Win-win strategies work not only for large, multi-national and Fortune 500 companies, but for small- to medium-sized businesses as well. Why? Because at the heart of every win-win strategy is an innovative idea that is just "smart business."

Despite the presence of overarching challenges from today’s business climate (e.g., declining revenues, increasing consolidation, global competition, outsourcing, technology integration, and the difficulty of recruiting and hiring qualified, skilled employees), every entrepreneur and small business owner knows that the challenges associated with running a company with less than 10 employees are different from those with 50-100 employees.

On the other hand, the competitive advantage of being a small business is often flexibility and the ability to innovate— whether that means where you locate, who you hire, the development of new product ideas, or who you buy goods and services from.

For many small businesses, one of the greatest challenges to business development is obtaining the necessary capital for growth and expansion. Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) specialize in small business financing.

Win-win success stories from other small- to medium-sized companies:

Pima County Solid Waste (human resources)
Cooperative Home Care Associates (human resources)
Miles Fiberglass, Inc. (human resources)
Cuddledown, Inc. (human resources)

Helpful research reports include:

The Skills Gap 2001, by the National Association of Manufacturers
Community Development Financial Institutions: Providing Capital Building Community, Creating Impact, by Community Development Venture Capital Alliance (CDVCA)

Find an expert that can help your company address its business challenges through win-win strategies