880: Survive and Thrive: Why Collaboration Is the New Secret Weapon for Small Business Owners

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2:01It is so easy to talk about the things you love. And it's awesome when you can see like, oh my gosh, my audience would absolutely love this person too. Again, it expands from this idea of like small business owners are all competing against each other. There's not enough to go around and it builds up more community. I'm Jenna Kutcher, your host of the Gold Digger podcast. I escaped the corporate world at the age of 23 with nothing more than a$300 camera from Craigslist and a dream. Now I'm running a seven figure online business that feels even better than it looks all from my house in small town, Minnesota with my family.

2:40Here we value time as our currency. We mix the woo and the work, and we are in the pursuit of building businesses that give us the freedom to live lives that we love. I've always loved turning big goals into reality, and I'm here to help you do the same. This isn't just a peek behind the curtain. Come along with me and my guests as we tear the whole curtain down. Every week we tackle practical, no-fluff marketing strategies and host honest discussions on what works and what doesn't. Join me and my expert guests for actionable insights to help you grow your dream business with confidence. Pull up a seat and get ready to be challenged, inspired, and empowered.

3:20This is the Gold Digger Podcast. It's Small Business Month, and we are raising a toast to the real MVPs of the economy, you. Sure, it might feel like you're doing it all, juggling the roles, stretching every dollar, and building a dream with limited time and resources. But here's the truth. What small businesses lack in budget we make up for in community. And this isn't just a feel-good moment, it's a smart strategy. Collaboration is how we not only survive, but thrive. In this episode, I am sharing 10 real, doable, and powerful ways to collaborate, cross-promote, and build something bigger together.

3:59If you're craving momentum, sustainability, community, and growth that actually feels good, well, this one's for you. And really quick before we dive in, I just want to say, every time I hear your stories, I am reminded why I started this very podcast in the first place. It is not just about business. It's about impact, growth, and you showing up for your dreams. So I am sharing one listener voice each week in our small business spotlight. Let's hear today's feature. Hey, Jenna. My name is Melissa Wilkinson, and my company is Anchored with Purpose. I help women live with purpose and intention by helping them reconnect with their faith, family, and biggest dreams.

4:41I have learned so much from you over the years that my favorite teaching has been about podcasting. I took the podcast lab back in 2023 and launched my podcast in 2024. It has been a game changer for me. It's getting me a seat at the table, helping me book speaking engagements, and it's opening doors and conversations with so many leaders I never would have been able to connect with before. I am so grateful to you and everything that you share with us. Thanks, Melissa. And if you're interested in learning about podcasting like Melissa did, head to freepodcastclass.com to save your seat for my free podcasting class.

5:24That's freepodcastclass.com. All right, now let's dive into this episode on how we can support each other in our businesses. One thing that I love about where I live is that this city that I live in is filled with budding entrepreneurs. Like I am so inspired by our city and just all of the like fresh energy and the new ideas and the businesses that are opening. I grew up near where I live right now. And oh my gosh, our city has changed so much. And this episode was really inspired because I see so much community and collaboration happening in our city. And I feel like if that is not something you are experiencing as a small business owner, I want today to pique your curiosity and to challenge you to consider how can I work with other local entrepreneurs to raise up our local economy, to support each other, but also to not feel alone in this.

6:26I don't know about you, but entrepreneurship can feel so isolating. It can feel so lonely. And so what better way to bring people into your world and your ecosystem to strategize together and to help each other out? And frankly, if I look at the headlines or the news, I feel like being a small business owner has never felt harder. And so one of the things that I think will cure that is coming together as a community. And so I am obsessed with small business month. I'm loving celebrating it. I hope you're loving listening to it. And I just want to remind you, these 10 things are not just like feel good moments.

7:02These are real strategies. Like I think that small businesses are going to have to get scrappy in order to survive. And so listen with an ear and not just of like, Oh, that's a cute idea, but like this might actually help us be more profitable or successful as a company. All right. So idea number one is this, how could you potentially curate or collaborate on an offer? So one thing we know is like big brands have a lot of budgets, right? Like budgets that small business owners could never even dream of, but small business owners, we've got taste. So what could it look like if you were to consider bundling your products or services with another business to create something super unique for your shared audience.

7:45Bonus points if it feels like we made this just for you moment. Really quick. So once a month, there is this amazing studio near where I live and they do this like rest and restore night. It is the best thing. I've gone two months in a row and I'm like, this is just going to be on my calendar every month. And it is two women who are coming together. One of them, she does Reiki and craniosacral therapy. The other one is a yoga instructor and breath work and they come together and they host this like amazing night. Like think like yoga meets massage meets Reiki meets sound bath. It's amazing. It's wonderful.

