This blog is written by one of 15 individuals attending the South By Southwest Conference in Austin with the intention to bring back ideas and to reimagine Richland County.
The statement apples to oranges typically applies to two things that are on the opposite ends of a spectrum, but that may not be the case anymore.
On the first day of the SXSW conference, I attended a session called Community Inc: “Secrets of the Sharing Economy.” It was an amazing 62 minutes that turned apples and oranges into an unforgettable smoothie.
I learned how partnering with businesses that are unrelated to yours could save both businesses. Sharing expenses and keeping the creative spirit free could be key to bringing your business back from a “sunken place”.
Ryan Gill, president of Communo, credits an online car salesman, a childcare transportation service and a graphic artist for saving his business.
After three months of embarrassment, Ryan finally decided to come to the office and what he saw charged his life. The energy was flowing, the people were happy and the bank account was beginning to crawl in the right direction. After a year, the company, as well as its new roomies, had exceeded their lifetime income.
Stay tuned and follow the process via #SXSW419. Or watch for more blogs starting Saturday, March 10 at richlandsource.com/rising_from_rust/sxsw.
