Have A Great Idea? — Make Money Through Alliances

If you have a great business idea or a unique skill, instead of trying to do everything yourself, why not find an ally who can help?

Creating formal and informal alliances with others, could be one of the simplest ways to generate a great income and success for yourself, while minimizing your risk.

Here are three simple ways to do it.

 

1. Getting Someone to Help With Costs…
(HOW TO PICK UP GIRLS)

Eric Weber discovered the power of alliances with a book he had written.

After interviewing dozens of pretty girls on a college campus, asking them — “What’s the best way for a guy to get a date with you?” — He turned their answers into the book, HOW TO PICK UP GIRLS. Eric believed it could become a massive success, if he could place a large ad for it in a major men’s magazine, like Playboy.

Only one problem. He only had enough money to print the books or run the ad, but not both.

His solution… Why not partner up with a printer who would pay for the printing in exchange for half the profits?

The first two printers he approached turned him down, but the third said yes, and they were off to the races.

And as he predicted, a few days after the ad ran in Playboy, the checks started pouring in, turning Eric and his printer into instant millionaires.

 

2. Getting Someone to Do the Work for You…
(binder covers for students)

A Southern California educator came up with the idea for a cover to a 3-ring binder, that would convert it into a cool multi-pocketed utility. The cover was comprised of a sleeve that went over any binder, with a fancy cover that was easily customizable by the student, and multiple pockets on the inside, for everything a college or high-school kid would want to carry around with him or her. He got a patent but recognized he could not market it himself. After all, he was busy with his own job working with students.

His solution? He approached Mead, the binder and school accessories company, with an offer for them to license his invention.

After some negotiations, they agreed to pay a royalty to every product sold. When I met him, he had been earning over $50,000-a-year in royalty checks from them, for more almost a decade… just from that one product.

Although some companies will not listen to product ideas from the public, many will, especially if you have a patent or a patent-pending.

 

3. Getting Others to Join You for More Clout, More Fun and More Profit… (training company)

For more than a decade I ran a training company with more than 22 people, working with some of the world’s largest organizations.

It was formed through informal partnerships with other people who had training and related companies, where I approached them with an interesting offer. If we could partner together rather than competing or working independently, we would have the staff and resources to start winning larger companies than we could individually.

Plus, it would be more fun working together, rather than working separately.

More than a dozen agreed, and suddenly, we had more money to spend for marketing, hiring salespeople and trainers, and more people to help us with strategic and operational challenges. It was awesome!

 

So, who could you create an alliance with?

…Someone with greater resources, where you share the profits?

…Someone with great skills, where you build a business together?

…Someone going after the same market, where you share costs of marketing?

We are taught from school to do everything ourselves. But breaking past the mold, success and joy can be easier than most people realize.