Yellow Dog Consulting

Sales & Marketing Consulting for solo-preneurs.

Do I Need a Joint Venture or…

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imgresA couple of weeks ago on twitter a friend of mine tweeted me…

Joint Ventures – do you have experience or opinions with these? Ever done one?

And my response: It really depends on the partner & the goals. My friend lives on the east side of the state and wants to do an event on the westside. So as I further suggested, he doesn’t need a joint venture, he just needs some champions to help him promote this event.

And that’s the deal with joint ventures- if two like minded businesses can make life easier for their mutual target market by working together, then let’s do it! But, if what you really need is some help and muscle to get butts in seats, then what you need are good people in your network to help you promote your event.

One of the first things I talk to clients about is identifying referral partners. Who are the 10-ish people that refer business to you? Not potentially could send you business, but DO send you AWESOME clients. Could you have a guest post on their blog? Could you get a blurb in their upcoming newsletter? Could you give their clients a discount code to attend? Could you let your referral partner attend for free as a thank you?

Joint Ventures can be great, but if it’s not a firm and solid relationship where you are both doing the work 50/50 then it’s possible it’ll suck your will to live and make you resent that perfect partner…

Network with Yellow Dog in August!

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imagesAugust is a quieter month for networking events. I  have noticed a lot of happy hours, BBQ’s and weddings on my calendar this month. You never know where you’ll meet that next perfect client, so make sure you’re getting out there and proud of what you do! If you aren’t, that’s a different conversation to have…

Here’s a couple of places you’ll find me in August!

Thursday, August 21st

eWomenNetwork Luncheon

You know my love of eWomenNetwork! This is a fantastic organization for women in business who are looking to grow their business, get education, and have a community of like minded people in their corner. This organization has been instrumental in Yellow Dog’s success!

Wednesday, August 27th

Beer Geek Girls

If you are a lady who enjoys drinking beer and wishes you had more lady friends to do so with, come join us! Each month we meet at a brewery or great beer bar in the Seattle area and make new friends. In August it’s a bit different- we’re going to Malt & Vine in Redmond for beers & then off to Marymoor to watch The Princess Bride! Check out the BGG site for more details!

July Pop Culture Roundup

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jpegSomehow I almost missed this post in July- whoopsy. So enjoy your First of August Friday with a list of things to read, listen to, and watch over the month…

Reading

Blankets– I got this giant graphic novel for my birthday and I’m LOVING it so far. About half way through and hoping to finish it up on the patio in the next couple of days!

William Shakespeare’s Star Wars– Another excellent birthday gift from some friends, it’s next up on my to read list! 

The Walking Dead: All Out War– this was a 12 issue arc in the ongoing comic saga, and it ended satisfactorily, but then the next issue picks up with a couple of pretty great surprises that have me excited for what’s in store! And after Comic-Con this weekend and the Season 5 preview, I need all TWD I can get till October!

Pocket– this isn’t a book, it’s an app that collects all the content you want to read when you have time online. I LOVE it! Any time I see an article on twitter I want to read and don’t have time for? I send it to Pocket! TV show review on an episode I haven’t watched yet? Pocket! It’s SO HANDY!

Watching

I’ve been on a big Friday Night Lights kick lately. Such a great series, I’m up to Season 4 (go Lion’s!) and love how perfect this show seems to be. It’s worthy of all the hype it’s gotten over the years.

Masters of Sex is also back. This is one of the greatest shows on TV, and sure there’s a lot of sex, but you watch it for the stories (and yeah, I know I sound like a 16 year old boy getting caught with a Playboy here…) but it SUCH A great show with such interesting characters, if you aren’t watching it, pray for some rain and marathon it to get caught up!

The Bridge- one of my favorite shows last year has returned! It’s weirder than last year, which I love, and has some great new characters this season that I’m enjoying (including Jerry from ER!)

The Leftovers- I’m going back and forth on this one. It’s so dark and there’s no redemption, but I can’t turn myself away. Everything I read and hear says it’s worth it, so I hope so. I trust Damon Lindelof, even though some think that makes me a fool.

Listening

Summer road trips mean Podcasts in our car. The latest indulgence is NPR’s Ask Me Another. HOW have I not been listening to this since the beginning of podcasts? It’s trivia and pop culture and SO FUN! It’s great to listen to with others in the car and race to get answers first!

Nerdette- here’s a new podcast I recently discovered. It’s about 25 minutes (a perfect drive time pod) and talks about things in lady nerd-dom. I love it!

So that’s it for me for August. I am sure there was more, but I spent a ton of time outside, enjoying my birthday, and hanging out with friends and family. Fingers crossed August has more in store inside & outside! What have you been enjoying in the pop culture universe this past month?