8:21And last night after the session, I stayed late and my sister came with me and we were just talking to the women. All of a sudden we're talking about another new like Pilates studio and like how they all teamed up and like all these different things. And I just felt like so much energy there and also just recommendation, right? So these two women are curating and collaborating on an offer. They're also getting awareness around their other offers. They're also sharing audiences. They're both promoting the offer. And so I just think it's amazing. Like it's a way to share the love and share your audience.

8:52So are there other businesses in your area or even businesses online where you could collaborate, could share audiences? Did you know that collaborative promotions between brands increase visibility by an average of 30 % more than just solo campaigns. There is something so cool about getting exposed to a new audience and just creating a really unique offer. So think about it like this. Let's say you're a family photographer. You could partner with, say, a local kid's clothing brand. A website designer could partner with an amazing copywriter to deliver a totally done website. A candle company could partner with a digital creator who makes a quick journal and a playlist download.

9:35If you're a personal chef, you could partner with a local small market to create free recipes with their goods. Like there is so much room to curate and collaborate both in person, but also virtually. And so I just want to consider like, what could it look like and who would you dream of partnering with? And maybe you can just start planting seeds now. I just think that this is one of the biggest missed opportunities. And not only does it expose you to new audiences, but it just gives you community. It gives you something where it is a shared goal. You both benefit. I mean, it's a win-win. So number one, curate and collaborate on offers.

10:12Every time I see that happening, I'm like, it's genius. It's simple. It's mutually beneficial and it's fun. Okay. Number two, you might not even know what I'm talking about when I say bring it back, follow Fridays, and I want to bring them back with intention. Does anyone remember follow Fridays? Okay. So follow Fridays were this thing years ago. Now, I don't even know if this is something that like just I did, or if it was like a trend, it was probably something that a lot of people did, but basically it was like on Friday, your social content was to like call out and shout out your favorite entrepreneurs or influencers or small businesses on social media.

10:51Now it feels silly, but what is so cool about this is you were like sharing the love and the awareness and just bringing attention to things that you love. And back in the day, we used to get super strategic with this. So I remember I was in this group, it was like six women. And every Friday we would rotate around and share another person in our little group with our audience. And so we just had a shared text thread and it would be like, okay, Hillary's going to talk about Jenna. Jenna's going to talk about Taryn. And each week we would change it up and we would supply images or any assets that somebody would need to be able to talk about us.

11:27And the biggest thing was, is like, we wanted to keep it super personal. Like you want to tell your followers why you love following this person or this brand or this business. And what's so cool is, is that like everybody wins, especially when you kind of make it like a little circle where you're all sharing each other and it's super organic, right? You naturally love them. So it's easy to talk about their content or their products or their services. And so what would that look like if you got together with some other small businesses and you said, okay, every Friday or every Thursday or whatever day of the week you want to do, could we do like a round robin, even just test it out for a month?

12:03You pick five creators and for one month you shout out a different business owner each week. Okay. Now, one of the things to keep in mind, if you do this strategy, you don't want it to just be generic. You don't want just like quiet tags. You want personal words or experience, like tell a story about the first time you tried their product and how their work impacted you, or post some Instagram stories talking about why you love following this person and how they inspired you. Like it is so easy to talk about the things you love. And it's awesome when you can see like, Oh my gosh, my audience would absolutely love this person too.

12:38Again, it expands from this idea of like small business owners are all competing against each other. There's not enough to go around and it builds up more community. Like I am the kind of person, if you are a friend in my real life, if we were to go get coffee, you better believe that when we are leaving our coffee date, I am sending you a text message with the three latest books I read, that podcast episode I was referring to, that product that I swear by, that person that I was telling you about. I love sharing recommendations. I cannot shut up about the things that I love. And that also goes for friends who tell me, I think you're going to love this as much as I do.

13:13I know that so many people are struggling with the algorithm right now and getting their stuff seen and getting it out there. And so one way to hack the algorithm, and I say hack with like air quotes, is to personally recommend things. It's like the algorithm is trying to guess like, okay, if somebody likes Jenna, then they're probably going to like this person or this brand. But like, hey, if we're just recommending the things that we know our followers will love, then we are doing the algorithm's work for it. Like, this is God's work, okay? And so there is a stat that doesn't lie surrounding this idea.

