I've heard rumblings lately in the home furnishings industry that competition is starting to be a bit less fierce. It seems that the economic climate has impacted every-one, from the smallest player to the largest giant, from new kid on the block to the old war horses. Finally the industry is having to take a look at itself and realize that the old school business practice of everyman for himself is no longer a viable model. Tough times bring people together, tough people can make their businesses better, stronger, and more profitable by forming necessary strategic alliances and learning the value in nurturing these.

The times have caused everyone to suffer slashed marketing budgets, reduction in personnel and fewer sales professionals. So the best way to combat this is by taking a close look at who else your buyers are purchasing from and consider sharing exposure, visibility, credibility, all with the eye toward greater profitability. As an interior designer, I have always strategically partnered with not only contractors but vendors. We cross referred to each other on a regular basis because we got to know, trust and appreciate the unique talent, services, and product we each brought to the table. We created a village of talent, service and product that comprehensively served our clients making it unnecessary for them to go elsewhere.

When I consider the thousands of specialty vendors I am amazed at how many struggle by themselves, even the large ones, when they would benefit from partnering with manufacturers and vendors (depending on whether they are wholesale or retail) in complementary businesses. When a consumer is decorating a room they are look-ing for so many different items it makes sense to cross promote and cross market. Provided your village consists of participants at a comparable quality level and price point, where you each spent marketing dollars previously, you could now share that investment either two ways, three ways, four ways or more. The same dollars would be stretched a lot farther gaining you greater visibility in an expanding and very crowded marketplace.

You also gain the added benefit of exposure to your fellow villagers' markets that you may not have had before. You would each gain a larger market simply by working together in a complementary fashion. The key to this is to realize that a) there is no shortage of wealth, it has been redistributed and the channels have changed, b) there is enough pie to go around, and it is the mindset that there isn't that is contributing to the challenging times.

So it's time to build your village of strategic alliances. First look at your own business, what is it you are best at, what are your best sellers and what is the perfect complement to that. Then go find your alliances. Not everyone you invite will be willing, not everyone you approach will get it. Keep inviting until you have a village that supports you and you support them.

If the industry continues to tear itself apart from the inside out, there will be many more show-rooms shuttered, shops out of business, and talented professionals without work. We must set aside the bickering, the fragmentation, the conflict and the competition and rise above to become a network of villages devoted to serving the needs, comfort and lifestyle demands of the global consumer. Together we'll all go farther.