Partnerships

Can you see us? Can you check, please? No, because it says live here. Yeah, it's working. Oh, gosh. Thank you, guys. Hi, everyone. Sorry for the delay. Technical difficulties. Just when I think we're getting used to this. Wow, wow, wow. All right, so it's a new month. We're talking about new things. Firstly, it's Friday. Happy Friday. Have you done your end of the week check in? I know it's almost five o'. Clock. It's almost the end of the day. I feel like not everyone waits till five o' clock on Friday, though, depending on your work day. So how has the week been? What were your successes? What were your wins? What were challenges? What did you learn? How did you grow? What kind of week has it been? Have you reflected? Take some time, write it out. Oh, my God, I forgot my notebook this morning. It's a particular notebook I wanted. Now I'm just remembering I left it at home. Anyway, another one is here. So think about it. Take a page and write out what was this week like? Sometimes on like a Friday, I'll try and think about, like, what did I do on Monday? And it's so far away. I'm just like, oh, my God. Where? The whole week has been a blur, this busy, busy week. But it's an exciting week here in Uganda. We are outside now. It's no more curfew. Things are open, businesses are open. It's great, it's exciting. I'm hoping the rest of the year just moves onwards and upwards. So this is the new month and one of the lovely people on my team had a fun idea about talking about partnerships this month. Since it's the month of love, I think you started to see all the hotel adverts saying Valentine's Day. And a lot of different companies have already started the Valentine's promotions. So when you think about business relationships, those are partnerships. I wanted to give some context because we have a lot of great content coming for you this month about partnerships, different types of partnerships, how to make them work, what to look out for, the challenges, the issues, the tips. And there's so many types of partnerships and it's different for everyone and it's different for every audience. But there are certain key things that affect all partnerships and that you can do and you can control. And I think that's what is interesting to talk about. So firstly, I wanted to think about, like, the different types of partnerships, because, for example, in business you have partners who are your business partners, like people you have a business with, your co founders for Example, that is the type of partnership as businesses. Sometimes we partner with each other. Where one business partners with another business, whether it's on a project or a campaign, or you give each other commission or recommendations, you provide services for each other, those are your partners. When you think about your colleagues in a work environment, those are your partners. Where you have a program or a project or you're working together in a team, that's how you have partners in the workplace. If you're a student, there's always people you have to partner with at school, right? When you have projects and work to do or you need help with. So I think in life, partnerships is always something that's going to come up. So it's something that you as an individual need to be prepared for and need to know how to navigate. I think we've done videos on negotiations before because that's where you talk about how you're going to make a partnership come together and how to make sure it's a win win situation. But I think when I look at the skills it takes to be a good partner, and this is something I've had to learn from mentors from the hard way on my own experience and bad partnerships and things that you can do to make sure a partnership is good or to look for the right partner, these are the kinds of things we want to talk about this month. I know we've had a lot of technical difficulties, so I'm not doing well on time today. I'll try and be quick. So first thing I always think about when I think about partners is intention. So you want to be clear about what you want, what you're looking for, what you're trying to be, what kind of partnership it's going to be. So being informed is useful because then you can set the right intention. Because there's different types of partnerships, like what I just mentioned, how it's a different way you're looking at a partner. And then even when you look in your own way, like if it's a co founder, like a business partner, it's a business that you want to partner with, it's a teammate, Sometimes it's not your choice, but you have to have a good intention. What is the intention? What are you trying to get out of the partnership? Why does this partner make sense? Why do you want this partner? These are the kinds of questions you have to ask yourself so that you get the right partner. Sometimes people come to me in partnerships and I'm like, so how did you guys become partners? Oh, we were just Friends, we had this idea. Oh, my mom suggested it. Oh, aunties introduced us to each other. Like, why does it make sense? Did you want this? Do you have the same vision? The same goal? I think you have to be really intentional about what type of partnership is this? Oh, I get like DMs. Hello, madam, we would like to partner with your business. I'm like, which business? What business? How? And that's why usually they're like, we'd like to have a meeting with you. And like, I never agreed to those meetings. I'm like, send me an email with your proposal explaining