As of this morning, we're three quarters of the way through 2012, and we can see January from here.  It's a good time to take a moment and evaluate where you are and what you want to accomplish between now and the end of the year. It may seem as if this quarter is intrinsically shorter - and more jam packed - than the others, so this might be a good time to try something you may not have considered before.  Remember last week's post about stretching the comfort zone?

 

Joint partnerships have a long history within this industry - one of the first instances I remember is when Eleanor Burns became a spokesman for Elna machines.  Facebook and Pinterest have made it a lot easier for people to connect laterally, and if you want to see a good example of this, take a look at Aurifil's Alex Veronelli. Alex is partnering with both professionals and recreational quilters to bring new awareness to Aurifil's brand, adding his own personality and risque humor to the mix.

 

 

 

 

There's a lot of natural synergies available, whether  you're trying to build your brand nationally or locally. As long as the alliance seems like a natural fit between the parties, and the responsibilities are clearly delineated, it can be an effective way to increase your visibility (and your customer base) for all parties - it doesn't have to be just 2 people combining.  I have a specific example of that which I'll profile in the coming weeks.

 

In the short term - this might be a good strategy for both short term and long term growth - 2013 will be here before you know it.