Eric Koppa

Trust is everything when working with remote or virtual teams. With digital tools like Microsoft Teams and other workflow platforms, you can achieve ongoing collaboration and dialog via IM or chat tools. Progress can be measured on transparent digital dashboards so progress metrics are pushed vs. pulled. These digital tools leave nothing to question if fully utilized. Ultimately, you have to have the right people on the bus who are wired for remote work. It's important to test for integrity, honesty, and follow-through, by calling references/peers/customers and verifying work style and accomplishments before hiring. Fostering trust and collaboration comes naturally when you know your team and involve them throughout the hiring process.

In our business world of "me too" prospecting techniques, it pays to truly be different, authentic, and unique. Give some thought to what makes you tick, your passions, your hobbies, and what lights the fire in your belly. Develop a brand around that. It's easy to think of personal qualities of business tycoons that make them stick out; whether it's Steve Jobs' black t-shirt and jeans, Warren Buffett's daily McDonald's breakfast, or Elon Musk's snarky comments on X. You being you will get you further along in life and business vs. trying to mimic someone else's personal style or brand. Authenticity is still rare in life and in business. People will remember you if you're genuine. You'll likely be happier too, which will rub off on others.

Volunteering in your community is an excellent way to give back and network with other like-minded business professionals. Many organizations will support volunteering and charitable giving by their employees with matching financial support. This provides an opportunity to leverage greater support and influence for a worthy cause and may open up leadership paths not currently available with your employer. Additionally, the connections made on non-profit boards are often with business leaders from your community who may need your employer's services in the future. Some of the best business relationships are developed outside of the office through philanthropic giving.

The digital world is your oyster for researching, evaluating, and vetting potential business partners. It will be illuminating to follow digital breadcrumbs to discover if a prospective business partner may help or hinder your own pursuits. Alignment in your industry, good press/bad press, white papers, speaking engagements, arrest records, BBB ratings, testimonials, and customer reviews can give you a wealth of information to work with before you pick up the phone or send an email/DM. Consider tapping a mutual connection in your social media ecosystem and be upfront about your intentions. Your good friends and colleagues will want you to be successful and can recognize synergies or obstacles with a given prospect if they know you both.

Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses is essential to understanding who you need in a good business partner. There are different seasons of life. What season are you in? You may not need the same partner in your 20s that you need in your 40s. Finding a partner who could offset some of your weaknesses and help you grow and improve is a tremendous opportunity, provided you're initially honest about your strengths/weaknesses with them. Understanding your non-negotiables is also important. For instance, do you share key values, such as dressing/acting professionally, and putting in a full day of work vs. (overly) mixing business and pleasure? Start with coffee or lunch to evaluate synergies before you go too far down a path with anyone.