Strategic partnerships can be game-changing for small businesses looking to expand their reach. We asked industry experts to share one strategic partnership they’ve formed that significantly expanded their reach and brought in a new wave of customers. Learn how these partnerships came about and the advice they’d give to others seeking similar opportunities.
- Partner with Top Inventory Management Platform
- Collaborate with Complementary SaaS Provider
- Leverage Existing Deal-Hunting Communities
- Transform Casual Conversations into Business Opportunities
- Integrate Services with Leading SaaS Platform
- Embed Technology in Third-Party Logistics
- Nurture Long-Term Professional Relationships
- Enhance Platform with Advanced Voice Technology
- Align with Venture Capital Firm’s Portfolio
- Build Grassroots Partnerships with Target Audience
- Demonstrate Corporate Values Through Partnerships
- Establish Clear KPIs for Partnership Success
- Create Mutually Beneficial Referral Relationships
- Collaborate Internally to Improve Client Experience
- Develop White-Label Partnerships for Growth
15 Strategic Partnerships for Expanding Small Business Reach
Partner with Top Inventory Management Platform
The biggest bang for our buck was partnering with the top inventory management platform in the market serving Amazon sellers. This led to us gaining access to brands that were already scaling their marketplace presence.
As I chatted with more and more clients, it became clear (especially in e-commerce) that many of the same inquiries about inventory forecasting and supply chain optimization were coming up.
They were offering tools that we knew most of our clients couldn’t build internally if they tried, but our company was directly positioned with a can-do mentality to be able to solve those needs for them.
I decided to make the leadership team at the platform an offer: we would work together and provide commerce growth strategy to their enterprise clients and could also take on any client who needed the agile operational infrastructure they had developed in-house.
The results have been immediate — we tapped into over 200 brands that are already invested in Amazon growth, and they were able to offer strategic marketing services without reinventing the wheel of establishing an agency division. That partnership became 40% of our new client pipeline in 6 months — because those referrals were so well paired (by degree) and understood the subject matter via the complexity of matching that process.
My advice would be to find out what services your clients are actively looking for, but which you cannot provide them, and then go get it from an industry leader in that field. Reach, don’t compete with other potential partners. The important part here is that value must come from both sides — value that one side of the relationship could not easily replicate themselves.
Yuriy Boykiv
CEO, Front Row
Collaborate with Complementary SaaS Provider
One strategic partnership that significantly expanded our reach was teaming up with a niche SaaS platform that served the same audience as us — but wasn’t a direct competitor. We offered managed WordPress hosting; they offered community engagement tools for online course creators. Our audiences overlapped perfectly: their users needed fast, reliable hosting, and our users were looking to build stronger member communities.
The partnership started with something simple: a co-hosted webinar. We each brought our email lists and shared the event on our channels. That single collaboration led to ongoing cross-promotions, bundled offers, and eventually a joint resource library. Within three months, we saw a 40% uptick in new trial sign-ups coming from their referrals alone.
My advice? Look for partners who serve the same customer with a different service, and start with a low-effort collaboration like a shared event, lead magnet, or blog post. Don’t pitch a big ask — pitch a mutual benefit. And most importantly, focus on giving first. When your partner sees you’re invested in helping their audience, the long-term opportunities open up naturally.
Rudy Heywood
Founder, Famous Wolf Group Ltd
Leverage Existing Deal-Hunting Communities
When launching my company and Discord community, Deal Friends, I asked myself: Where are deal hunters already hanging out, and how can I add instant value there?
One of the most impactful partnerships I’ve built was with a huge deal-hunting Facebook group — over 300,000 members. It sounds almost too obvious. But I’ve found over a few decades of growth hacking that the “obvious” opportunities are often the ones people overthink and skip. Everyone’s chasing the clever/complex play when the goldmine is sitting in plain sight.
The group’s members loved cashback, but were manually checking multiple portals to find the best rates. I approached the admin with a plug-and-play solution: feature our comparison tool in their weekly posts so members could instantly see the top-paying portal for each store.
We tested with a pinned “Top Cashback Rates” post. Engagement doubled, shares spiked, and within two months, referral traffic to us jumped 40% with thousands of new loyal users. The admin loved it — huge value for their community, zero extra work for them.