13:4692 % of consumers trust recommendations from people they know over any other form of advertising. And parasocial relationships can be just as influential. So just know that this strategy, I think we should bring it back. I think we should bring it back with intention. I think we can bring it back with coordinated efforts. And I think it could just be a really fun way to get more eyes on our content, to share the love, to expose our audiences to other creators and businesses and offers that they might naturally love and also to get that back in return, right? It is you're giving and you're getting, it is beautiful.

14:21And just a quick reminder, you do not need to have a massive following to make a difference in this way. Just use your voice, show up, talk about what you love and why you love it. It is that powerful and it is so easy. And I am still friends with the people that I used to do follow Fridays with back in the day. So just want to say too, it's a beautiful bridge to make like real relationships with people and to just kind of come together and have that community spirit. This podcast is brought to you by Mercury, banking that helps entrepreneurs do more with their money. Okay. I remember in the early days of my entrepreneurship journey, clients would literally mail me checks and then I would have to drive all the way to the bank to deposit them.

15:02It took me literal years to make things go digital. And I am ashamed to admit, I still have a filing cabinet with paper contracts because I'm way too afraid to throw them away. But that's the beauty of growth, right? You learn what systems serve you and which ones hold you back. Mercury is one of those systems that just works. Where traditional banking websites and apps are clunky and hard to use, Mercury is meticulously designed to make doing just about anything with your money feel effortless. And the best part is, it flexes to fit all types of businesses. Ready to see what powerful banking can do for your business?

15:38Visit mercury.com to apply in minutes. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. For important details, check the show notes. When we were young, we dreamed of castles and fairy tales. And as we grow up, those dreams might shift into building something real, like starting a business. You need a website, payment systems, a logo, and a way to reach customers. It can all be overwhelming and confusing, but thankfully, that's where today's sponsor, Shopify, comes in. Shopify powers millions of businesses around the world and 10 % of all U.S. e-commerce from big brands to folks just getting started.

16:16They offer beautiful ready-to-go website templates so you don't need design skills to look professional. Their AI tools help with product images, descriptions, discount codes, and more. Shopify also makes it simple to run email and social campaigns so people can find you. And if you ever feel stuck, their award-winning 24-7 support is always available. Turn those dreams into and give them the best shot at success with Shopify. Sign up for your$1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com slash gold digger. Go to shopify.com slash gold digger, shopify.com slash gold digger. Okay. Number three, this is one of my favorite things to do.

17:00And just saying this makes me want to redo it and update my current one. What am I talking about? Creating a local guide or like a niche guide. As someone who loves recommendations, I love sharing local businesses that I love, the places I love to go. I swear every single week people will drop into my DMs and they're like, hey, I'm coming to Duluth. Like, where should I eat? Should I make reservations? Where should I go? And let's just be honest. Amazon does not need more promotion, but your local coffee shop or your copywriter friend might. So consider curating a local guide or a resource list that your audience actually wants to save, whether it is specific to your geographic area or specific to the niche you serve, if it's online offers.

17:46The thing is, is that it is so fun to put together these guides and just like shout out the places you love. Like I have created local guides for places that we love to visit like Scottsdale. I have one for Grand Marais, Minnesota. I have one for Duluth. It's like favorite places to eat, favorite places to shop, favorite places to stay, favorite places to hike, like all the must do's and the must sees. And it's just so fun because I love these places. And if I love them, I believe my audience will love them too. And so you can be the curator. Your audience didn't know they needed. Like when you know you love something or you've experienced it or you do research, it feels backed.

18:23It's like there's this extra seal of approval from someone who did the work to create the recommendation. and in this world of AI, personal experiences and recommendations are the differentiator, right? You could go on to ChatGPT and be like, hey, I'm going to Duluth, Minnesota, make me a travel guide. Great. One, it might be sourcing content from things like the blog posts I've created, but two, you don't necessarily know why you should go to these places. When people are visiting your area, they want to feel like they're getting in on a little underground secret, like they're discovering the best hidden gems that are right in their neighborhood that they're visiting.

18:58And so just consider creating some sort of local guide. And here's the thing, whenever I've done this and I share it, I tag all the businesses in that local guide. And guess what? They start sharing that local guide as well because they're featured in it. It is literally free promotion for them. And so not only are they sharing it on social, they're sharing it with their communities. And so it is an amazing way to also unconsciously expose you and your content or the way that you curate in a beautiful way while you're supporting them and they're supporting you again. Can you sense a theme here?

