Blog Archive (2014)

  • Keep Your Family Business Running Strong with These 5 Tips - Video Content Roundup

    Dec 12, 2014

    Most entrepreneurs go into a family business expecting there to be challenges. However, they often don’t realize from the outset exactly how tricky things can get. Collaborating and communicating with coworkers requires effort in any business environment—but when you bring family ties into the equation, that effort has to be multiplied if you want to keep your home life harmonious and your business moving toward success. If you have a family business or you’re interested in starting one, check out the tips below.

  • Staying Healthy and Balanced Through the Start-Up Process

    Nov 11, 2014

    The start-up process is notorious for consuming your mind and body. With so many decisions needing to be made, there is little time for remembering the other things that also define you – your family, friends and hobbies – and keep you grounded. In fact, in the 2014 Start-up Survey, Sage North America found that work/life balance is the number ONE personal concern of start-ups.

  • Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2014

    Nov 11, 2014

    November 19th is the inaugural celebration of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day! Part of Global Entrepreneurship Week (November 17-23), Women's Entrepreneurship Day will be celebrated in 144 countries in recognition of the contribution that women make to local, national, and global economies. Some statistics about women entrepreneurs:

  • SBA Infographic Update 2014

    Nov 11, 2014

    We're excited to present an updated version of our infographic and showcase some of our key accomplishments over the last three years of the SBA program! We have created this to reach out to our diverse audience of prospective entrepreneurs, small businesses, librarians working in public and academic libraries, colleagues in business support organizations, educators and students at UBC and beyond.  

  • Celebrating YOU!: Vital Wellness Kitsilano

    Nov 11, 2014

    The Celebrating YOU! small business profile series continues with Vital Health Kitsilano's founder Heidi Henderson sharing her experiences with the start-up process. Vital Health is a bright, welcoming, state-of-the-art socially conscious integrated medical clinic and wellness centre in the heart of Kitsilano, Vancouver. Learn more at www.vitalwellnessgroup.com.

  • Four Tips for Bootstrapping Your Small Business - Video Content Roundup

    Nov 11, 2014

    Venture capital is often seen as the holy grail of small business financing, but it isn't for everyone. As most seasoned entrepreneurs will tell you, seeking out venture funding can be a long, expensive process, with some unexpected legal and accounting costs along the way. If you do eventually secure venture capital, you will have to give up part of your control over your own business, which means increased accountability on your part.

  • Celebrating YOU!: mediAm digital distribution

    Nov 11, 2014

    To start off our Celebrating YOU! small business profile series, Leslie Marsh of mediAm shares the experience of the start-up process and mediAm's contributions to a sustainable film production industry. At mediAm, our mission is to foster the growth of all types of media production by engaging audiences in a new form of distribution. Learn more at mediAm.ca.

  • Small Business Profile 2014

    Oct 10, 2014

    Every year British Columbia’s provincial government publishes a profile of the health of small business in the province to educate us on how BC fits into the greater Canadian context of small business development. The Small Business Profile 2014 report was recently released, so we compiled some highlights of the report as we reflect and wrap-up a fantastic Small Business Month celebrated throughout Canada during the month of October.

  • Open Access Week October 2014

    Oct 10, 2014

    Open Access Week, now entering its 8th year, is a chance to learn, share, and spread the word about the benefits of open access to information. 

  • Give Your Startup an Edge with Our Top 5 Streaming Video Channels—Video Content Roundup

    Oct 10, 2014

    Staying current with entrepreneurship trends can be tricky. As new resources and strategies develop popularity, it’s important for small business owners to know what’s out there so they give their startup a competitive edge in the market. In this post, we’ll focus on streaming video channels you can follow for a constant stream of news and other information from the world of business. Since the rise of streaming video, individuals and organizations from around the world have been using this platform to share their knowledge and experience with audiences looking for business guidance.

  • 5 Tools To Keep Up-To-Date On Industry News

    Oct 10, 2014

    If you are an aspiring small business owner or entrepreneur, you probably are diving in head first into secondary market research. The time you spend finding quality resources is very valuable, but with all of the resources consulted and the time devoted to the research, it is easy for keeping up-to-date to fall off the radar once you have a business plan in place.

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    Events for Small Business Month 2014

    Oct 10, 2014

    It's October and that can mean only one thing: it's Small Business Month in BC! Whether you're still in the planning stages, hoping to expand your business, or somewhere in between, there is an event going on this month that you'll want to check out. Here is a list of just some of the small business events taking place around BC.