The takeaway here is, obvious doesn’t mean easy, but it often means effective. Show up with a solution that’s ready to go and painfully relevant to their audience, and “yes” becomes the natural answer.
Ben Rose
Founder & CEO, CashbackHQ.com
Transform Casual Conversations into Business Opportunities
The partnership that changed everything for us wasn’t planned at all.
I was at a business event in Manchester last year, just having a casual conversation with someone who ran a corporate training company. We weren’t trying to do business — just two founders talking about the challenges of networking events.
He mentioned how awkward it was when participants exchanged contact details during his workshops. People were fumbling with phones, misspelling names, and forgetting to follow up.
I told him about how our contactless cards could solve that exact problem.
Three months later, we became their official networking solution for all corporate training sessions. That single partnership has brought us over 200 new B2B clients.
Here’s what I learned about strategic partnerships:
1. The best ones solve a real problem for both parties. Don’t force partnerships that only benefit you.
2. Look for complementary businesses, not competitors. His training company needed better networking tools, we needed access to corporate clients.
3. Start small with a pilot program. We tested it with one workshop before rolling out to all their sessions.
4. Make the partnership easy for them to explain to their clients. We created co-branded materials and simple explainer videos.
5. The conversation started because we were genuinely interested in each other’s challenges, not because we were trying to sell something.
Most founders are so focused on direct sales they miss these partnership opportunities completely.
Sometimes the best business development happens when you’re not actively trying to do business development.
Haydn Price
Founder, V1CE
Integrate Services with Leading SaaS Platform
One of the most impactful strategic partnerships we formed was with a leading SaaS platform that serves marketing agencies. This partnership came about because we saw a shared audience and complementary strengths. They had the technology, while we possessed the SEO expertise. We approached them with a co-branded content series and bundled service offering that provided their users with immediate, tangible value. Within months, this partnership opened doors to hundreds of new agency clients who might never have found us otherwise.
My advice would be to look for partners whose audience aligns with yours but whose services don’t compete. Bring a win-win proposal where you solve a pain point for their customers while expanding your own reach. Partnerships thrive when both sides benefit from every lead and every success. This mindset has helped us grow rapidly without relying solely on paid acquisition.
Taylor Humphries
CEO, Ranked
Embed Technology in Third-Party Logistics
One of our most impactful partnerships has been with Jay Group, a leading third-party logistics provider. It started with a shared customer looking for a more personalized, revenue-driven unboxing experience. We recognized the opportunity to integrate our In-Package Personalization platform directly into Jay Group’s fulfillment process, not just for that client but as a capability available to all of their merchants.
By embedding our technology into their operations, Jay Group was able to give brands a new way to increase reorder rates, build loyalty, and grow lifetime value without creating extra work for their team. For us, it opened the door to a steady flow of new brands already trusting Jay Group with their fulfillment.
The impact was immediate. Jay Group strengthened its value proposition, their customers gained a powerful marketing channel inside the box, and we gained direct access to a new pipeline of qualified leads.
If you want to form similar partnerships, focus on bringing a solution that makes your partner shine in the eyes of their customers. Show them how your product or service helps them win and keep business. When your success directly supports theirs, you create a partnership with staying power.
Michael Jaskulsky
Head of Partnerships, UnDigital
Nurture Long-Term Professional Relationships
One of the most impactful partnerships I’ve formed actually came from a simple reconnection. A few years back, I met Sam Swirsky at a networking event. Fast forward, we reconnected during a period when we were both figuring out our next steps. Sam had been the organic LinkedIn manager for Alex and Leila Hormozi, and he introduced me to their team.
Not long after, one of their portfolio companies needed help with something that aligned exactly with my expertise, which is paid ads lead generation. I was brought in, delivered results, and for the next six months Acquisition.com kept me on their short list of recommended partners. This was right at the start of my entrepreneurial journey, and four of my first seven clients came directly from that relationship.
The biggest lesson for me was to not treat networking as transactional. I met Sam years earlier with no agenda, just genuine interest in connecting. By staying in touch and showing up as someone who’s good at what they do, the timing worked out perfectly.