to me how you think we are going to partner. Just because you see a brand or a person out there doesn't mean I want to partner with you. What does that mean? Be clear. Be intentional. Most of the time you're never going to get a response if you just send stuff like that to people. Say, this is my business, for example. What can I think of? Yes, a fumigation business. The other day messaged me, hello, madam, this is our fumigation business. We would like to partner with you. So now when you send me a message, there are many different companies. It's up to me to think about do I want to partner with you or not. So you have to be specific. Hello, Madame, I have a fumigation business. I know you have a hotel. We would like to come and be fumigating your hotel. I think this is how the partnership can work. Something like that. Or partnerships where you recommend each other. I thought of a fumigation business because I saw it the other day. And I remember in Handyman we had a partner who has a fumigation business. So whenever we had clients who wanted fumigation services, we would refer them. And whenever they had clients who needed any kind of construction or renovation, they would refer us. So you can have different types of partnerships. So you have to think about those things even when you start a business. When I think about some of the companies I've started, my business partners had an opposing skill set. To me, they worked from a different sector. They had different understanding, different background, different expertise. So it made sense for us to work together because we both bring different skill sets, different contacts, different network and connections and capital to the business. But we have to be very intentional. So you don't just partner with anyone or say, I want to partner with everyone. Because partnerships take work. It's a relationship at the end of the day. That's why we're talking about it. In the month of Love, it's about Cultivating that relationship and building that partnership. When I think about some of the partners we've had, let's say, in Simba Telecom for years, 10 years, 15 years. We've been working with MTN for like 20 years, since they came to Uganda. I think 1998, there was not yet MDN, it was Airtel, no Celta. But since then, since MDN came, they are partners. So whenever we're making decisions in Simba Telecom, we discuss with them, we have a relationship with them. The CEO of Simba is very close with all the people she works with in Simba, in mtn, because they have to be working together. MTN needs us, we need them. And it's a partnership. You have to kind of think about it like a marriage. You. You know how we talk about. A business is like your baby. A partnership is like a marriage. It's someone who is on your team. They're your partner in this, they're your ally. And you have to work together to achieve the goals that you're moving towards. And you need each other. Partnerships don't work when you're trying to cheat each other or lie or hide. Let me keep the profits a secret. Let's downplay the sales. Those are partnerships that don't have longevity. They're not sustainable. So you're just wasting your time. When you get into such a partnership, you want to build a partnership that's going to last, that's going to take your company to the next level. So be intentional when you're looking for your partners, when you're assessing, do I need a partner? Do I want a partner? What am I looking for in a partner? Today I was talking to one of my partners in a different business and we need to hire a host. And we were like, oh. They started getting applications. And the first thing we decided, let's first make criteria. What are we looking for in a host? What is the skill set? What is the experience level? What, who is the ideal candidate? What does that look like? Then we start to look at all the people who've applied, not the other way around. It's like applying for a job when there's no job description. You don't know what you're applying for, so you don't know what you're looking for. So you're not really going anywhere. That's why intention is so important. So when you think about partnerships, why are you even thinking about the partnership? Of course, it's a useful thing. You need partners. But what kind of partner are you looking for? Do you Need a partner who's going to increase your sales? Who is going to help you reduce costs? Do you need a partner that's going to introduce you to a new market? Do you need a partner who is going to bring different skills to your business? Do you need a partner who is going to have more connections or contacts or leverage in the company? What are you looking for in the partner? First think of that intention. Then you start the journey of okay, now I need to find the right partner who is qualified, who is the right vibe for me. Like we are on the same page, the same vision. What are you looking for in a partner is the first step? I think after you have your intention and you know what type of partner you're looking for, you also have to think about how can I be the best partner that I can be? You need to be supportive and encouraging. You need to be honest, you need to be clear, you need to communicate. These are small things that are soft skills that really affect a partnership. Imagine if you got married to someone and you never spoke to them again. You see them once a month, every three months, oh, how are you? How are things? But you're not like in daily communication. Think