  • Celebrating YOU! Campaign Kickoff for Small Business Month 2014

    Oct 10, 2014

    October is here and marks the beginning of Small Business Month, where we celebrate the vitality that small businesses bring to the culture and economy of Canada. British Columbia is especially proud of their contributions to our province – in fact, in 2012 BC boasted the highest number of small businesses per capita.

  • Break into Biotech and the Life Sciences Using These Four Tips—Video Content Roundup

    Sep 9, 2014

    Building a business in any industry is a challenging task, but getting a startup off the ground in the biotech and life sciences world can be especially taxing. From R&D to the regulatory approval process to the need for constant innovation, these fields demand a lot from the entrepreneurs working within them. Since September 26 to October 3 is National Biotechnology Week in Canada, we’ve decided to compile some tips to help you get your foot in the door as a biotech or life sciences startup.

  • Four Tips for Hiring A+ Talent—Video Content Roundup

    Sep 9, 2014

    There’s no doubt that a small team of A+ talent will run circles around a larger team of B and C level employees. The best hires will not only meet your expectations, but they’ll also lend their enthusiasm and critical thinking to steer your startup toward new opportunities. However, finding let alone hiring this kind of individual can be tricky, especially when your business doesn’t have the resources to leverage the expertise of a corporate recruiter.

  • 4 Tips to Make the Most of Mobile Ads—Video Content Roundup

    Aug 8, 2014

    Digital technology continues to open new doors in the world of advertising. Whether they’re engaging with customers on social media or leveraging consumer data for personalized campaigns, businesses have more opportunities than ever to reach their target market. As smartphone technology occupies a greater role in our lives, it’s increasingly easy for businesses to reach their customers wherever they might be or whatever they might be doing. However, mobile advertising is no easy feat and requires some strategic insight in order to generate revenue.

  • Industry Overview: Bicycle Business

    Aug 8, 2014

    In the waning months of summer, the SBA finds ourselves reflecting on one of the most quintessential summer props in BC – the bicycle.

  • Adopting Digital Technology (Part 3 of 5): Using Technology for Financial Transactions

    Aug 8, 2014

    This issue of our Adopting Digital Technology series focuses on monetary transactions, specifically for those small businesses working in business to consumer (B2C) environments, such as a coffee shop, retail shop, restaurant – the list goes on! Every business is at a different degree of technology adoption, and this article addresses the varying degrees of integration.

  • Try These Four E-Commerce Tips to Boost Your Online Sales—Video Content Roundup

    Jul 7, 2014

    The past decade has seen e-commerce occupy a greater role in our everyday lives. As startups continue to explore options outside the brick-and-mortar way of doing business, web channels are increasingly used to sell everything from music to groceries to various oddities. It’s easy to see why: if you’re never more than a click away from your customers, you maximize your potential to reach them no matter where they are or what they might be doing.

  • Four Crucial Tips for Cash-Strapped Startups Looking to Hire—Video Content Roundup

    Jul 7, 2014

    It’s a common problem that just about every fledgling startup comes upon sooner or later: how do you assemble a diverse team of skilled individuals without breaking the bank? With a limited amount of funds in your hands, you need to be strategic about bringing new talent into the fold. Finding the right balance between people who will do the job well and people who will do the job for less competitive salaries can be tricky, but it’s something you need to pull off if you want to achieve success. To learn more about hiring on a startup budget, check out the tips below.

  • Four Tips to Turn Your Next Business Pitch into a Home Run—Video Content Roundup

    Jul 7, 2014

    It’s no secret that pitching a business can put a mammoth load of stress on an entrepreneur’s shoulders. You can craft an air-tight business model, but it won’t mean much unless you effectively communicate your vision to others—whether they might be investors, employees, customers or somebody else. These people are looking to be inspired as much as they’re looking to be informed, so you need to pitch in such a way that you capture their imaginations along with their minds. The stakes are high and the rewards are even higher, which is why it’s crucial for entrepreneurs to master this skill.

  • Anti-Spam Legislation Recap: Another CASL Headline before the Deadline

    Jun 6, 2014

    As the end of the month approaches, the beginning of a new era in Canadian advertising begins with the official implementation of the Canadian Anti-spam Legislation (CASL). Overwhelmed? There are an enormous amount of resources out there and it’s enough to make you want to stop electronic marketing altogether. After taking a few deep breaths, one minute of your time watching this short video from the Government of Canada can give you a simple overview to bring it back to the basics after reviewing all of the literature:

  • Planning for Success: Aboriginal Small Business Success Starts with a Business Plan

    Jun 6, 2014

    June marks a time in Canada to remember the contributions and assets of the Aboriginal community to Canada’s history, economy and enriching culture. As we approach National Aboriginal Day being officially observed Saturday, June 21st, we wanted to offer an overview of a distinct measure of success among our Aboriginal businesses – the business plan.

