Building partnerships is a great way to promote your company and expand your reach to First Nations. The more you partner and collaborate with communities, the more your company will be recognized and considered. Here are a few key steps to help you achieve this:
- Contact the target community’s band council or the Employment and Training Service Centre (ETSC).
- They will be able to direct you and put you in touch with the appropriate contact person(s).
- Identify your goals and determine what you are looking for.
- Are you looking to expand your clientele? Increase your visibility? Contribute and collaborate on projects? Having clear objectives will help you find partnerships that meet your needs.
- Look for complementary partners.
- Look for partners whose products or services complement yours and whose values, objectives, and sector of activity match yours. Doing so will help you reach a wider audience and offer your clients a broader range of services to your client.
- Build relationships based on trust.
- Trust, authenticity, and transparency are paramount for First Nations. Learn about each other, recognize each other’s expertise, and understand each other’s needs by discussing expectations. Building a solid relationship from the outset will help avoid problems later.
- Clearly define the terms of the collaboration.
- The roles and responsibilities of each party, the objectives of the collaboration, the performance measures, the duration of the partnership, etc., must be clear from the start to avoid misunderstandings.
- Communicate regularly.
- Communication is essential in maintaining an effective collaboration. Schedule regular meetings to discuss project progress, potential problems, and opportunities. Make sure all parties agree on the path to take.
- Be accommodating.
- Relationships require making concessions. Be willing to listen to your partner’s ideas, be open to suggestions and be ready to find solutions that will work for both parties.
- Evaluate the collaboration regularly.
- It is essential to evaluate the collaboration regularly to ensure that it still meets the original objectives and benefits all parties. If it is no longer working, it is better to terminate it quickly than to continue at all costs. If the evaluation is positive, consider extending the collaboration.
We hope these tips help you create equal and beneficial partnerships for your company and our communities. If you have any questions or need support, please contact us at info@cdrhpnq.qc.ca.