When I look back on my first four years in business, I have to say – I wouldn’t be anywhere without my amazing network of freelancers, creatives and small business owners who have championed me and For You Photography from day one.

I recently wrote this blog article about how an exciting collaboration between myself, Nic Redman author and voice coach and personal stylist Style By Bella resulted in an awesome selection of images, ideal for use across their social media channels and websites.

Bella (Left) Nic (Right) during a personal styling session

So, whether you are new in business or run an established organisation, you’ll find loads of value in having a great support network around you. Tap into great minds and lend mutual benefits by finding collaborators to work alongside. From co-running events to sharing the cost of office space, there are so many positives in having good business relationships.

But how do you actually find them? If you want to know more about finding collaborators and growing your network, here are my personal top tips!

Network, network, network

Gone are the days of old men in suits trying to sell wares to anyone who’ll listen – the new age of networking is here. I have met so many of my best business friends at networking events. If you’re local to the North East, I highly recommend The Marketing Meetup for finding collaborators and boosting your support network if you’re wanting to network online then I highly recommend ONLE Networking.

Be seen on social

The line between business and personal social media has definitely blurred in recent years, especially if you run a small business. Posting stories from behind the scenes and making fun reels about how your business works will all work in your favour and bring new eyeballs to your brand.

Write a list of “dream” collaborators

Perhaps you’ve got a sector in mind that you would really like to work with? For me, working with Nic (Author and voice coach) and Style By Bella was the perfect partnership as all three of our skillsets complement each other really well.

I also work closely with Content By The Sea, local copywriters and web designers, to help their clients capture images to bring their brand new websites to life. Another freelancer I’ve worked closely with is Joel Lowson, a talented videographer who specialised in capturing brand personalities on film. I’ve also partnered with podcast extraordinaire and entrepreneur Ashleigh King, as well as The Millin Charity on shoots for their clients.

So, if there is someone or a specific type of business that you would love to work alongside then write them down and reach out. You’ll never know until you try!

I’d love to know about who you’ve collaborated with in the past. Let me know your past collaborators or shout out your dream ones on my LinkedIn or on Instagram.