B6 W e d n e s day, F e B r ua r y 1 8 , 2 0 1 5 e d M O n T O n J O u r n a L e dm o n t o n j o u r n a l . c omBusiness

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Marlaina Eldey, artist and marketer for Art Trends Magazine (artgalleryfor.us), says that working with other businesses has expanded her skillset. “I have gained experience in areas I was not great in, such as public speaking and organizing massive events, and gained confidence in myself and my talent.”

PHOTO BY JENNI MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY/FACEBOOK.COM/JENNIMARIEPHOTOGRAPHYEST.2013

“Collaborating with similar companies attracts an abundance of more clients. Whenever energy is used to build relationships through supportive collaboration, the return is win-win. In my health-care business, we frequently connect and share ideas with companies who offer similar services. Sharing tips on finding the right employees and discussing global issues and trends affecting our businesses is very valuable. Each company has a niche market, and by believing there is enough prosperity and clients to go around, collaboration makes consumers more aware of the services offered in the community.”— Keltie Brisson, co-owner or Rehab and Retreat — rehabandretreat.com

“We have built great relationships with competitors who hold values similar to ours. We get together, in the spirit of fair competition, to share ideas, best practices and war stories. We learn from each other in order to improve the industry as a whole, which helps all of us prosper. We pass along clients and staff who may fit better with a competitor, and in turn, we receive referrals to clients and staff with whom a competitor is struggling to find a fit. Edmonton is a small community, and we all do better when we help each other succeed.”— Lindsay Dodd, CEO of Savvia Inc. — savvia.com

“In today’s fast-paced, ever-changing business environment, it is imperative to work with other businesses. In our case, it involves using and referring lawyers, IT people, etc. to our clients, but it also involves engaging other accounting firms for higher-end tax work. The ultimate goal is that the client gets the best advice in the most cost-effective manner, and working with other businesses is the best way to achieve this.”— Debbie Engel, owner of Debbie L. Engel Professional Corporation — depc.ca

“More often than not, it’s been my experience that there’s more to be gained by working together than can be achieved on our own. Working with others in business provides a greater depth of talent, experience and resources that benefits everyone. Whether you call it co-operation, collaboration, partnership or a strategic alliance, it’s always nice to have some extra help to get the job done!”— Jim Ewing, co-founder of Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. — linkedin.com/in/JimEwingProVision

“Each business is unique in some way, so I make it a point to understand what those unique differences are through networking and business-to-business meetings. That allows me to refer other businesses to my clients and each other to provide the services they may need that fit with their business and marketing strategy. Knowing so many other business owners positions me as a go-to person, which leads to referrals coming my way, too.”— Mary Lou Gutscher, owner and business coach Magnetic Business Solutions — magneticbusinesssolutions.com

“My business is based very strongly on the relationships I have built. Most of my success comes with working with complementary companies, and in some cases, my direct competitors. Every company has its strengths and weaknesses. It is up to everyone around the table to plan out how you can effectively use everyone’s strengths to mitigate the group’s weaknesses.”— Kevin MacDonald, business consultant at L6S Business Consulting Inc. — L6SBC.ca

“Over the last five years, I have worked to focus on my own passions and strengths, creating a niche for myself in my industry. By doing so, many opportunities for collaboration with other independents and agencies have come my way. They understand the unique skills that I can contribute to their teams and to benefit their clients. The collaborative creative process is often a welcome change of pace as well.”— Rosemary Malowany, principal of Piccadilly PR & Events — piccadillypr.ca

“The best part of Edmonton’s business community is the collaborative spirit. A singular outlook and approach does not heed the level and breadth of success that is attainable with a powerful group of professionals coming together to achieve a common goal. I work with a multitude of businesses and organizations in order to fully access and apply my diverse skillset … Auspicious ventures require community. After all, collaboration is the new competition.”— Chelsey Smith, media and communications professional — ca.linkedin.com/in/chelseysm1th

