Promoting the neighborhood florist and the neighborhood restaurant together can be good business.

The word “align” may sound like corporate jargon, and sometimes it can be used for that.

Aligning with others around you in this case simply means to work with your neighbors.

If you are an independently owned business, your neighborhood should be important to you. What businesses are nearby? Are you in a walking neighborhood, or a driving neighborhood?

Our experience shows that working with your neighbors can be very productive, good for your business, and good for your neighborhood. Cross marketing between the businesses can be effective.

For example, if you are a florist, your flowers can be displayed at the nearby restaurant along with collateral material. In turn, the restaurant’s take-out menus could be featured at your front desk. The same goes for web sites: the cross marketing can be very effective there also. The restaurant can have a punch-out to the florist on it, and vice versa. There are many times when a table for a special occasion has just been reserved at the restaurant, and the occasion can be made more special with flowers. And perhaps seeing the restaurant on the florist web site will remind the shopper to make a reservation.

Look around your business, network with those at your next Chamber of Commerce or neighborhood association meeting and put on your thinking cap. Boosting several businesses together in your neighborhood can be good for your business!