One of the biggest challenges I faced since launching my own business, is competing with the larger, more established firms, as any startup would. You obviously don’t have the budget, the brand or the people power that larger more established firms can draw on.

What you do have is agility and the opportunity to try things that other established firms might not…

Which has started me on my journey to developing our offering. The challenge, I thought, would be to find like-minded people who were suitably experienced and who would want to work with us.
But in actual fact, that has been the easiest part of this.

Over the past few weeks, I have met some interesting people who have equally ventured out on their own and are equally looking to grow and develop their services.

As a snapshot, I have recently met and have started to build relationships with:

• An Occ Psych who designs and delivers assessment services
• An executive researcher who has set up her own research business
• A digital marketing and social media agent
• Change Director launching a Management Consultancy
• Outsourced sales business
• HR director starting up a coaching business

And all of us have said that we would be keen to work with each other to help grow our respective businesses.

Not only does all of this add to our networks and increase our new business reach, but also several of our services are complimentary – therefore giving all of our businesses the opportunity to bid for work we might not win on an individual basis.

The great part is that as a small firm we now have access to industry specialists, at a fraction of the cost of having these individuals on our books. As you only pay for what you use, when you need to use it… how good is that!

The benefit to our clients is that they get people who are highly qualified, who deliver quickly and are a more cost-effective solution than larger providers (who have to account for having an expensive resource on their books all of the time)

It’s a Win-Win-Win solution for the new Gig age…

My advice for anyone starting out, in whatever field you operate in, is to think laterally and use the power of leverage to work with like-minded individuals who can help you and your clients get what they need from a one stop shop!

To discuss further, you can email me on James@refind.co.uk.

You can view more about James Cumming our change and business transformation specialist here.