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!

Don’t Go Out of Your Way

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Make sure not to over imbibe like Rudy...
Make sure not to over imbibe like Rudy…

I had a great call this morning with a client. He mentioned he’s heading to a regional event this weekend where he will probably run into a few contacts. So, instead of just going to the event and saying hi when he sees folks, he’s sending out an email to his network before the event:

I’m heading to XYZ event on Saturday- if you see me, say hi and I’ll buy you a drink!

SERIOUSLY- how easy is that? You’re already out at an event where you’ll possibly run into prospects and clients, why not maximize the event experience? I love this idea and may be using it myself in the future…

Here’s the thing– don’t go out of your way to engage clients and prospects, but engage them in what you’re already doing. I let you know where you can find me each month with my networking calendar. What can you do to engage your network without having to do much more than you were already doing?