My advice is to play the long game with relationships. You never know which casual coffee or random conversation at a conference will turn into the partnership that changes your trajectory. Take it slow, but stay consistent, and do good work.
Kyle Rutledge
Owner, Gradari
Enhance Platform with Advanced Voice Technology
We pride ourselves on forming strategic partnerships that enhance our platform’s capabilities and expand our market reach. One partnership that has notably enriched our offering and attracted a new wave of customers was with ElevenLabs, a leader in generative voice technology. This collaboration came about after several industry conversations highlighted the growing demand for high-quality voice synthesis in the customer engagement sector.
Through our discussions, it became clear that by integrating ElevenLabs’ advanced voice generation technology into our platform, we could provide an even more compelling and seamless experience for our users. The synergy was undeniable; we were both committed to enhancing customer interactions through innovative voice solutions. Once we initiated the integration, it became apparent that the combination of our no-code interface with ElevenLabs’ sophisticated voice generation capabilities would greatly appeal to businesses looking to modernize their call centers.
The results of our partnership have been astounding. Not only did we see a 40% increase in user engagement across our client campaigns, but we also attracted several new enterprise clients eager to leverage this powerful voice technology. For instance, one of our joint clients, a large e-commerce platform, reported a significant boost in customer satisfaction scores after implementing our voice AI features powered by ElevenLabs.
For others looking to form similar partnerships, I would emphasize the importance of aligning missions and values. Begin by researching companies that share your vision and can complement your strengths. Build genuine relationships through networking, attending industry events, and engaging in collaborative projects. Additionally, be open about your goals and transparent in negotiations — this creates a foundation of trust that can facilitate a successful partnership.
In the ever-evolving landscape of voice AI technology, such partnerships not only amplify reach but also empower businesses to innovate and grow in ways they may not have imagined. Our collaboration with ElevenLabs serves as a testament to the power of strategic alliances, inspiring us to continue seeking out partnerships that can take our platform — and our clients — further.
Raj Baruah
Co Founder, VoiceAIWrapper
Align with Venture Capital Firm’s Portfolio
One strategic partnership that significantly expanded our reach and brought in a new wave of customers was with a prominent early-stage venture capital (VC) firm.
This partnership came about organically after several interactions at startup pitch events, where we consistently saw their portfolio companies struggling to find reliable, high-quality custom software development partners. We approached them with a clear value proposition: we could accelerate their portfolio companies’ time-to-market and de-risk their technical execution.
We started with a pilot project for one of their smaller portfolio startups, delivering a critical MVP on an accelerated timeline. The success of this pilot quickly led to referrals across their entire portfolio. This partnership now consistently brings in 30-40% of our new client engagements each quarter, providing a stable pipeline of high-growth potential startups that are often already funded and ready to build.
My advice for others seeking similar opportunities is to meticulously identify partners whose core business needs align with your solutions, even if it’s not immediately obvious. Focus on offering compelling value that directly solves a problem for them, beyond just monetary incentives. Start with a smaller, low-risk engagement to prove your capabilities and build trust. A genuine, mutually beneficial relationship built on demonstrated value is far more sustainable than a transactional agreement.
Roman Surikov
Founder of Ronas It, Ronas IT | Software development company
Build Grassroots Partnerships with Target Audience
The collaboration with homeschooling parent communities was one of our most impactful partnerships. It developed organically: rather than pitching to brands or large organizations, we reached out to small groups of parents who were already blogging about their homeschooling journeys.
We extended a partnership that went beyond affiliate linking: free trials for their children, direct access to our academic advisors (who could have been their counselors), and even business-level input into the shape of the platform itself. In return, these parents expressed themselves through authentic content narrating their experience with this program. In about six months, this grassroots model of partnership had brought the school to over 30,000 engaged families and increased inquiries by more than 40%.
In my experience, strategic alliances do not always have to be “big.” The most effective can sometimes be grassroots initiatives, built with people who live the reality you’re aiming to serve. My advice: seek partners whose everyday story is one your product can improve in a very real way. This approach feels less like marketing and more like community building, which is where actual growth takes place.
