Opportunities Exchange

A Shared Services Alliance is a community-based partnership comprised of small businesses (whether nonprofit or for-profit) within an industry or sector working together to share costs and deliver services in a more streamlined and efficient way. By participating in an Alliance, small businesses become stronger, more accountable, more financially sound and efficient, and better equipped to offer affordable, high-quality services.

The Shared Services Alliance model is an important tool for ensuring that high-quality small businesses are economically sustainable. Alliances enable small businesses to join forces administratively to lower costs in business functions like payroll, benefits management, banking, janitorial, food services, insurance and purchasing. These cost savings can be reinvested in improved wages and benefits, thereby helping to provide customers with a higher quality product or service and improving long-term financial strength. 

For more information about Shared Services Alliances, you can read a blog series in the Stanford Social Innovation Review focusing on Shared Services in the early care and education (ECE) industry. For the first installment, click here; for the second installment, click here. To see short videos explaining Shared Services further, click here.