The Business of Collaboration

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
– Helen Keller
Business is often fueled by healthy competition. The desire to succeed in our respective industries is what drives success. We create a business plan and marketing campaign based on the marketplace as well as what our competitors are doing. All of this can lead to a robust and thriving local economy and top-notch service offerings. It’s a very good thing for our community, but at what expense?
Collaboration has long been celebrated and encouraged in the non-profit sector. We love the idea of community programs sharing resources and ideas that work toward the same common goals. However, the concept of collaboration outside of the non-profit world if often met with trepidation. Why would you work with your competition?
The real question is, why wouldn’t you? Business collaboration allows you to learn from your peers, take on a greater scope of work, service your clients more fully, and create something bigger than yourself. Amazing mentorship and often friendship is born from working together with others in your field. While it can feel like a calculated risk, putting yourself and your business in the room with others in your industry can also fuel ideas and best practices.
Take Mothers, the master collaborators. Calling upon each other to help with carpools, class parties, field trips, and play dates. Moms regularly share best practices, seek advice from one another, and lend a helping hand anytime one is needed. This makes us ALL better. In fact, I think you would be hard-pressed to find a Mom who doesn’t agree that collaboration with her fellow Moms is the key to her success.
As my business grew, I knew that finding other similar businesses and professionals to help me on this journey was critical to our success. Engaging with other video and digital content professionals, learning about their processes, sharing ideas, and mentoring each other on the industry, challenges us to improve our skills and encourages us to find unique ways to work together. This collaborative approach to work resonated with everyone we spoke with, and we quickly realized there was a need to foster this concept, especially among women. And so, #410Collaborative was born.
We are founded on the common goal of collaboration being at the core of everything we do. We are made up of four female business owners and work with countless others who share our vision. We offer monthly seminars hosted by women designed to uplift, enlighten, and encourage anyone who attends. Finally, we are a place where you can enjoy a creative workspace, share ideas freely, or just stop in to take a few minutes to be mindful and recharge. We are truly grateful for the opportunities we have been given to collaborate and want to share those experiences with everyone we meet!