Plug and Play HQ, promoting JVPs

Creative Solutions through Partnering
Plug and Play strategic Partnerships- the New Paradigm

Cumbria, or the Lake District, has a reputation for being really beautiful but also for attracting artists, writers and architects. Examples include: Wainwright, Beatrix Potter, John Ruskin, Arthur Ransome, William Wordsworth and William Butterfield. We still attract creative types and nowadays, they are likely to be using some kind of digital media as well as more traditional art forms. The landscape inspires and draws people to want to live and create here, but finding a job may be tricky, especially in the creative industries. A lot of our talented young people end up leaving the area even though they love it here.
Entrepreneurship is the obvious answer if the county is to recover from the recent flooding and the effects of the recession. There is a need to focus on fostering web based entrepreneurship rather than job creation. The number of homeworkers is definitely on the rise and it would be great to see much more targeted support for this growing trend. Our market leaders will be those who focus on online businesses and remote working. No longer can we rely on natural resources like coal, slate, steel, and oil to lead the economy. Information is this year's coal. People, knowledge and skills are the resources of the future and we have only seen the tip of the iceberg so far.

It is now possible to start a business online easily and you can do it for next to nothing if you are smart. If you have a good idea and apply yourself to learning about internet marketing, you could go a long way. I am not suggesting that you will get rich overnight, but with a positive attitude, creativity and planning you can get start making money online with a shoestring budget. Obviously, if you have got some capital, you can opt for a high ticket business more easily and use your money to drive traffic to whatever it is you are selling. For instance, a great Viral marketing campaign could get your information products into the global marketplace literally overnight. Frank Kearn and Ryan Higgans are fantastic examples of that. There are so many tools out there now to help you get your products to thousands of sites on the web. And with a bit of training and information, you can distribute the same piece of information as an article, podcast, blog, video or email using automated software.

It is no longer enough to just have a great product or service now, you also need to know how to market it effectively. This levels the playing field for people who live in rural areas like Cumbria and who want to work from their home or a shed. However, there are lots of skills involved in internet marketing, like graphic design, web server technology, programming, using social media, multi-lingual translations, international accounting, SEO, legal issues and the psychology of marketing. It would be pretty impossible for one person to have all those skills, but the good news is that joint venture partnerships offer really exciting win win solutions. With a dynamic combination of strategic partners it is possible to create a winning home based business from anywhere. You just need to link up with the right partners.

Traditionally, such alliances were formed at networking groups like the Chamber of Commerce and business breakfast clubs. Now online forums and social media make it possible for people to connect with strategic partners, meaning that you are more likely to meet just the right partner. For instance, Glen Richardson and 5 others managed to launch SendSocial for peanuts with only one real life meeting. The rest was done virtually and because each person contributed with sweat equity, it was possible to create a revolutionary product inexpensively and quickly. Glen thinks that one of the reasons that they have been such a huge success together is because they share a similar approach to business and their values are aligned.

Strategic alliances are the way forward and offer endless opportunities. When competitors or customers become colleagues, the sky is the limit. We are seeing so many unconventional alliances now, I am particularly fascinated by the partnering of third sector organisations with marketing companies, global organisations and mainstream businesses. It is now possible for a small charity to create an international appeal whilst simultaneously benefiting a mainstream business. Examples include The Railway Children partnering with Yahoo, the #beat cancer campaign and Amanda Rose's Twestival to raise funds for clean water.

We are witnessing a massive paradigm shift in the way that we approach work and business. I share an office in a gorgeous old house in the South Lakes, situated in a lovely park. Entrepreneurs and geeks drop in and work there and we like to think of it as a Giant Plug and Play Coffee Shop, a place where we can show up, plug in and get started. People wander in and out and it gives home-workers, or as Emma Jones puts it the 5-9 crowd a change of scenery. We all plug into each other and the inspirational atmosphere means that it becomes a giant think tank. We share ideas, bounce off each other and inspire one another. We share equipment, knowledge, best practice ideas, skills and a great cup of coffee! We remind each other that it is lunch time! Strategic partnerships automatically form and new supply chains can be established within hours. Sometimes people will be on teleconference calls and speaking to multiple partners from around the world. Sometimes we just work in silence too, but it is great knowing there are friends around. This means that Cumbrian start-ups have the same opportunities to hit global markets as a business based in London or New York. It's all about choosing the right partners and the right business ideas, but having an inspirational work environment is a big fat bonus. Of course this is great news for the environment too.

You have to remember that if your business is online, no matter whether you work from home or an office, your visitors are global and there is no reason that your partners can't be too. Geography does not have to be an issue for online work now, and if you are smart, you can keep the costs down too. If you want to get started learning about internet marketing and making money online I would suggest the FREE 4 Step Internet Marketing Course. It will teach you what you need to know and give you some products to get started with. Or you can use it to market your own ideas, products or services. Give me a shout if you want to know more about getting started with that one, or just download it here. We also offer internet marketing courses for dummies in real life and we invite you to bring your laptop and show you how to you set up your first website or blog. A series of more advanced seminars are coming up in the New Year and will be delivered by successful Cumbrian internet entrepreneurs. We will of course be recording these and they will be available as webinars. These will be announced at an up and coming Tweet Up so you can plug and play with us too! Contact me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter if you are interested in attending any of these events.