Five Tips When Working With Other Companies

Julie Starr • Mar 22, 2021



Working with other companies as a business can prove very useful when it comes to the growth and success of your business. Whether you’re working with them on collaborations on the products or services you sell, or you are after suppliers to help with distribution, etc. it’s always good to have the same thought process and planning when starting up a working relationship. Here are five tips when working with other companies in order to make it a more successful and hopefully, long-lasting opportunity.

Look For Sustainable Partnerships
When it comes to working with other companies, it’s always important to focus on what you have in similarities to one another, as well as the differences. It’s important to consider what it is they represent and whether any of those morals or opinions match your own. For example, sustainability is one thing that many businesses are now taking more seriously than ever, especially as many will tend to be judged on how much they’re being wasteful on the environment. Businesses are certainly held to higher standards when it comes to sustainability , or as a matter of fact, anyone within the public eye.

So with that being said, you may want to think about working with sustainable brands and businesses only. These partnerships are something that may be short-term or they could be a longer, more on-going one. However, it’s good to show the outside world that you’re making conscious choices of who you partner up and work with.

It’s particularly important to work with sustainable brands when it comes to packaging and distribution. This is likely to be where the most waste and impact is made on the environment and so it’s good to question the methods that these other companies use.

 

Work With A Contract In Place
 A contract is always going to help solidify the partnership and to make it a legitimate one. There’s always a chance that disagreements happen, mistakes get made, and sometimes, those that give you their word on something, go against it instead. With a contract, you’re able to layout all requirements that you have for that partnership and vice versa. It’s good to do this because that way, you’re legally entering into something that could be breached if not followed correctly. It’s protection for you and protection for the other party that’s working with you. This is something that should be put in place every time you work with a new company. Better yet, with someone to advocate for your interests, such as Oracle Negotiation Consultants, you can secure the best deal.

 

If you’re unsure of what type of contract to use or perhaps have little experience in creating contracts, then there are plenty of templates online and legal aid to help draw these contracts up on your behalf.

Make Sure Their Audience Matches Yours
When it comes to your audience, it’s important that you’re targeting them correctly in all aspects of the business. Working with other companies is an opportunity to find those who might be similar to yours in target audience , or they have an audience range that you need for business. In all business collaborations, there’s always a need to find a mutual gain for both parties. This can also help when seeking opportunities to collaborate if you’re able to pitch to them what they can benefit from.

So when it comes to those working relationships, make sure that they hold something relatable to what you’re after. From working with https://rsmconnect.com/website-design/ to joint product opportunities, make sure they’re the right fit for your company every time.

Remember That Working Relationships Change
It’s always good to remember that a working relationship can change, especially when it comes to the case of suppliers. You may have secured yourself a supplier for the manufacturing of your products or distribution but since the growth of your business, they can no longer meet the requirements you now need. It could be that you’re working with a social media agency and the results they’re providing aren’t worth the money you’re spending on them.

You don’t want to hold your business back from growing, especially when it comes to those companies that you work with on a regular basis. Yes, loyalty can be a good thing but at the same time, that loyalty shouldn’t be holding you back from earning more and neither should it be losing you money as a business. Take scope of your current working relationships and ask yourself, does something need to change? It might be that you’ve been holding it off for too long or you’ve started a collaboration recently and it’s not going as well as you’d hoped.

Review The Partnership When Necessary
Reviewing a partnership is just like reviewing any other element of your business. When it comes to your finances, for example, you’ll usually have quarterly meetings to assess the finances and to look at ways these can be improved, etc. The same comes to your relevant partnerships with other companies. It’s important that you have in-person meetings, whether they be annual or more frequent. This is where you can assess the partnership in full and look at where changes might need to be made. Both parties can grow and decline, so it’s essential that these meetings happen in order to benefit both companies.

If you haven’t reviewed a partnership in a while, then it might be that you’ve been putting it off for some reason or other. Make it a priority because it certainly is important to ensure all your working relationships are functioning in the best way possible.

Working with other companies has a lot of benefits but it can also provide negatives for the business if it’s not done correctly. By collaborating, you can open up many more opportunities that you perhaps wouldn’t have been able to do alone. Some of those partnerships can help reduce budgets and expand the potential reach or growth that your business can have. Use these tips to get the very best out of every opportunity you have with companies both nationally and internationally.

 

Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024
Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024
Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.
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