about a partnership like that. You have to have a system and a schedule and like once a week we're talking or I'm whatsapping you every day, how it went. If your partner is like in a business, in a shop, oh, these were the sales today. Are you the one opening the shop tomorrow? Have you picked up this, have you paid this person? You have to work together, right? Even big corporates, you have like regular meetings, forums, boards. You sit together, you attend things, you brainstorm, you make sure you run things by each other before making big decisions that affect each other. Because you have to remember you're tied to this person now or this company or this idea. So your partnership means you're working together. You know like a three legged race where you tie your foot to someone and you have to run across the place. You can't do it unless you walk in step together. You know, if you're both trying to run at your own pace in your own direction, you'll never move anywhere. But once you are together in rhythm and you know where you're going in one direction, that that's how you move forward and that's how you achieve the goals that you want to achieve. So you have to think about how you can be a good partner. Do you have time for this partnership? Are you ready to commit the resources that you're Going to need. Are you upfront? Yesterday I was having a discussion with someone. I'm like, you know, when I look at my year, I don't know if I have the time for this. I don't know if I have the money for this. I don't know if I can commit to this new partnership, to this new business. Let me first have some time. Let me assess, let me be sure so that when I commit, I can be there and be there fully and do my best and give this partnership my all so that you know I can keep my reputation intact and my integrity and know that I did the right thing. So you have to see, how can you be a good partner if you're now sure that you want to get into a partnership, are you going to be able to deal with this person or with this company? Some partnerships are hard. People are difficult. Organizations are big. Problems happen. Life happens. Look at Covid. There are so many things that go up and down. I can't tell you how many partners we've had to renegotiate with and talk to during COVID Some are super kind. I know, like one of our IT suppliers gave us a huge discount. They were patient with us because the hotels were switched for how many months? So some partners can be very good. You built that relationship. We had that relationship for years. And now when something happened and we needed help, they were supportive, they were encouraging, they kept the business. Other partners have been so difficult. No, we need this. Why have you done this? Can you do this for us? So you have to know you're going to be in it through good times and bad times. And that's also something to assess. How are you going to be as a partner when it's bad times? Are you not going to answer your phone? Are you going to avoid them and hide because you've lost the money or something went wrong? And in good times, how are you going to share the money? Are you going to be, we made too much money. Let me first reduce the sales in the report so we give them less money. Is that really fair? Because they've done their best as well, and their best is the reason that you did well. So you have to think about these things and see, how can I be a good partner? Am I doing my part in the partnership? Am I being the best partner I can be to support them? When I see opportunities for our partners that have nothing to do with me, I still have to send to them, oh, have you seen this? Or, oh, I can recommend for you this. I do that. All the time, with my friends, with my colleagues. Have you been to this place? Have you tried this person? Oh, I know the service provider is very good. They did this for us, though. They handled this for us. We have a relationship with them. I'll even call and ask if they can give you a discount. That's how you cultivate relationships. You try and be the best partner you can be. It's not perfect, it's not easy. I'm sure there are partners who are also very angry with me. But, you know, we have to. I think you have to see what you can manage and how to be the best partner you can be, what you can tolerate, what is in your standards, what you're looking for. And that's something that I really learned, I think, the hard way. I went through a lot of different partners when the hotel first opened, and I had very little patience. And I was not sure of the parameters of what I'm trying to take on. So maybe I was choosing the wrong partners or I wasn't managing the partnership well. My expectations and theirs were not in alignment. And we didn't realize till it's too late. So. Oh, my God. I remember the first Valentine's we had at Skyes. I think if those guys see me, they wouldn't even say hi to me. We fought, we suffered, we stressed. Everything was a mess because we both were not on the same page. We agreed to be in a partnership. We even signed an agreement. But then. I expect you to bring the decorations. You think I'm bringing the decorations on Valentine's Day? In the morning, we're both looking at each other. Aha. Where are the decorators? Do you know how it is to find decorations that are red on Valentine's Day? So there are different mistakes you can make just because you're not clear. We hadn't had enough meetings. We were not clear about who is responsible for what, who is going