How You Can Thrive in the new ‘Collaborative Economy’, WBE, May 9

How You Can Thrive in the new ‘Collaborative Economy’, WBE

When: Thursday, May 9, 2013  –  7 a.m. – 9 a.m.

Where: Women’s University Club, 1105 Sixth Avenue, Seattle

What: In running a business and trying to make it grow, we often focus on beating our competition and investing cash in equipment, supplies, and advertising. But what if you set aside that paradigm—and instead were able to conserve your cash and expand your business using an “old” approach that’s “new” again?

There are surprising and business-boosting payoffs to participating in what small-business consultant Renata Kowalczyk calls the “collaborative economy.” It’s a values-based way to do business that, for Renata, was strongly influenced by her upbringing in Communist Poland.

Just as “collaborative economy” implies, you can and should, according to Renata, seek opportunities to work with others—even your competitors! You can also retain more of your company’s cash by bartering and trading, and you may easily discover “hidden” sources of cash among your assets. Renata will share her own stories of quite fruitfully collaborating with her supposed competition, as well as stories of her clients’ success with their own collaborative economy tactics. And, her personal journey toward starting her small-business consulting company will amaze you.

Who: Join at the May breakfast and hear about Renata’s fascinating life journey, which began in a small farming town in Poland. In Dzierzoniow, her family had everything they needed because they relied on their community rather than solely on unpredictable supermarkets and government rations. At age 23, Renata arrived in New York City with more courage than money toward creating her American dream. Her realized dream quickly kicked into high gear—it included an Ivy League MBA, high-powered Wall Street strategic management jobs, and deluxe penthouse condo.

Don’t miss Renata’s story of how that American dream evolved into a nightmare and how she bravely yet instinctively “created and then un-created that life” and now enjoys building community and helping businesses thrive in charming Bellingham, Washington.

How Much: 

• Early Registation Breakfast Pricing for Members is:  $25
• Late Registration Breakfast Pricing for Members is:  $35
• Early Registation Breakfast Pricing for Visitors is:  $38
• Late Registration Breakfast Pricing for Visitors is:  $42

How: Register online.