Post by Amy Blais, contributing Women On Business writer

As a business woman, there are several opportunities to work with other companies for supply or service needs. Supporting your network of other women owned businesses can translate into partnerships and long lasting professional relationships. It is important to support women as clients, partners, employees and experts, and there are three main ways to do so:

1.) The client customer relationship, do business with other women in business; Look through your community, and if you are looking for consulting firms, then try to find a woman owned consulting firm. Instead of going to a national provider for promotional products, there may be a small woman owned business you can support.

2.) Form alliances with other women owned businesses to go after big businesses together. This way you can go in on a contract or deal together that may have been too big for you to go after alone.

3.) Be free with your expertise and experience and other women will provide for you in return, and turn to you when they can use your product or service.

Loreley Fortin, President of Daystar Promotions, Inc., has been awarded for all of her work with women business owners and encourages other women in business to do the same, “Women appreciate and understand the value of doing business with other women. We exchange creative ideas and collaborate on how to help each other grow. I have more referrals from women business owners than any other avenue, and in the end, that affects my bottom line.”