Vasilii Kiselev
CEO & Co-Founder, Legacy Online School
Demonstrate Corporate Values Through Partnerships
Our strategic partnership with Ecologi has been instrumental in attracting and closing new clients. We proudly state that each of our employees has a subscription to plant trees and offset carbon emissions. This initiative arose from a desire to align our business with our values and demonstrate a tangible commitment to sustainability.
This partnership has significantly expanded our reach among environmentally conscious businesses and customers who value corporate social responsibility.
My advice is to identify a cause genuinely important to your company and team, then seek out a transparent, mission-aligned partner. This authenticity is what resonates with audiences and creates a powerful new marketing channel.
David Pagotto
Founder & Managing Director, SIXGUN
Establish Clear KPIs for Partnership Success
Our strategic partnership with a mid-size SaaS company has been transformative, generating 23% of our quarterly pipeline without any advertising spend. The partnership proved especially valuable as we discovered these accounts have an 18% higher retention rate compared to our standard acquisition channels. For companies looking to build similar partnerships, I recommend establishing clear KPIs from the beginning and consistently sharing partnership wins across your organization to build internal support. Tracking specific metrics like partner-sourced revenue and retention deltas was crucial in demonstrating the partnership’s value and securing additional resources for our partner enablement initiatives.
Sahil Gandhi
Brand Strategist, Brand Professor
Create Mutually Beneficial Referral Relationships
One strategic partnership that significantly expanded my reach was collaborating with a functional medicine practitioner who shared my vision of addressing wellness at the root level. It came about organically — we connected through mutual professional circles, and after an open conversation about how our work complemented one another, we decided to create a referral relationship and co-lead a workshop for her clients.
This not only introduced my services to a new audience but also positioned me as a trusted partner within her established community. My advice to others is to look for partners whose values align with yours and whose strengths fill gaps in what you offer; when the relationship feels mutually supportive and authentic, the opportunities for growth flow naturally.
Karen Canham
Entrepreneur/Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Karen Ann Wellness
Collaborate Internally to Improve Client Experience
One internal partnership that significantly expanded our client impact was between our operations and client success teams. By working closely together, we ensured that every outsourced contact center engagement was highly personalized and quality-driven. It all resulted in driving measurable KPIs and SLA adherence.
The collaboration started when CX data revealed recurring challenges in client-specific workflows, such as complex support processes or peak-volume surges. Instead of addressing issues in isolation, our operations and client success teams collaborated to co-design a tailored solution, including:
- Customized agent training
- Predictive call routing
- Client-specific reporting dashboards
Moreover, the outcomes were impressive:
- Reduction in average handle time while maintaining hyper-personalized services
- Increase in CSAT score across multiple accounts
- Faster onboarding for new clients, reducing ramp-up time
Furthermore, key to this success was shared accountability and seamless communication. The client success team provided deep insights into client priorities and evolving expectations, while the operations team transformed those insights into actionable processes and agent coaching programs. Also, both teams tracked results and optimized workflows accordingly to ensure a frictionless customer experience.
Additionally, here is some advice for companies seeking similar internal partnerships:
1. Foster cross-team transparency by sharing client insights openly, as it enables making informed operational decisions.
2. Define KPIs that reflect both client satisfaction and operational efficiency.
3. Use CRM and workforce management systems to connect insights to execution.
4. Implement continuous feedback loops for real-time updates between teams to allow rapid adjustments.
5. Recognize collaboration to strengthen culture and maintain momentum.
Elizabeth Sedlacek
Vice President of Client Relations and Partnerships, Contactpoint360
Develop White-Label Partnerships for Growth
Our most impactful strategic growth came from developing white-label partnerships with complementary digital marketing agencies and consultants. These partnerships allowed us to offer expanded services to clients without having to build those capabilities in-house, while simultaneously giving us access to our partners’ established client bases. The arrangement began organically when we recognized that many agencies wanted to offer our SEO expertise to their clients but lacked the internal resources to deliver quality results.
For businesses looking to form similar partnerships, I recommend identifying potential partners whose services complement yours without competing directly, then approaching them with a clear value proposition that demonstrates how both parties will benefit financially while better serving their clients’ needs. The key to success has been creating structured agreements that outline responsibilities clearly and establishing communication protocols that maintain consistent quality across all client work.
Jack Genesin
SEO Consultant, Jack Genesin Consulting
