Because of limited time and resources, running a workshop is not easy. But if team spirit is missing, progress and business growth will be considerably more difficult to achieve.

Teamwork, as a doctrine, is not confined to one workshop and its team. External networking and collaboration come under the teamwork umbrella. But good teamwork doesn’t just happen. The concept has to be embraced by everyone in the business and some encouragement will be needed.

The automotive aftermarket workshop world can be very competitive and harsh. While competition is unavoidable, there are endless opportunities to network with other businesses in order to diversify your audience, reach new customers, and improve your products or services. So contrary to common fears, competition doesn’t necessarily stop a workshop from thriving.

What does it mean to network and collaborate with another business?

Typically, it refers to businesses, either individually or through a structured organisation, working together to solve problems and achieve goals that seem to be out of reach when working alone.

It’s simply an expansion of the individual teamwork concept, using the same principles on a bigger platform. By combining the expertise,

perspectives and skills of different people and organisations, all parties involved are better able to innovate and grow.

Here are six game-changing reasons why you should consider networking or collaborating with other small businesses.

Expand your network

Small businesses collaborate through linking skill sets. They can develop a broader network than each workshop could possibly achieve on its own. Plus, successful entrepreneurs have a common interest in meeting new people, building their contacts, and expanding their network. Being successful in business requires you to constantly make new connections, form alliances and reach new audiences.

Fuel innovation

Collaboration can trigger innovation because everyone brings a unique set of skills, knowledge, approaches, experiences and ideas to the workshop. Collaboration itself is the key to innovation. The saying ‘innovate or die’ isn’t overdramatic – if you don’t innovate in today’s highly competitive marketplace, your business will flounder in its own challenges.

Share knowledge

One of the biggest benefits of collaboration is the opportunity to learn and share knowledge. In fact, every interaction you have with someone outside your immediate circle can teach you something

valuable. Some of the most fruitful business collaborations include two or more professionals who bring different perspectives, skill sets and knowledge to the table.

Solve business problems

There’s a reason crowdsourcing is so popular: there is power in numbers. If one person is unable to complete a task on their own, then two, three, or more people may be able to find a solution to the problem. Try to recall a challenge you encountered in your workshop. Did you seek guidance from a fellow technician or some other trusted resource? It’s the same principle in business collaboration. When you collaborate with another small business, you have more people working on the problem.

It follows that the more challenging a problem is, the more can be gained from having someone from outside bring a new perspective, often resulting in the outcome being a more positive one.

Expand service or product portfolio

Just keeping up in today’s motor car world is a huge challenge, but working with other workshops will enable your workshop to expand its services for its own customers. Through collaboration, workshops can bring their resources together to cut costs and mutually benefit from innovation.

Save money

In collaborative relationships, expenses are shared. Part of the agreement includes sharing skills and specialist equipment which one workshop could not afford on its own. As a result, individual budgets can be improved substantially through cutting costs.

These are just some of the many benefits of working together with other workshops, either through individual collaboration or with the help of an industry association or specialist group. Through collaboration, you can achieve mutual growth, expand your networks, save time, fuel innovation, solve business problems and save money.

Start looking outside your front door for the best people to join your external team.