Its shadow can be intimidating, but the benefits of dancing with an elephant can far outweigh the fear of being dwarfed.

Such was the theme last Thursday at Ben Franklin Place where the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) invited CellWand founder Nick Quain to its monthly Zone5ive event to illustrate how a small business can successfully align itself with much larger ones in a competitive market.

"The hardest thing to overcome when you're small and trying to partner with a larger company is a lack of credibility," Mr. Quain said to an audience of about 60 local businesspeople.

While CellWand now counts Rogers, Bell Mobility, Telus and other major players as partners, there was a time when he was the new kid on the block knocking on closed doors.

"I didn't have the resume to go to these companies and convince them we could do what we promised and that it could benefit them as well. That can make it very hard to get in."

That's where a common third party, a company that does business with both the small and the large companies, can help clear a path for an unknown entity trying to gain a foothold in the industry.

"You can use this third party to bring you more credibility with decision makers who have never heard of you," Mr. Quain continued. "They know you and they can speak on your behalf."

Now five years old, CellWand provides Enhanced Directory Assistance (EDA) services to wireless carriers across North America. For example, the taxicab industry receives more than a billion calls per year and this call volume represents a problem for millions of people in need of a taxi every month. For businesspeople in an unfamiliar city, finding a cab when you need one can also be a frustrating exercise.

If you don't know the name of a local taxi company, even dialing 411 won't be of much help, and busy signals during peak periods can compound the problem. As well, wireless carriers face the daunting task of handling all these calls, recommending a reliable local cab company or finding callers the first available ride during busy periods. Thus, CellWand's Pound Taxi was born. This service can connect people to cabs anywhere across Canada, recommend the best taxis and even avoid busy signals.

To make it all work, though, Mr. Quain and his team had to convince the big boys Pound Taxi would enhance their customer service at a cost comparable to dialing 411. Rogers was first on the bandwagon with the others following suit shortly thereafter.

"Once you're in with one, you can go to the others and say that one is interested. It makes elephants move faster by using other elephants to show they're moving quickly. No one likes to be left behind," he said.

Customer Connects president Linda Pond works with small companies on a daily basis connecting them with other businesses that can help. "So I'm working on the same page as Nick. Just getting their attention when you're smaller is a challenge. They're busy, their ego gets in the way and they get bombarded by little groups trying to ride their coattails, all of which are difficult barriers to overcome."

Jolita Communications marketing and communications strategist Lisa Courtney Lloyd said the problems were numerous but not insurmountable. "It can be very hard to negotiate with them when they think they don't really need the service."

Ms Courtney Lloyd, also an OCRI volunteer, pointed out that's why these monthly meetings are held. "We try to make Ottawa businesses more marketing savvy so we all can win."

In the end, dancing with those elephants without getting your toes stepped on can be a real challenge, but for those like Mr. Quain who have successfully done the two-step, the benefits are more than worth it.