• by Patti Minglin , February 27, 2015

Creating the perfect partnership — whether with another company or with a non-profit organization — can be key to strengthening your relationship with moms and grow your overall business. But in order for this partnership to truly be a win-win for all involved, you need to find the perfect fit for your brand. Here are some tips for you to consider on your road to collaboration:

Have a Shared Vision/Mission: Make sure you and your partner have a shared vision and/or mission. If you are a company that wants to help families be healthy through proper nutrition and diet, consider partnering with a company that helps families become more active or provides healthy meals to families who are less fortunate.

Think ‘Them’ Before ‘Us’: We often go into partnerships thinking about what we can get out of it, but you should first think about what you can bring to the partnership table. What can your company offer that will help your partner achieve their overall business goals and objectives? Look for those partners that not only benefit you, but where you can make a real difference for them as well.

Be Honest: Communicate what you would like to get (and to bring) to this partnership and be sure you clearly understand what your partner wants to get as well. This will allow you to build a foundation of trust that will enable you to freely share information, admit when mistakes have been and make necessary tweaks and changes along the way. 

Make a Commitment: The very best partnerships are those created to be long-term relationships, not one-shot deals. Seek out those businesses and organizations that can evolve with you as you grow and make sure all stakeholders — on both sides of the partnership — are on board with the overall partnership scope and objective.

Does building partnership still seem overwhelming? Start small. Look at small businesses in your community that might be a good fit and begin a conversation. If you are a dry cleaner, partner with a local childcare center to provide pick up/drop off dry cleaning services. If you are a restaurant, connect with a tutoring company to provide discounts on “take home” dinners for their families. Get creative and think of ways both of you can make mom’s life easier.