Sharing is Scaling: Leveraging Shared Services to Grow Your Business Smarter
For many small business owners, growth feels like a double-edged sword. On one hand, it means more customers, more opportunities, and a chance to expand your impact. On the other, it often brings higher costs, operational headaches, and an overwhelming to-do list.
But what if you could grow without carrying the full weight of that growth alone?
Enter shared services—a modern solution for savvy entrepreneurs who want to scale smarter, not harder. By collaborating with other businesses to share resources, talent, and tools, you can streamline operations, cut costs, and focus on what you do best.
Here’s how leveraging shared services can help you grow your business without burning out or breaking the bank.
What Are Shared Services?
Shared services are the business functions, tools, or resources that multiple companies can use together. Instead of each business building their own internal department or system, they pool their needs and share the solution—saving time and money in the process.
Think of it like co-owning a toolbox. You don’t all need to buy the same drill or pay a full-time handyman—you just share what you need when you need it.
1. Shared Marketing Teams or Contractors
The Challenge:
Hiring a full-service marketing team is expensive, and doing it all yourself rarely leads to consistent results.
The Shared Solution:
Partner with other local or complementary businesses to hire a freelance marketing expert, designer, or social media manager who serves all of you on a part-time basis. You can share the cost, align on strategy, and cross-promote each other to wider audiences.
2. Co-Working and Co-Owning Office Resources
The Challenge:
Leasing office space, equipment, or retail space can eat up your budget quickly.
The Shared Solution:
Split rent on a co-working space, pop-up shop, or shared commercial kitchen with other entrepreneurs. You can even co-purchase expensive tools like printers, photography equipment, or point-of-sale systems.
3. Group Buying Power
The Challenge:
Small businesses often pay more for inventory, materials, or software because they lack buying power.
The Shared Solution:
Join a purchasing cooperative or team up with similar businesses to place bulk orders and negotiate better pricing from suppliers. What one business can’t afford alone, several can afford together.
4. Fractional Business Services (Accounting, HR, IT)
The Challenge:
Hiring in-house staff for things like bookkeeping, HR, or tech support doesn’t always make sense when you're still growing.
The Shared Solution:
Share a vetted bookkeeper, HR consultant, or IT provider with a few other businesses in your network. Each of you gets professional support at a fraction of the cost.
5. Shared Staff or Admin Support
The Challenge:
You need help—but you don’t have enough work or budget to hire full-time.
The Shared Solution:
Team up with another small business to share an assistant, receptionist, or delivery driver. They split their time between your businesses, giving you flexibility and reliability without full-time expenses.
Benefits Beyond Cost Savings
Sharing services isn’t just about saving money—it also helps you:
Save time by delegating key tasks.
Increase efficiency with experienced professionals.
Build relationships with other entrepreneurs.
Accelerate growth by focusing on strategy instead of operations.
It also nurtures a mindset of collaboration over competition, turning your local business network into a support system instead of a battlefield.
How to Get Started
Map out your needs. What services or tools are draining your time or budget?
Identify potential partners. Who in your network has similar needs and values?
Start small. Try a single shared contractor or one-time group purchase to test the waters.
Set expectations. Outline clear roles, budgets, and boundaries for the shared arrangement.
Communicate often. Treat it like a partnership—check in regularly and adjust as needed.
Final Thoughts: Scaling Smarter, Together
In today’s economy, agility and resourcefulness are key. You don’t have to do it all alone—and you shouldn’t.
By leveraging shared services, you can scale with confidence, stay lean, and build a business that’s not only profitable, but sustainable. It’s a win-win for you, your partners, and your community.
Because sometimes, the smartest way to grow isn’t by getting bigger—it’s by getting together.