to provide what. All we had agreed is this is the goal and this is how we're going to split the money. That's all we were thinking about. And I'll cook food, you'll advertise. That's what we knew. Small things like decorations, we had forgotten about. So there are so many small things that you don't come, like, plan for. And that's why it's important to build partnerships. A partnership is not something you just click and it happens. You find the right partner, you make sure they suit the needs you have. You make sure you fit their needs as well, and then you both commit to what you're trying to do and have shared goals, have a shared vision, Then it's about cultivating the relationship, making sure you're communicating clearly, you're on the same page, you're updating each other, you're making decisions together. So these small things make the partnership successful. And a successful partnership is great. I think that's why the expression two heads are better than one comes from, right? When you have two entities, two different brains, two types of energy, two different organizations working together with a shared goal, if you can achieve that goal, it's much greater than the goal you'd have achieved separately on your own. That's why partnerships are important, because they can take you further. You can struggle and hustle and get there on your own. Sure, one day, maybe. But if you have the right partner, it makes a huge difference. And then you get to have that goal or success or the vision achieved faster or better or bigger. So that's why partnerships are important. I don't want to get too deep into it because of time. And also there will be lots of videos. We're going to post them on all the different social medias on my channels this this month about the different partnerships, the different types and the different tips, and lots of different information about those things. Because partnerships are something you can't avoid, and I don't think you should try to avoid. They're useful, but you have to go in clearly, be informed, be intentional, and be a good partner. Then things move forward, things work out, and you'll be so surprised and grateful when things work out. There's so many partners we have, and I'm just like, wow, I would have never been able to do this, but without you. This is so much more than I could have envisioned or thought or understood or brought in the sales. And you need them and it works and you're happy to do more things together. So you have to have a bit of give and take, you know, and see how to balance the partnership and build the relationship. And it comes with practice and intention. So if you're not good at partnerships or you've never had a partnership, don't be scared. Learn. Start somewhere. Try one. Go somewhere, please. When you're asking people for partnerships, be specific, Be organized. Think about how it makes sense for them and how the partnership would work. You know, it's easier to get a yes that way. I think we have a question or two. One second. What kind of business partnerships exist? We have talked about that and we'll talk about that more. I think in the videos. And every week I'll do a live as well. So if you have specific questions in the areas the videos talk about, please do send your questions. How are partnerships dominating in the market? Two heads are better than one. Really, what you can achieve with a partner, you could never achieve by yourself. Nelly. So I think that's why partnerships dominate more. I think, think about every advert you see. How many of them do you see? Like a bunch of logos at the bottom, not just the one. Sometimes, of course, it's a company's advert. You know, this is what this place is doing, or this. But there are so many events, so many projects, campaigns, different things where you see lots of different companies, different conferences, different concerts, different things. Those are all partnerships in action. Because with partners, your network is so much bigger, your reach is bigger, you'll get more sales, more customers, more people will see, and your resources are bigger. So when you think about the front end and the back end, having a partner adds resources on both sides because you have more money to spend, you have more staff, more people thinking about this, more marketing, more capacity, you can do more things. For example, when you have an event, you need a food partner, a drinks partner, advertising partner, like sound and lights partner, you know, security partner. It's a partnership because you're many people doing something together. A food company cannot hold a concert by themselves. A security company cannot do that by themselves. You have to work together. In life, no one is on an island as an individual and even as a company. So I think think about it that way. You want to grow and as you used your word, dominate. You need to think about strategic partnerships and see how to find the right ones and then cultivate and build them so that your company can grow and also dominate in your sector. Partnerships are very useful part of life, business, of teamwork, of school, of entrepreneurs. You can't avoid them. So better we learn what we can and do them well. I hope you found that useful. I will see you next week. Week again, I apologize. Technical difficulties. I'm getting the hang of this. I'm improving, I swear. I forgot the Twitter. Oh, oh. Just when you think you're getting better, backslide. We try harder next week. Have a good weekend.