Accelerate in this context could mean a number of things: take an existing company and provide some operating capital, learn from best practices, or even as simple as executing on consulting work by plugging into a wider backbone of opportunities. A kind of in-sourcing or co-op. We don’t have good existing structures or explanations for this sort of thing, other than perhaps the concept of keiretsu — “a set of companies with interlocking business relationships and shareholdings” (Wikipedia).

You may not think of Vancouver as a small or regional area, but it has challenges in starting a new consulting business. We’re a branch office town, with comparably small businesses. With a lack of larger enterprises, this means a lack of larger projects, and more generally smaller budgets and less interest in interesting, cutting-edge project.

This means that a consulting company in Vancouver needs to invest in business development in Toronto, New York, London, Chicago, SF and beyond. With the high cost of living, and less access to clients, Vancouver companies have a disadvantage to larger markets and a disadvantage vs. more remote areas.

Can business development be shared and streamlined? Can we break the one company model, the agency model, the freelancer model and put it together into a community of like-minded business owners that work together?

Thanks to Bud Caddell for continuing to talk out loud about his ideas (read his whole tweetstorm) and evolution of his company, NOBL. NOBL’s Future of Work site is an example of some of the work they do consulting with larger organizations.

Remote, distributed, and new types of business organizations are part of this #futureofwork.