Even if you are not a business owner, collaboration in life brings success.  Perhaps in the way of convenience, camaraderie, stress reduction, cost savings or more.

Kohls and Amazon’s new collaboration is brilliant as far as a win-win for business.  I’ll explain.

Before I started the Time to Play Foundation, in 2005 when my husband retired from his job, we created a consulting business called D. James Marketing.  We provided outsourced marketing support, promotional items, public relations, and consulting for best business practices, reputation repair for an organization and risk management / quality improvement. (figured I’d put in a plug 🙂 ) !

As a business owner and quality improvement professional, I have always seen the bigger picture of what a business can provide to a client.  I have always had the vision to create a one stop shop, so to speak.  Business owners are so busy, and I believed that the more services I could provide a client or refer to a client would save them work, time and money.

I have always believed collaboration = success.

Every business has a mission, vision and purpose.  And, every business has complimentary services that would benefit a client and help them grow.

Imagine pooling resources, market shares, client outreach… imagine how beneficial to a business, how it would benefit BOTH (or more) businesses to obtain clients and keep clients satisfied.

You think it would be easy?  But, I have to say, although it makes the best sense, it has been a hard sell.  People are so focused on their own situation – not that they shouldn’t be, as focus is needed to succeed – but they are not seeing the whole opportunity and how working together would get them further faster.

Many hands make light work.

Collaboration = success was clearly evident when I went to Kohls yesterday with my return.

I’d go so far to say it was more than “success”.  It was brilliant.

Amazon markets Kohls indirectly with this mutually beneficial arrangement / collaboration.  Kohls takes Amazon returns in their store with no cost return shipping.  There are a lot of these stores locally to my home, so this was convenient for me to bring the return there.

The Amazon return drop off is in the back of the store.  I had to walk all the way through the store to get there, browsing as I went (same reason milk is in the back of the food store, so you buy stuff you didn’t want on the way to the milk).

When I checked in the return, the Kohls staff member gave me a 25% off coupon, good for 7 days.

I bought new pillows with the coupon.

Brilliant.

A win-win.

You know Amazon is saving money for return shipping, and you know Kohls is getting more sales from having the returns collected there.

How can you collaborate in your life?  There are so many ways.  As a neighbor, as a business owner, there are many opportunities that you can think of that can be pooled or shared to make your community or your organization flourish.

Take a few minutes to brainstorm who is in your circle and how you can work together in a mutually beneficial arrangement that does not cost you more, but works together.

I believe that it’s time to enjoy your life.  Make today play.

I believe that it is TIME to Play <3 Love,

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Doreen Guma, MA, FACHE, CPC, CLC:  Doreen holds a Bachelor of Science in Management, a Masters in Business and Policy Studies, is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a Certified Social and Emotional Intelligence Coach, Certified Professional Coach, Certified Life Coach, and the author of the book, If I Knew Then What I Know Now, Our Quest for Quality of Life.

Doreen is the founder of the Time to Play Foundation, a 501c3 not for profit organization with the mission and purpose to enrich the lives of others through programs, public awareness outreach activities, events and learning opportunities that further the concept of enjoying life.  The Foundation’s website, www.TimetoPlayFoundation.org, has resources, events and articles for a person to learn what they need to know for a better life.  Contact Doreen at 631-331-2675 or email: doreen@timetoplay.com

The Foundation offers an unconventional approach in a non-threatening manner to provide solutions for the life situations that people may encounter.  Working in healthcare since 1987, and with her background in quality improvement, she has followed statistics showing our society’s current evolution to be more “sick and sad”.   She developed the Time to Play Philosophy:  you have to be happy, healthy, have money and a work / life balance for quality of life and believes everyone has the ability to enjoy life.