The term C-commerce has been around for a number of years, but I don’t think it’s something that most business owners are aware of or consider in their business plans.
Could C-commerce help you grow your business or strengthen working relationships? If you have a few minutes, I’d like to share some thoughts that may come in useful.
Let’s start by asking – what is C-commerce?
Collaborative commerce (C-commerce) is the use of digital technologies by different business parties for sourcing products, making transactions or completing similar interactive business processes. It is a subcategory of e-commerce.
That’s a bit of a boring definition, but at least you can explain it easily to someone else now 😉
So what does it mean? To put it another way, C-commerce is a business strategy that calls for looking at the process of supply chain management in a new way.
While every business is different, the definition got me thinking about local businesses (think Queenstown) and whether we could apply the concept to the ‘products’ and ‘services’ that we sell and offer here.
Examples of C-commerce
If we look at how C-commerce is being used elsewhere, it helps us think about how we can use it ourselves.
Some businesses allow consumers to rent things from each other, such as office space in Queenstown; or marketplaces, such as Facebook Marketplace, that allow the sale of used goods or free stuff.
Food on Q is recent example of a company that provides ‘food deliveries on demand’ for local restaurants, and First Table will help find customers to fill seats at the start of an evening (..or lunch time now too!).
Both of these companies have successfully grown a business where none existed only a few years ago.
Where do you fit into the supply chain of local businesses?
Do you offer a product or services to other businesses? Can you help busy owners solve a problem? You might be an important part of their supply chain and they might not even know about you!
Are you marketing yourself to them in the right way? Do you make it easy for them to use or book your services? Do businesses who could work with you know that you exist and how you can help? Have you considered everyone in your target market or re-visited your marketing strategy recently?
Over the years, when I’ve worked with people, one thing I commonly uncover or find is untapped markets or unrealised potential and I’ve learnt that – if you get yourself in front of the right people, at the right time, with the right story.. you can always find new customers to work with and work for.
There is one last part of C-commerce that I want to discuss, and you may have overlooked it… tip: it’s in the title!
Working on the Collaborative in C-Commerce
When I think about C-commerce, another thought comes to mind which may offer a new way to look at it – think ‘collaboration’ or working together.
Many local businesses offer services that are complementary to each other, but do you include these services in the conversations you’re having with your customers?
I’ll give you a few examples..
I work in digital marketing strategy and web development, I’m passionate about user-experience and data. This is what I love to do and what I love to talk about, but when I meet with people I actively listen for problems that I can’t solve!
If a client or potential customer has IT issues – I know and trust someone who can help – The Computer Professor – these guys know computers better than me.. and I’m a self-confessed nerd!
If someone needs business advice or direction, I know a man – Robin Martin – who has worked with business owners for decades and is an invaluable source of knowledge… you should sign up to his business advice blog! 😉
Looking for an expert in HR and employment? I can introduce you to the right man at Employsure. Want to outsource your business and admin time? Bespoke Admin can help.
The people I work with day-in, day-out, trust that I’m there to help and advise them on what I know well, but there are many other ways I can help my customers that don’t fall under the umbrella of the services I offer.
However, I can collaborate with other people that I trust and get them talking to each other.
By building these relationships, I can send work their way and they can send work mine. We can collaborate and hep eachother to grow while building trust with our customers.
I challenge you to think about all the ways that you can help your customers or offer complimentary services in new ways that will enable you to build referral networks that benefit everyone.
In Queenstown, we have a big hole to fill in the post-Covid world, which means that we need to be open to collaborating with and supporting each other.
Daniel Jones – Befound Online
Befound Online are a Brand & Creative agency that you can think of as your personal marketing-team-as-a-service.
We have a passion for User-Experience and great Design. We believe that a strong Digital Marketing Strategy is the foundation of every great marketing campaign.
Our approach: 0% Bullshit. We keep it simple and easy to understand.
