One of the fastest growing trends during this recession for businesses is the increasing number of strategic alliances. According to Booz-Allen & Hamilton, strategic alliances are sweeping through nearly every industry and are becoming an essential driver of superior growth.
Alliances range in scope from an informal business relationship based on a simple contract, to a joint venture agreement in which for legal and tax purposes either a corporation or partnership is set up to manage the alliance.
For small businesses, strategic alliances are a way to work together with others towards a common goal while not losing their individuality. Alliances are a way of reaping the rewards of team effort. The gains from forming strategic alliances appear to be substantial. Companies participating in alliances report that at much as 18 percent of their revenue comes from their alliances.
But it isn’t just profit that is motivating this increase in alliances. Other factors include an increasing intensity of competition, a growing need to operate on a global scale, a fast changing marketplace, and industry convergence in many markets (for example, in the financial services industry, training companies, banks, investment firms, and insurance companies are overlapping more and more in the products they supply).
Especially in a time when growing international marketing is becoming the norm, these partnerships can leverage your growth through alliances with international partners. Rather than take on the risk and expense that international expansion can demand, one can enter international markets by finding an appropriate alliance with a business operating in the marketplace you desire to enter.
A strategic alliance is essentially a partnership in which you combine efforts in projects ranging from getting a better price for supplies by buying in bulk together, to building a product together with each of you providing part of its production. The goal of alliances is to minimize risk while maximizing your leverage and profit.
An alliance is simply a business-to-business collaboration. Another term that is frequently used in conjunction with alliances is establishing a business network. Alliances are formed for joint marketing, joint sales or distribution, joint production, design collaboration, technology licensing, and research and development. Relationships can be vertical between a vendor and a customer, horizontal between vendors, local, or global. Alliances are often established formally in a joint venture.
Businesses use strategic alliances to:
* Achieve advantages of scale, scope and speed.
* Increase market penetration.
* Enhance competitiveness in domestic and/or global markets.
* Enhance product development.
* Develop new business opportunities through new products and services.
* Expand market development.
* Increase exports.
* Diversify.
* Create new businesses.
* Reduce costs.
Strategic alliances are becoming a more and more common tool for expanding the reach of your company without committing yourself to expensive internal expansion beyond your core business.
So the next time you want to grow your business or get more clients without investing heavily in advertising, try a strategic alliance!
