
Use the best networking of both worlds
Similarly, friends, family and professional acquaintances in the offline world form your outside networking links. Once you learn to use and mix both forms of networking, you will get the best contacts of both worlds that will prove beneficial to you and your business in more ways than one.
I have also found that working in groups proves to be successful in building your business. These groups are often called mastermind groups and they generally consist of a small group of people who meet on a periodical basis.
They meet either in person, via the internet or by telephone so that they can discuss ideas and at the same time, give one another motivation and encouragement to prosper in their individual businesses.
Keep a look out next week where I’ll reveal how to gain more businesses by using your competitors. Yes, you read that correctly, your competitors.