The whole power of the internet is the idea of collaboration. At first, I was worried that people doing similar work to me would be competition but the more I spend time online, the more time I realized these people were my colleagues. We trade information and ideas, refer each other for work, and are otherwise friendly.
I had a meeting today with Phyllis, the Director for the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce and she told me about theBar Harbor Bed and Breakfast Association. Here’s what’s neat about this group:
They chose a shorter domain name: sleepbarharbor.com.
BarHarborBedAndBreakfastAssociation.com would have been way too long to remember, not to mention print on business cards. Sleepbarharbor.com is much more descriptive and equally memorable.
They refer each other via their website, and word of mouth.
On the top of their website, there are two clearly marked places to check availability. This one location allows an internet user to check all 26 locations at the same time. You can also narrow your search for rooms that include certain amenities, like a television in the room or a water view.
If you call one of the inns and they are full, I am also sure that the person working at the front desk would help the person over the phone book a room at another inn using this website.
This may seem counterintuitive but remember, if you refer someone to another inn one time, they are likely to keep you in mind the next time a potential guest calls when they are completely booked.
They buy their needed supplies collectively, and save money.
Phyllis was telling me this group bulk buys supplies they all need (paper products, etc.). The large order gets dropped off at one location and the others pick up. In the meantime, they have the purchasing power of a much larger hotel and are able to get materials priced accordingly.
In other words, the internet can allow you to collaborate with similar businesses to meet the same needs. I applaud this group for their foresight and I hope one of them reads this entry and comments with specifics about how and why this arrangement has saved time and money.