19:33There is so much community to be had and I am just here for it. Like maybe there is a local bakery where the focaccia is so good it makes you weep. Or maybe there are a few freelance friends who could use a summer client boost. Or maybe you have a few favorite spots. You get all of your best birthday presents that you're finally willing to share with the world. I know that place with a great birthday cards is hard to give up, but giving them business might just mean that they can stick around for a lot more birthdays. So just consider what this could mean to other people. And in creating it once, you have this content that lives on.

20:09Like I am sending my travel guide to people every single week and I created it a year or two ago, which is why I was just thinking I should probably update that because there's so many more hidden gems in Duluth, Minnesota. Now, 83 % of consumers are more likely to purchase something based on a recommendation from someone they trust. And so again, you get to put the microphone up to your lips and shout out the places you love. And if you're wondering, okay, well, what would this look like? You know, I've given you some ideas, but here are a few more lists that you could actually make. You could do like 10 local gifts I'd actually buy or the go-to creative toolkit, which is like all of your favorite freelancers or the small business holiday survival guide or the best local spots for co-working that aren't your dining room table.

20:50Like there's so many ways you can make it fun. Shout out the businesses, make sure you promote and tag that you've created this article with them. They can leverage it. They can use it. And it's just a win, win, win. And I love doing it because if you're going to get asked about it, you might as well be able to say, Hey, I actually created something for you to answer this question. Amazing. Okay. Number four, feature other businesses in your content. I'm talking newsletters, podcast intros, blog posts, Instagram stories. These are all spaces where your platform becomes a spotlight for someone else.

21:23The algorithm might be unpredictable, but generosity is going to win every single day of the week. Even when we were brainstorming this month, small business month, we were thinking through like, how can we feature stories from our listeners. We have an episode with some of our listeners. Every episode we've been putting in a listener spotlight. Like there are so many ways that you can use your platform, even if it is small to highlight and feature other people. And it's so easy and it becomes natural. And it is so life-giving. Like every single episode of this podcast, I want to shout out a different creator, a different business owner, a different service I've used, a different platform that I love.

22:01Like I love doing that. And so if you haven't done that in the past, here's your invitation. Again, you don't need to dedicate a massive spotlight here. Even just 30 seconds in your Instagram story can mean a new client for someone or can simply just make their day. I mentioned a friend's virtual assistant biz in an email. She got three inquiries in like 10 minutes and it took two lines to write it. That's it. Here's a really quick and easy tip here. Writers often overlook like a little PS or like a, just a little nudge, but readers do not. So maybe every single time you reach out, you do a post, you send out a newsletter, you do a podcast intro or outro, or you have a blog post.

22:40Think of a way that you could just feature in somebody else. Maybe you could just say like this week I am loving, or have I told you about blank, or I found myself Googling X and here's the solution I found. Loop it in to your content as a natural extension. And the more that you do it, the more natural it becomes. And the more that you are just leading with a generous spirit, that can totally change somebody's week, month, or even year. I promise you, it is so easy to do and it's so fun. And a lot of times giving without expecting to receive anything is the best way. Karma comes back around, babies.

23:20I'm telling you. Okay. Number five, we are halfway done with my ideas. Okay. Support other people's launches like they're your own launch. Be the kind of friend who hypes up someone else's launch, not just like double taps it and keep scrolling. Consider how you can hype them up and share their content. Like whether you're sharing their posts, you're commenting with context, you're giving your own experience, you're even maybe mentioning it to your own audience. Support doesn't always have to be financial. Sometimes it's visibility. It's being vocal. It's being public about something. It was so funny.

23:55The other day I was talking to my best friend, Amy, who you probably know, and we were talking about my launch and she started responding and she kept saying the word we. And it was my launch. I was by myself in this launch. I was struggling with something and she kept saying we, and she's like, okay, so here's what we're going to do. Here's this. We are going to. And I just responded with her and I said, just saying that word we made me feel so much less alone. And the same goes when other people are putting big things out into the world. It is terrifying. It is usually overwhelming. It can be stressful.

24:29It can be anxiety inducing and making somebody feel like they are not alone in any type of launch, whether it's a product, a service, an offer, a course, like whatever it is, launching is not for the faint of heart. And so how can you come in and support people during a launch? This is when people are most emotionally vulnerable. Let me tell you this. I've launched a bajillion things in the last decade. I know. And so your words might be the reason they keep going. It might be the reason they don't give up. It might be the reason their business has the best tier ever. It might be the reason that a new person finds a solution they were looking for.