The web has changed many things about business, but one thing’s for sure, it’s dramatically enhanced our ability to collaborate with every important constituency group.

Let me explain this idea of collaboration as a business strategy. In the past, it was generally considered very natural for small business owners to collaborate with partners and the occasional vendor in order to complete a project or assemble a larger a footprint. A marketing consultant, for instance, might collaborate with a graphic designer, copywriter and print shop to complete a direct mail campaign.

In the new world of social powered marketing the notion of collaboration is expanded dramatically. At its core, collaboration is highly social, so to me, empowering the networking aspects of collaboration with the hi tech tools of the new web creates a business building strategy in itself.

Today’s marketer should tap what I like to call the “Collaboration Universe” and look for ways to employ powerful online tools to greatly enhance engagement with prospects, customers, mentors, partners, providers, staff and, yes, even competitors.

I’ll be discussing this strategy, some practical applications, and a host of collaboration tools live online June 3rd at 11am PDT/2pm EDT as part of the Verizon Small Business Center. Register to join me here