General, Social Responsibility, Trends, women and business

Women Entrepreneurs: Transform Your Business With A Strategic Alliance!

zoey4 Comments

Women Entrepreneurs: Transform Your Business With A Strategic Alliance!

Patricia Aburdene, in her book “Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism”, speaks about social transformation, she quotes from the book written with John Naisbitt entitled “Re-inventing the Corporation” and says that social transformation “occurs only when there is a confluence of changing values and economic necessity.”

This is, I believe, our current business reality, a confluence of changing values and economic necessity, leading to new ways of being in business and doing business.

My strategic alliance partner and I, in our work as business success coaches and strategists, believe that developing overlapping circles of strategic alliances is not just a powerful, fun and dynamic way of working together but is rapidly becoming a necessary model for solo-preneurs to stay in business.

Successful strategic alliances “focus less on defining the business plan and more on how you will work together” (source: Jonathon Hughes and Jeff Weiss, Harvard Business Review).

So, what needs to be in place to support a successful alliance?

Each entrepreneur needs to have a clear “sense of self” and their business and
it is vital to take the time up front for discussion of the following questions:

•    What are we going to do together, ie what, when, how, why, who?
•    What are our individual and shared roles and responsibilities?
•    How are we going to work together? What organizational model will we use?
•    What are our values?
•    What are our implied agreements?
•    What are our expressed agreements?
•    Benefits:
o    What’s it in for you?
o    What’s in it for me?
o    What’s in it for us?
•    How do we handle conflict?
•    How will we end the alliance?

What I believe the most important factors to a successful strategic alliance are: a shared vision and core values, an understanding of each others communication styles and strengths and weaknesses and a shared commitment to the relationship.  It is about “who you are” as much as “what you do”, that creates a strong alliance.

We are moving way beyond “competition” as an organizational model in business.  Strategic alliances utilize the following organizational models: cooperation, collaboration and co-creation.  Utilizing these three models and forming strategic alliances can truly transform your business and your life!

If you would like help with this, or more information about making us your business success support partners, please contact me at the following coordinates:

namaste,

Zoey

Zoey Ryan, BSc., PCC
professional certified coach
coach . catalyst . shakti sage
life & business coach for women
“Coaching for your heart & soul and the heart & soul of your business”
www.positivelyoutrageouswomen.com
www.entrepreneurialsuperstars.com
604-323-3700

“Freedom is a bigger game than power.  Power is about what you can control.  Freedom is about what you can unleash”  – Harriet Rubin

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4 Comments

  1. Zoey..this information is very valuable and comes at a rather good time for my husbands new business venture which is him and 4 other women at the holistic center!

    I have been telling them all they need a shared vision beyond monetary gain…and there has been some resistance on the art of the women…!

    I SO agree we are moving beyond competition as a model for business! I have been singing that song everywhere and have lost at job interviews when I tell employers that competition is all ego based!

    You are an inspiration to us here and your sharing of your wisdom on this blog is most enlightening and appreciated!

    Namaste
    Aley

    Reply

  2. Aley,

    Thanks for adding these comments. There are some great books coming out about this way of doing business. I haven’t read the book yet and it is next of my list, however, I know it will be fab! It is called “The Triple Bottom Line: How Today’s Best-Run Companies Are Achieving Economic, Social and Environmental Success — and How You Can Too” by Andrew W. Savitz and Karl Weber.

    Another book your husband’s team might enjoy is “Megatrends 2010: 7 Trends That Will Change How You Live, Work and Invest – The Rise of Conscious Capitalism” by Patricia Aburdene

    Reply

  3. Great post! I love the points you make, especially the “sense of self”. It’s so true. I’ve noticed one of the things that women entrepreneurs struggle with in the beginning is they get so wrapped up in other things and don’t think about getting their name out there. It’s a hard thing to do.

    I’m an ambassador for Microsoft and right now we’re trying to reach out and connect with influential bloggers, like you, and try and offer some help to those women trying to get their business started! I’d love to share some information with you on how we can do that!

    We just wrapped up a women’s entrepreneurial tour across the US called “Vision To Venture;” the response and turn-out was great!

    I’d really love your take on these offerings we have right now; I would have contacted you via email but I didn’t know which was the best way to reach you.

    Thank you so much, I hope I didn’t overstep my bounds by directly contacting you. Get back to me if I’ve caught your interest– I’d love to share more info with you.

    Best,
    Bianca Russo
    Official Microsoft Ambassador
    bianca.russo@live.com

    Reply

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