This new decade demands that we do business differently. Why? Because as someone once said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.” So one way to do business differently is to collaborate. It’s a business growth strategy that works for many, why not for you?

Collaboration is relatively simple in its basic form. Why? Because when you check a dictionary, you’ll find a definition as simple as “work, one with another.”

In terms of business collaboration, it is often about “working with each other to create something together”. That something? That will decide who you want to collaborate with.

View collaboration as levels or a continuum to move forward.

There are low-level commitments of time and energy in things like: sharing articles for ezines, mutual blog comments, mutual blog posts.

Building on this, but with more time and energy, consider “sharing” radio shows and teleclasses, even cross-promoting with each other.

Another level beyond this could be the creation of electronic books.

Then your style and interests may lead you to a telesummit or live event in person.

Surely there are more possibilities.

Collaboration means clean communications.

Collaboration means working towards clearer communication. A large number of collaborative efforts are started online. Email is a primary mode of communication, but don’t rely on it. An email that asks, “Do you get this blog?” could be answered: “No, I don’t understand it”. The question may have meant, “Do you understand this blog?” To minimize or avoid misunderstandings, communicate clearly, listen and ask questions.

As your collaboration progresses, use the phone or Skype to enhance understanding.

You’ll find more than growth in communications, but it certainly leads the way. You must be prepared for personal growth on many levels.

You will be sharing the work. Collaborating to create takes two and generally slows down processes. It’s called leverage. You combine talents, skills, resources, spheres of contact, ideas, you have responsibility and you grow personally.

You know that metaphor about you and a glacier? That your potential is like a glacier, you may only see 10% of it; like a glacier; 90% is underwater. Collaborating can bring out the best and the worst in you. It’s almost a guarantee that if you’re successful with business growth through collaboration, you’ll experience personal growth on many levels.

Are you ready to collaborate as part of your business strategy? If you:

-They are tired of the same old and need more creativity -They want more excitement -They need more strategy, less tactics -They need to be bolder -They need to play a bigger game -They want more fun…

Consider a level of collaboration for your business growth.