Every small business owner at some point has to realize he/she is competing against a larger corporation that owns a significant share of the marketplace. You can either continue to carve out your own niche and be David vs. Goliath…
…or David can partner up with Goliath.
Independent hoteliers and Marriott International just announced a new deal with its new The Autograph Collection. Participating independent hotels will agree to have their rooms sold under the Marriott.com reservation system and will have access to the Marriott brand for their use. Under the plan, Marriott gets to offer boutique hotel rooms without a costly renovation or organic expansion, and the independent hotels get the strength of the Marriott brand behind them with access to certain resources.
Other hotels like Choice Hotels and Hilton Hotels through its Waldorf Astoria Collection have made similar moves in the past.
For small business the question is pretty simple. Do you see opportunity in partnering up with a larger player in your industry? This kind of a deal would certainly open up lots of opportunities with your own existing loyalty program, email marketing, PR and even social media marketing. It would also potentially give your company a little buzz around your local town and even within the industry. And with more resources you could give your Web site a face lift and make it even more dynamic. What would it mean to have the strength of the brand name for your marketing purposes? On the other hand, do you feel this would tarnish your true roots and bring distance between you and your existing and loyal customers?
Let us know what you think by leaving a comment here.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I feel if you find the right match, where “both” parties will benefit, I don’t see how this could tarnish anything. The big question is, “how to go about” finding those right candidates? Better yet, if you have targeted out a company you’d like to partner with, “how might you go about” building a trustworthy relationship enough to where, they would entertain the idea of partnering with you? Especially if “you” are the small business and they are the enterprise.
Great questions, Lisa. Thanks for adding.