Whether you do business online or offline it's always important to continually network and gain friends.
I'm not talking about emailing total strangers for JV proposals, I'm talking about getting to know a like minded person online gradually, speaking on the phone, not just about business but about many other topics and eventually even meeting in person at an event.
Going at it alone in business is tough and the loneliness of doing business alone can be even more lonely when you're an online business. It's good to have contact with like minded people in the offline world who can relate to your specific experiences.
You may have heard of the term "old boys network" or more recently "the circle of friends" in IM. Despite some of the ways these terms are used individuals in the circle or even with one or two other people can get more done than someone can all by themselves. This is the power of leveraging your friends.
A group of friends has their network and those people within that network have a network of their own and on it goes. When you need some extra promotional help if you're launching a product your friend can promote an offer to their list which can bring in twice the business.
If you were to try to do a JV with another list owner online it's very likely they will turn you down, but friends trust each other more than strangers trust each other. Business is about trust and leverage.
Now I'm not saying take advantage of your friends with big lists, and lots of resources in high up places. Never do that. That's a surefire way to loose all your friends very quickly. Build a genuine relationship with people online over time (not just for business reasons) and if you ever need you're friends will always be there for you because that's what friends are for.
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