Most of the UK watched Lord Sugar hiring his apprentice last Sunday. Yes, he may have been torn between the “product maker” and full of ideas Tom and the super organised runner-up Helen, but he did have to decide. And he thought that the curved nail file inventor had best chances of making him millions (which I don’t blame him for, after hearing the details of Helen’s business plan).
From the beginning, I thought that Tom was a little gem with loads of ideas behind that awkward smile of his. But I equally liked the determination that Susan, the youngest of the lot, portrayed throughout the hiring (and firing) process. Of course, some of them could not have gone soon enough and here I refer mainly to the “yeah” girl and that other one that sounded like she had a peg on her nose. I guess Lord Sugar just had to pick the one with more experience in actually thinking of something that could be sold and then finding a way to sell it. Good ideas don’t appear easily in business these days. Some are brilliant, of course, but so many copycats take so much space that sometimes it’s hard to tell great people from imitators.
I very much enjoyed this season of The Apprentice (as I usually do) but, this time more than before, the fact that Lord Sugar was choosing a business partner instead of just an apprentice did throw a spanner into the works and the whole process made me think and not just watch for a bit of a laugh. One question that did bug me throughout was: how is Mr Sugar going to decide? How do you pick a business partner? What are the characteristics that are vital when choosing who you deal with or who you hand your business (or your investment or budget) to?
Bringing this same question into a marketing environment, how do you choose partners that will help make your business grow? And what is important when you make a decision to work with this or that person/company?
First of all, you need to find a partner that shares your entrepreneurial values, spirit and vision. They need to be able to see what you see and understand you and every bit of your company. Then, you need to make sure they can bring skills and experience to the table, as well as the necessary resources and credibility to your business. And no, that’s not enough. Not yet. You need a partner that practices good personal and business ethics and, finally, you need respect to be exercised throughout, both ways, as the main purpose in forming a partnership is to achieve success as a team.
Happy is proud to have many business partners, clients that trust us with their marketing requirements and count on our expertise and creativity to show off what they offer in the best and most effective way. And then there is that golden rule of business: people like (and tend) to work with people they like. And, in this category, we excel. We work really hard, but we also love to have a good laugh and we make sure you laugh all the way too! The many years of experience, along with our genuine passion for doing what we do, makes us very happy people and, as a result, we have very happy clients indeed.
As Lord Sugar had to do on the Apprentice, think carefully about who you want to partner with. Think about what you need, think about how your potential partner can benefit your business and how they can make your marketing shine through and bring you great results. And then don’t think too far: just think HAPPY.
Marilia Spindler is an Account Executive at Happy Creative, a full service marketing agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk
