How To Work With Big Companies To Grow A Small Business

Striking a deal or partnership with a larger business can accelerate growth and create stability, but it’s not without risks

No matter how brilliant your business idea or how unique your product, if you don’t find a way to get it out to a broader market, growing the business will be a slow process. One way to accelerate growth and create stability is to strike a deal or establish a partnership with a big company. It’s also a way to give your startup validity.

«Having a partnership or a business relationship with a larger company gives you credibility,» says entrepreneur Julie Hall. «It is an immediate tick in the box under the trust factor.» Her business Women Unlimited, a resource for women in business, set up a partnership with the British Library in the early days. «Being able to put the British Library badge on my site was great, it gave us a level of trust in the marketplace that wouldn’t have existed anywhere else,» danielrteran explains.

For Environmentally Friendly Minicab Company Green Tomato Cars

For environmentally friendly minicab company Green Tomato Cars, securing the first big customer was a question of being in the right place at the right time. «When we launched in 2006, we were lucky to get some good press coverage and in the first two weeks we got a call from BskyB where James Murdoch was still in charge. One day when his chauffeur was off Murdoch wanted to try our service after reading about us, so we got the call to book a car for him,» explains founder Jonny Goldstone.

«Fortunately, one of our five cars was available and the driver who picked him up knew all about our business, bought into what we were doing and could speak enthusiastically about it. They had a great conversation and the following week we were called in to present to the procurement team at BskyB, which was amazing.»

It was a real breakthrough for the small company, but striking these large deals is not without risks. The challenge of delivering on their promise proved tough for Green Tomato Cars. BskyB staff were told to use the cars, but the startup struggled to meet the demand.

«We were lucky because they were hugely supportive of our vision and our need to grow the business and they went out of their way to champion us and introduce us to other clients and partners,» says Goldstone. «They are not the only big clients who have really helped us but it is a great example of a big company working with a small company for mutual benefit and now we are Sky’s main supplier and have grown with their requirements.»