Five Tips When Working With Other Companies

Julie Starr • March 22, 2021



Working with other companies as a business can prove very useful when it comes to the growth and success of your business. Whether you’re working with them on collaborations on the products or services you sell, or you are after suppliers to help with distribution, etc. it’s always good to have the same thought process and planning when starting up a working relationship. Here are five tips when working with other companies in order to make it a more successful and hopefully, long-lasting opportunity.

Look For Sustainable Partnerships
When it comes to working with other companies, it’s always important to focus on what you have in similarities to one another, as well as the differences. It’s important to consider what it is they represent and whether any of those morals or opinions match your own. For example, sustainability is one thing that many businesses are now taking more seriously than ever, especially as many will tend to be judged on how much they’re being wasteful on the environment. Businesses are certainly held to higher standards when it comes to sustainability , or as a matter of fact, anyone within the public eye.

So with that being said, you may want to think about working with sustainable brands and businesses only. These partnerships are something that may be short-term or they could be a longer, more on-going one. However, it’s good to show the outside world that you’re making conscious choices of who you partner up and work with.

It’s particularly important to work with sustainable brands when it comes to packaging and distribution. This is likely to be where the most waste and impact is made on the environment and so it’s good to question the methods that these other companies use.

 

Work With A Contract In Place
 A contract is always going to help solidify the partnership and to make it a legitimate one. There’s always a chance that disagreements happen, mistakes get made, and sometimes, those that give you their word on something, go against it instead. With a contract, you’re able to layout all requirements that you have for that partnership and vice versa. It’s good to do this because that way, you’re legally entering into something that could be breached if not followed correctly. It’s protection for you and protection for the other party that’s working with you. This is something that should be put in place every time you work with a new company. Better yet, with someone to advocate for your interests, such as Oracle Negotiation Consultants, you can secure the best deal.

 

If you’re unsure of what type of contract to use or perhaps have little experience in creating contracts, then there are plenty of templates online and legal aid to help draw these contracts up on your behalf.

Make Sure Their Audience Matches Yours
When it comes to your audience, it’s important that you’re targeting them correctly in all aspects of the business. Working with other companies is an opportunity to find those who might be similar to yours in target audience , or they have an audience range that you need for business. In all business collaborations, there’s always a need to find a mutual gain for both parties. This can also help when seeking opportunities to collaborate if you’re able to pitch to them what they can benefit from.

So when it comes to those working relationships, make sure that they hold something relatable to what you’re after. From working with https://rsmconnect.com/website-design/ to joint product opportunities, make sure they’re the right fit for your company every time.

Remember That Working Relationships Change
It’s always good to remember that a working relationship can change, especially when it comes to the case of suppliers. You may have secured yourself a supplier for the manufacturing of your products or distribution but since the growth of your business, they can no longer meet the requirements you now need. It could be that you’re working with a social media agency and the results they’re providing aren’t worth the money you’re spending on them.

You don’t want to hold your business back from growing, especially when it comes to those companies that you work with on a regular basis. Yes, loyalty can be a good thing but at the same time, that loyalty shouldn’t be holding you back from earning more and neither should it be losing you money as a business. Take scope of your current working relationships and ask yourself, does something need to change? It might be that you’ve been holding it off for too long or you’ve started a collaboration recently and it’s not going as well as you’d hoped.

Review The Partnership When Necessary
Reviewing a partnership is just like reviewing any other element of your business. When it comes to your finances, for example, you’ll usually have quarterly meetings to assess the finances and to look at ways these can be improved, etc. The same comes to your relevant partnerships with other companies. It’s important that you have in-person meetings, whether they be annual or more frequent. This is where you can assess the partnership in full and look at where changes might need to be made. Both parties can grow and decline, so it’s essential that these meetings happen in order to benefit both companies.

If you haven’t reviewed a partnership in a while, then it might be that you’ve been putting it off for some reason or other. Make it a priority because it certainly is important to ensure all your working relationships are functioning in the best way possible.

Working with other companies has a lot of benefits but it can also provide negatives for the business if it’s not done correctly. By collaborating, you can open up many more opportunities that you perhaps wouldn’t have been able to do alone. Some of those partnerships can help reduce budgets and expand the potential reach or growth that your business can have. Use these tips to get the very best out of every opportunity you have with companies both nationally and internationally.

 

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.