“We’ve certainly done well with corporate alliances, mostly through a focus on delivering value for our partners and clients, which in turn increases our reputation. When we work with engineering firms, we help our joint clients save money with their building designs and operations. When working with developers, the building owners save money on their utility servicing and operations costs. For building owners, they have lower operating costs and happier tenants. We win by making sure everyone wins!”— Chris Vilcsak, president of Solution 105 — solution105.com

“It’s important to learn from others, and if you can collaborate with other businesses, especially in different industries, you will be surprised at what you can learn. We get a wealth of knowledge into best-in-class processes, new tools and systems, innovative marketing plans, creative financing options and numerous other ideas that can help the business grow and make more money.”— Ashif Mawji, CEO of NPO Zero — npozero.com

“I’m in the painting and decorating industry, and collaborate with other designers and contractors on almost every project. Drawing on each other’s strengths and special skills results in inspiring and creative solutions for our clients. It’s a great way to build our networks, and often leads to repeat and referral business.”— Leslie Redshaw, owner of Unfauxgettable Interiors — unfauxgettable.ca

“Sometimes a client asks me to help them with a project that I truly believe I am not best suited for. In these circumstances, I have partnered with another business to make sure the client gets the best possible outcome by the best provider. This has ensured my client knows I have their best interest in mind, and maintains the integrity of our relationship. I also get to work with other really cool companies.”— Margot Ross-Graham, owner of Sandbar Coaching and Consulting — sandbar.me

“Collaboration is an integral part to our company. We believe success needs to be mutual for all parties involved in an event, even when working with other planners on a project. Everyone has different strengths, different reach and access to different resources. A collaborative attitude helps us to foster long-term relationships with people in and out of the industry, open the door to many opportunities, and stay true to our values.”— Eryne Sarabin, owner of Tycoon Event Planning & Promotions — tycoonevents.ca

“From Day 1, Bluetrain has focused on building relationships with a variety of experts, as this has allowed for excellent cross-referral opportunities between designers, developers, full agencies, copywriters and more. Referrals from these partners is now one of our key prospect channels.”— Bryan Smith, president of Bluetrain Inc. — bluetrain.ca

“Kemway’s success is primarily due to our collaboration with other like-minded businesses. We are able to complete larger and more complex projects because of this team mentality. Even with differing opinions and expertise, the key is to have the same goals in mind. Trust and transparency between businesses is also very important, since this is the glue of any relationship.”— Terry Kemp, CEO of Kemway Contractors — kemway.com

“We have found a significant amount of new revenue streams by embracing a culture of mutually beneficial partnerships. Opening the door to collaboration has been rewarding not only financially, but learning and adopting the positive processes of others has helped ThinkTANK’s long-term growth.”— Edward Langer, vice-president of ThinkTANK Advertising — thinktankads.com

“Collaborating with other businesses was a key strategy for exposing my skills and services to markets that otherwise would be extremely difficult to break into. My specialized skills fill a gap in my collaborator’s business, and vice versa. Perhaps equally beneficial, we learn from each other on so many levels, like new skills, different approaches, invaluable feedback. We can’t do this work alone; it is about community.”— Shirley Leonard, owner of Pinnacle Organizational Performance Solutions — pinnacleperformance.ca

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How have you prospered by working with other businesses?

A business has to grow to succeed, but timing is everything, and a lot of fac-tors go into making the deci-sion to expand. That’s why Wellington Holbrook, exec-utive vice-president of ATB Business, is curious to hear from you:

How do you decide when to expand into new markets?

You can answer the question in two ways:• Open today’s Capital Ideas email if you’re a member, or• Visit capitalideasedmonton.comWe’ll publish the best answers, along with your busi-

ness name and website address, on Feb. 25. For more great information on what business owners in Alberta think, visit atb.com/businessbeat.

CAPITAL QUESTION: How do you decide when to expand into new markets?

COMMUNITY QUESTION:

This question was posed by Claire Seo, vice-president of Diversus Media Group, one of the presenters of the Welcoming the Sheep lunar new year gala on Feb. 20 at the Chateau Lacombe. For more information and

tickets, visit diversusmg.com/blog.