Local businessman Brian Palethorpe has some experience with business collaboration and wanted to know how he could use those experiences, to assist his and other businesses in the city.
ìWhen I spent time overseas in the technology field, I was amazed to see how many supposedly competitive companies worked together to push the greater good forward; to improve the fundamental base of all of their businesses,î said Palethorpe, manager of Airdrie Home Furnishings.
ìI saw firsthand the value in collaboration. The Airdrie business community is a fertile ground loaded with established and up-and-coming talents, and I feel Airdrie, as a community, will benefit when we come together through programs.î
After teaming up with the Airdrie Chamber of Commerce, Palethorpe created an interactive breakfast series called the Better Business Breakfast.
This business training series kicks off on Nov. 21 and will address core training topics. The event will run from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Palethorpe connected with Marie Lauer, events coordinator for the Airdrie Chamber of Commerce, and she said she immediately saw the vision aligning with the Chamber values of supporting business initiatives and encouraging innovative business strategies.
ìBrian and I first met to discuss how Airdrie Home Furnishings could become more involved and how they could give back to the community in which they conduct business,î Lauer said.
ìI was excited about the possibility of collaborating with Airdrie Home Furnishings on a breakfast series that would help all business people by giving them useful information and by connecting them with like-minded people ñ a win, win, win situation.î
Lauer then contacted business collaborator Denise Baril, founder of the Workplace Speaker Network (a network and database to match experts and resources for workplace learning and training). Baril jumped on board with both feet.
ìWe need to work more collaboratively as a business community if we want to stay leading edge,î Baril said.
ìNo longer can we do it all on our own. There is a movement in business from scarcity (competitive mindset) to abundance (collaborative mindset) that is getting business flowing faster. Bringing stakeholders together to solve common issues is the wave of the future. Collaborating with business is what we do. We are happy to be involved in the economic development and business success of Airdrie.î
The Better Business Breakfast Series is designed to give business people practical information, business strategies, tips, tricks, useful tools and innovative ideas on how to manage and grow their business, according to Lauer.
The first event will take place on Nov. 21 and is titled Small Business and Social Responsibility: Investing in Community & Investing in Ourselves. The facilitator is Katharin Pritchard, a consultant from Calgary who studies and presents on organizational management with a strong focus on staff satisfaction and engagement.
ìBusinesses thrive with employees who are fully engaged in their work as they personally identify with the unique value of their employers,î said Pritchard.
ìThe greatest positive impact that can be achieved for children and families occurs when staff are passionate and aligned with the vision of their agencies.î
The series is open to all business people ñ home based, small/medium sized businesses and large corporations.
Each event includes a continental breakfast; a business-related speaker as well as an opportunity to connect with fellow entrepreneurs.
The Nov. 21 event runs from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and is hosted by Airdrie Home Furnishings: 211 East Lake Cres NE. Cost to attend is $10.
Register online at www.airdriechamber.ab.ca or call 403-948-4412.
For more information on Pritchard, visit katharinpritchard.com
