When we were young our parents taught us to work together and share. Later on in life we get out into that big, bad, business world, and all those cooperation skills we learned as children start to fall to the wayside. We’re told that it’s a “dog-eat-dog” world out there, and to some it may be. But it doesn’t have to be that way for everyone. In fact, many young entrepreneurs are finding that cooperation can pay off, and for most, it in fact saves on business costs. Approaching business in the mindset of looking for mutual benefits rather than exclusive competition is a concept that is not extinct. Sarah E. Needleman, of the Wall Street Journal, offers some insight on how cross-promotion of small businesses is benefiting entrepreneurs in Get Your Business Plugged for Free. It’s a system of bartering, a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” sort of relationship. Read on to learn how working with your neighbors rather than against them can help you both!
