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http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/news/news/article.php/974971
By Robyn Greenspan February 14, 2002  The kind of partner that would benefit your e-business is not one that you would likely find in a chat room. An e-commerce partner is another business that complements your own site by forming an effective association.
Step away from the Net for a moment and look at some of the retailing partnerships that have driven customers. Your plumber may recommend an electrician, your hairdresser may have a manicurist on the premises, or your mechanic may work in conjunction with a local gas station. This type of networking referral system carries the very same basic ideals of larger, more complex corporate mergers. Internet news reports stories almost daily about the alliances that are being formed online and the mergers that are completed as attempts are made to become bigger, stronger and multi-service. You may find an e-comm partner unexpectedly, perhaps through networking or your own journeys online. If you decide to embark on this quest more methodically, develop a list of e-businesses that would work well with your company. The potential alliance may be totally obvious, such as a cigar site teaming up with a pipe or smoking accessory e-store. Or the partnership can be formed based on customer demographics -- online surveys conducted on your site may have found that the customers who buy your handmade pottery also prefer to use natural soaps and bath products. In any case, once you've identified some possible partners, approach the decision-makers by phone and present your site's resume. The negotiations could result in co-branding, a fully developed merger or just some promotional text and links. Don't enter into this alliance without assurance that your business standards and procedures are completely met -- your future and reputation will be at risk. If you already have an affiliate and a link exchange area in place on your site, you've already formed a basic type of partnership. This union can be analogous to e-commerce dating -- both parties are willing and available, there isn't a large commitment involved and either side is free to dissolve the coupling at any point. However, when chosen and executed properly, an e-commerce partnership represents a marriage of ideas, work values, commitment, and obligation to growth and development. The proper alliance could essentially become one of the defining components of your e-success.
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