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Stefania Aulicino

People say the biggest negative impact on their company is the recent credit crunch, yet few seem to be proactive about addressing this.

The confused credit market is the elephant in the room that no one is addressing.

You are not a bank, but you are a member of a business community: If you don’t protect your business ecosystem, you are actually putting your own company’s long term health at risk.

If you have access to credit, but your customers and vendors are suffering- why not be part of their solution.

If you are starved by credit, don’t cut back your business – reach out to those in your ecosystem who rely on your success.

How? Use your future as a valuable currency. As a business builder there is currency in your passion. When you tap that currency, you attract the passion of others and that creates a synergy where 1 + 1 = 11.

Paul has a hundred year old family business which builds fire engines. As municipalities domestically – their traditional customers– are losing their funding, Paul, the 3rd generation CEO has taken advantage of robust growth overseas (doing 25% of this year’s business with China), funded with EXIM Bank (export/import) and numerous US government programs to continue to fuel his growth. International sales with deep government credit support puts Paul’s company in a perfect position to be a friend to many of his domestic ecosystem players given that Paul’s product is 100% made in the US.

Be creative. If you are on a solid credit footing, here are a few ideas:

  • Share resources—can you team up with their marketing department so you do combo marketing which lowers their cost and increases your demand?
  • Offer to commit to volume purchase contracts– so they can get a better deal on inventory with their vendors based on volume pricing?
  • Become part of their fan club– if you have players in your eco system who are important to you, offer testimonials, make introductions, ensure their success so they will be able to continue to serve you.
  • Reach out to key decision-makers and brainstorm about a win-win; perhaps you will discover your client selection process has moved up and you have a growing list of prospects you are not going to serve—can you share those tier 2 and 3 candidates with a player in your eco system who might help them become tier 1 for you in short order?
  • Explore new strategic alliances

If you are in need to credit, use these ideas in discussion with players in your ecosystem with whom you would like to become closer.

Paul might reach out to offer help to his ecosystem, but why wait! If you are a player in an ecosystem with a credit-healthy player like Paul, reach out to him and use this opportunity to forge a stronger bond with a win-win shared approach. What have you got to lose?

No matter what side of the credit crunch you are on, you can use your creativity to make a difference now.

Stefania Aulicino, president of CapitalLinkUSA ensures business owns get cash to keep control of a bigger, more profitable company, faster, safer than they ever thought possible- in any economy. Let us help you become a magnet for non equity and equity sources to fuel your growth. Please explore our tools, solutions and consulting options tailored for different growth stages and different budgets: www.CashAndControl.com