do you really need a partner ?

So you are in business and generating tons of sales so do you really need a partner for your business ?

It’s a question I often ask myself because I am mostly a one man band. I run several successful websites and undertake many consulting roles so do I need to expand at all ?

Previously I have thought I did. I think I am a personable person, I am positive most of the time and can always see opportunities from my side and for any person I approach for a business venture.

I have had several ideas and approached people online about many things - and met people face to face - but all to no avail. Here are some of the things that have happened in recent times that make me amazed.

Super small business guru.

I stumbled across a small business consultant who works mainly online helping small business owners. He seemed to have some excellent ways to generate email lists and to run online courses. I thought this could help me and my subscribers so subscribed to his list to see what was happening.

Before too long I was sent an invitation for a free teleconference about small business development - excellent - so I signed up and waited for the day. The time of the conference was near so I dialed in on the 0800 free phone number provided. But I couldn’t get through. I tried many times but it wasn’t happening. I dug out the international dial in number and was put through to the conference call immediately (hmmmm)

Anyhow, the call was in full swing and this “guru” was talking. But, only talking about himself. What he had achieved, his volume of sales, why he was fantastic. I thought this odd, because generally when selling, you talk about problems people have and how we can solve them. After 15 minutes of ego building I dropped out.

I sent this person a nice email FYI just saying that I couldn’t get through and the ego bullding was off-putting. I got an immediate response saying “well, I sold 300 places in my course at £600 so it must be working” - and he took my name off his email list.

Charming. So no bonding there then !

 

Business newsletter owner

I knew the above person from the previous owner. He had started a new site and wanted links from my authority site. I said I don’t swap links on this site but had another that I would. I never heard from him again, until…..

 

Small business site owner

I first contacted this owner just to swap links. He was also teamed up with a business newsletter person above I knew before who also wanted to swap links. We had links in place but when the business newsletter person joined the team I received an email from the small business site owner stating that “he didn’t get any traffic so it was a waste of time”

Now I wasn’t getting traffic either but link swapping isn’t all about traffic is it ?!!! - so I pleaded but nothing really happened.

A year later I got an email out of the blue from an organisation I hadn’t heard of. I hate spam, so replied with my thoughts. They said “oh, it was an email from the above small business website” - I though, oh, ok, so I sent a note to the small business website pointing out the spam.

Then the original “new site” owner emailed me and said “hey it’s me, sorry about that…” - I thought hey, this is great, as it was a nice email. So I emailed back with a site I thought he might like to promote and received affiliate commissions on.

I never heard anything back — and additionally they took me off their newsletter subscription ?!!

 

Conclusions

I have many more stories of people I have contacted simply not replying or taking my ideas on as their own or getting information out of me with nothing in return.

I guess I must hunt out the wrong people - but I find all of this extremely petty and juvenile. People not responding is just not right. If they have a problem they should say so but all they do is not reply and then unsubscribe me.

Maybe they are just running scared because I am successful and they are not but common sense and courtesy should prevail.

So my conclusing is I don’t need anyone else. I don’t need a partner so I will continue as a one man band  !