What does the business landscape look like these days? Are more women clawing their way to the top, embracing aggressive tactics, or are supportive, collaborative women succeeding? Is there enough of "the pie" out there, or does winning in business mean you have to "go the mattresses" and engage in a smear campaign? While you can step on others to get to the top, many women business owners have adopted a more supportive mindset and are making it work for them.

About 10 years ago, Ceri Ruenheck, president of It's Your Call, a virtual B2B telemarketing firm in Harvard, Massachusetts, formed GUILD--Girls United in Like Disciplines. As the name suggests, the women in this group decided there was strength in numbers, and through their loose partnership they each grew their respective businesses much faster than they would have on their own. According to Ruenheck, they advertised together, had formal meetings to set up objectives and goals, and even developed a mini business plan. They traded leads, maximizing the different skill sets of each participant.

Even though the group eventually disbanded, the supportive mentality that worked so well then is still very much a part of Ruenheck's business model today. The week I met her, she had been out to lunch with a peer, mentoring her on how to grow her freelance telemarketing company. Ruenheck also lunches regularly with her nearest competitor, a woman named Maureen Woods of A Better Call, in Stoneham, Massachusetts. "We've talked about possibly merging--she has a concrete call center--but we have two completely different models," says Ruenheck.

These smart competitors share what's working in their companies and a fair number of leads. Proving the theory that there is, in fact, enough pie to go around, Ruenheck says they very rarely run up against each other. "I believe if you kept count of who's won the bid over the other one, it would be neck and neck."

Ruenheck and Woods also talk about their respective advertising campaigns, something other business owners might consider risky. "Hopefully she won't do exactly the same thing," Ruenheck says. "We have a really good relationship, so if there was an issue, I'd feel OK calling her up and saying, 'Maureen, that wasn't fair.'"

Toni DeLisi, president of 16-year-old weddings and special events firm, Memorable Events, in Ramsey, New Jersey, says she's always on the lookout to connect people that can benefit from one another. DeLisi, who is also state coordinator of her industry's principal trade association, Association of Bridal Consultants, says ABC firmly embraces this approach.

Because DeLisi understands the value of varied interaction opportunities, she attends meetings for a complimentary organization, International Special Events Society, and has already orchestrated several joint programs to the benefit of both groups. Though she admits that fellow consultants in each group may be vying for the same business, a lot of opportunities come through collaboration and a spirit of sharing.

"Our meetings and conferences facilitate discussions between peers about a range of issues, including pricing fees and contracts," says DeLisi. Ideas exchanged at these functions, along with other educational offerings, help ABC and ISES members learn how to better run their small businesses.

"We recently started having trouble managing some of our smaller clients," says Ann Byne, principal and creative director of The Byne Group in Suffern, New York. "We built really great relationships with them, and we didn't want to abandon them, so I sought out other talented designers and transferred those clients over, knowing they were in good hands."

Byne has always maintained a supportive attitude as her creative design and marketing solutions firm has grown over the last 20 years, fostering relationships with other women-owned firms that were smaller than her company. Over the years, she has leant out space to fledgling freelancers, bartering their rent, and has also mentored a range of peers and newbies. She has facilitated meaningful connections and given advice on a range of challenging marketing and operational issues. In return, Byne has had diverse business-building opportunities come her way.

Being open to strategic partnerships led Byne to join forces with another woman to help a large national nonprofit. During the six-month project, Byne and her partner used their talents to put together a complete strategic analysis. According to Byne, the partnership resulted in some unexpected returns: It let her be part of an exciting opportunity that turned into a real learning experience, and she got immense gratification out of working on something that was so well received by the organization's board of the directors. This project worked well because the players clearly outlined their respective responsibilities within their own areas of expertise.

Strategic alliances and collaborations can open a lot of doors, possibly growing your business in quicker, more cost-effective ways. Consider sharing a table at your local chamber of commerce business expo. Or create an ad campaign with another business whose services are complementary to your own. Use your imagination and reap the benefits of jointly produced workshops and other initiatives.