‘Dog eat dog’ is now more ‘wagging tails’, say top execs

Businesses are forming strategic alliances and uniting together in a Blitz spirit to help power the economic recovery, claim two top female executives.

Melanie Simpson and Teddy George, co-directors of London-based business services firm George Jacobsen, say that the credit crunch - which toppled City banks that were previously thought invulnerable - has fostered a new sense of ‘all being in it together’. George Jacobsen has formed a strategic alliance with The Finance Division, another expert outsourcing firm which is also run by two women. The alliance is an agreement by two non-competing companies to work in harmony as an unpaid sales force for the other, generating more business for both combined.

Melanie says that a greater willingness to share ideas, strategies and commercial information is a hallmark of the post-recession era. “People are starting to talk very openly,” Melanie says, “There’s far more of an attitude of ‘how do we get through this together?’ People are being much less secretive and protectionist about their work. There’s that Blitz mentality in the current economic climate, a sense that we’re all pulling together and there’s strength in numbers.

“I think a lot of SMEs are doing what we’re doing and collaborating with other firms that offer complementary services and share their values and seeing how you can benefit each other.”

Lauren Brown, MD of The Finance Division, organises women’s networking events. She explains: “Strategic alliances make a lot of sense. In our case we’re now going in to see clients as a bigger team, offering a more holistic package. I think in general women are better at supporting each other more, and asking ‘how can we work as a team?’”

More information about Teddy and Melanie’s company can be found at www.GeorgeJacobsen.com

ENDS

More info / images:

Steve McComish

The London PR Agency

020 7193 0566

[email protected]

www.LondonPRagency.com

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