How can I find co-founders to help me take my business to the next level?
I have built a content rich Knowledge Exchange Platform dedicated to Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed. It's a membership site, complete with extensive gamification, a virtual currency, revenue share and co-ownership.
However, I'am having difficulty getting the word out there and would like to bring on-board expert marketers as co-founders to help promote the business.
What could you recommend?
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Dec 3, 2015
Being late to this party, I apologize if this is a Repeat. I would recommend 2 courses of Potential action. 1) Find a true Partner who will Invest time and effort to help you get where you believe you can go. They need to have relevant experience doing what you are trying to do. 2) Go to market with people will Market the Business. Call them Agents if you like, but people who will be incented Financially to get you where you think you can go.
Dec 2, 2015
If I read you correctly, you’re looking for someone to co-own your enterprise in exchange for spending time and money to promote and generate revenue for your business. I think this route may not work really. There is a lot that goes to make co-ownership work, not least because there has to be complete jelling of minds.
I’ll speak of 3 ways that I think may work for you.
As an online coach I can justifiably suggest that you can think of spreading your course to wider audience. You already have a membership site. You can break your course into smaller courses and sell them on Udemy. Many people say that only discounted courses sell on Udemy, which is largely true. But remember your target is to reach out to wider audience at negligible cost.
Second, if it is possible, break the smaller courses into self-sufficient tiny lessons, pricing them a few dollars. Consider selling them on Gumroad, Selz, etc. You can even open a Facebook store with them, which you can then advertise on Facebook.
My third point is about “influencer outreach”. There are many influential and experienced Internet marketers who may agree to promote your course for hefty fees, but then you’ll more likely than not recover your costs. Take a look at http://www.hiregun.co/.
Dec 2, 2015
I believe the failure of most Partnerships comes down to mis-alignment of VALUES! Before you start looking you need to become very aware of your 10 top Personal and 10 top Business VALUES. Some of the 20 will be the same and some will be different.
In Partnership (co-founders!) you need to know that you have alignment in both your Personal as well as your Business VALUES. Don't settle for "near enough"! It will cause you grief later on.
One way to express your VALUES is to create a Business Plan. This can be the way you communicate your VALUES. Before sharing your Plan, you need to ensure the identify for you their Business and Personal VALUES.
Dec 2, 2015
Richard Stern- Prepare a strong Action Plan outlining the business along with the strength and weaknesses.
Then outline the needs required to achieve the goals set fort in your Plan
Then outline an offering for the people you need and the potential rewards for their contribution.
This should bring the quality of candidates you seek.
Dec 2, 2015
You may want to start with a contract resource, and see how that works out. Alternatively you could consider posting on angellist.com.
Dec 2, 2015
I would recommend PR/Marketing agencies to help you get the word out. They have the portfolio of contacts and marketing expertise.
Dec 2, 2015
Hi Andre,
This is not going to be easy for you to achieve this. I've made the experience myself and had mixed results. One of my ventures, it took me about 1 year to find people, and a couple of months into it, they left but one. I'm back to square one as we need to get people on board to build a founding team.
I found the people on LinkedIn and freelance websites originally. I engaged on the desire to be part of a founding team first; and then I went on to share what the venture is about (with NDA in place).
Even with as much due diligence as I could make, people left.
I had more successful experiences using the same process.
So if you're looking for co-founders because you can't pay for services (which is understandable) prepare yourself for it to take a long time. Or you get lucky.
If you're looking for something to happen much quicker; then hire professionals and discuss any arrangements.
If you're looking for immediate action and you can't pay; I'm afraid you're going to do your marketing alone.
Dec 2, 2015
You are in a very crowded marketplace and need to establish your USP Unique Selling Proposition, and find a co-founder who believes and trusts in you and your message and is a big game hunter
Dec 2, 2015
Look for leaders that excel in the skills of influence. Consider leaders that are semi-retired and are only looking to supplement their social security. Leaders that accept 1099 and/or stock options. Leaders understand behaviors and through proper channels of influence can inspire people to follow in the exploration of something new (change) by overcoming the fears associated with change opportunities.
I totally agreed with Andre. Get out and really decide on what is that you are pretending to do, because, after all, nothing is free especially in business.