Barn-raising is a centuries-old tradition in rural America. Early pioneers quickly recognized that it is practically impossible for one person to build a barn. So they started a system in which all members of a community would gather together to build a barn for one family at a time.
Here is how it works. The family that needs the barn acquires all of the materials, often by barter or trading. Then everyone descends on the property and works as a team to build the barn from the ground up. No money changes hands…because everyone knows the community will be there for them when it is their turn to build a barn.
You can see how it works in this clip from an old Harrison Ford movie.
Sometimes, when you’re thinking about starting a new business, the biggest challenge is how to get started. Today, we’re going to think of your business as a barn…and figure out how to have a barn-raising to get it built from the bottom up.
So, let’s start by looking at your goals, strategies and action plan. I’m sure there are a lot of steps there. But which ones do you really need to have in place before you can get started?
Here are some possibilities:
- A location (if you are starting a brick-and-mortar business) or a website (for an online business)…or both
- Products or services to sell
- Branding for your company (logo, letterhead, business cards and the like)
- Office equipment (computers, printers, fax machine, camera, etc.)
- PR and advertising campaigns
- Legal, accounting and other professional advice
Once you have figured out what you need to get your business started, it is time to brainstorm a list of people you know who might be able to help. Maybe your college room-mate is great at technology. Someone you work with writes killer advertising copy. You know someone at your church who owns a printing business. Your favorite uncle just happens to be a CPA.
You get the idea, cast your net broadly and make your list as inclusive as possible. Even include people who don’t have the specific skills you need…but who have lots of friends and connections they might be willing to share. Got a nice long list? Good.
Now it’s time to figure out what you have to offer in return. It may be time, it may be talent, or if absolutely necessary, it may be money. Be creative here. The more you have to give, the more help you are likely to attract.
Now that you have your lists together, let’s plan your barn-raising. There are two ways to do this, and they are not mutually exclusive.
The first option is to throw a barn-raising party. If you have a lot of contacts who live within driving distance of your home, this is a great idea. All you do is provide the refreshments, ask for the help you need, and let your guests help you find the right resources. The advantage of this approach is the synergy that is created when a group of creative people start brainstorming together. People love to help, and they love to be part of something new and exciting. A barn-raising party creates the perfect opportunity to do all that in a relaxed setting.
What do you do if the people on your list are scattered all over the globe? You could simply call or e-mail each of them separately…but then you would miss the synergy. Why not throw a virtual barn-raising party? Social networking makes it easy.
My recommendation is to start a Facebook group. Why? It’s easy, it’s free, and most of your contacts are likely to already be on Facebook.
Here is how to get started. Go the the Facebook groups home page. Give your group a name and description…preferably using the name or at least the topic of your new business. Use the description to share the vision and purpose of your new business. Then post the things you need help with to your Wall, and what you are willing to give in return.
When your group page is ready to go, you can start inviting people to join. Facebook makes it easy to search for other Facebook users, so I would start there. If you can’t locate some people, send them a “friend” request from your Facebook home page, and tell them why you are asking them to join you.
Once the comments start to fly, be an active participant. Ask questions, post comments, and share your interests and knowledge with the group. When someone offers help, you can follow up with a phone call or email. Before long, you should be able to cross of lots of items from your start-up list.
If you’ve heard a lot about social networking, but don’t really understand how it works, here is a cute little video to get you going.
So now you know, Facebook is not your only option. In the list below I share some of the social networking sites that I personally use and find effective for exchanging ideas about business.
Recommended Resources
LinkedIn is similar to Facebook, but more widely used by professionals and business people. Less personal stuff and more pure business networking. Lots of people use it when they are trying to find a job.
Twitter is the hot new social networking space that works something like a mini-blog. Your message (or tweet) is limited to 140 characters, so you have to be concise. In my opinion, Twitter is not quite sure what it wants to be. It is used by lots of people to blatantly advertise their products or services. On the other hand, lots of folks use it to tell you what they are eating, or to post a favorite quote. My advice: reserve your user name now, but don’t spend too much time here until things shake out a bit.
If you want more control over the look and feel of your social network, try Ning
(which means “peace” in Chinese, in case you were wondering). This provides the best platform for setting up fully functional and visually appealing social networks from scratch.
First generation social networks like Yahoo Groups and Google Groups permit members to share information in one place rather than through individual emails, but they don’t have the sophisticated interface of the newer social networking apps. Still, they are good for some purposes, such as sharing information with a group of people interested in a particular project.