  • Learning Initiatives for Rural and Northern BC: 2014 - Apply Now!

    Jun 6, 2014

    Learning Initiatives for Rural and Northern BC (LIRN BC) is a collaborative approach to building on the capacities of rural, remote and Northern British Columbian communities. The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre is proud to partner with government and non-government organizations to provide and facilitate workshops to promote community learning and collaboration in rural and northern communities.

  • Concierge Service Guest Blog: a new service provided by the National Research Council of Canada

    Jun 6, 2014

    The Government of Canada offers a rich amount of resources to support the abundant sector of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). It offers so many programs, in fact, that it can become overwhelming and tricky to navigate. Guest blogging for SBA is Erik Kaas, our local British Columbia advisor for the National Research Council Canada to introduce the Concierge Service to our readers.

  • Supercharge Your Startup With These Killer Customer Interview Secrets—Video Content Roundup

    Jun 6, 2014

    You’ve defined the problem. You’ve created some hypotheses. You’ve looked over more industry research and market data than any sane person should ever read in a lifetime. Now that you’ve finished the necessary groundwork, all you need to do at this point is throw your thoughts on paper and you’ll have a viable business plan that will take the world by storm, right? Not quite.

  • Happy BC Craft Beer Week!

    Jun 6, 2014

    We are excited for all craft brewing enthusiasts to come together and celebrate the strides that have been made in the brewing industry around British Columbia! For a list of events that are happening throughout the week, visit this site and enjoy invigorating conversation about your business venture over a delicious beer.

  • 5 Important Factors in Measuring Social Enterprise Value

    May 5, 2014

    Assessment of the social value of your organization can be labor-intensive and costly. Usually the positive effects are felt outside of your organization and in the greater community, making it difficult to measure and outside of the usual assessment domain.

  • Industry Overview: Nonprofits

    May 5, 2014

    The non-profit industry is a diverse industry composed of entities focusing on technology, education, health, the arts and many other areas. There are several terms used to refer to non-profits, such as charities, not-for-profit and social enterprise, making it somewhat confusing to figure out how your non-profit idea should be categorized.

  • Industry Overview: Tourism Business

    May 5, 2014

    British Columbia is world renowned for its countless tourist treasures, and the tourism industry is designed to fulfill the vacationing, traveling, and sight-seeing needs of tourists to our province.

  • Customer Retention: Four Ways to Fight Churn – Video Content Roundup

    May 5, 2014

    When startups invest in marketing, they usually devote most of their energy to finding new customers. This makes sense: after all, fresh sources of revenue allow a business to grow, so why not try to court as many customers as possible? However, true as this may be, it’s important to remember that acquisition is simply one side of the marketing coin—and the other is retention. It’s significantly more expensive to sign a new customer than it is to keep an old one, so it’s crucial to find ways to keep your rate of churn (i.e. the frequency of customers jumping ship) as low as possible.

  • 2014 Funding Roadshow

    May 5, 2014

    The SBA program, together with Fundica, invites you to the 2014 Funding Roadshow, designed to educate and fund entrepreneurs.

  • Industry Overview: Florist Shop Business

    Apr 4, 2014

    A florist shop is a retail establishment that sells cut flowers and ornamental plants. The floral trade involves activities such as flower care, flower arranging, floral design, merchandising, and often flower delivery. Florist shops are an ever popular industry and one of the most searched guides on our website. As such, we want to provide you with a current industry overview, trends and challenges as well as provide some research resources for those interested in the florist shop business.

  • Co-founder Partnerships: Four Tips for Buddying Up – Video Content Roundup

    Mar 3, 2014

    There’s no getting around the fact that entrepreneurship is hard work. The rewards can be tremendous, but the time and effort that goes into building a company from the ground up is more than most people can handle—by themselves, anyway. To ease the burden of managing a startup, many entrepreneurs go into business with a co-founder. Splitting the responsibility takes some of the load off your back while also providing a second set of opinions and strategies that can steer your company in the right direction. However, co-founding a startup is a tricky endeavour in itself.

  • Fundica Roadshow 2014

    Mar 3, 2014

    We are proud to support Fundica’s 2014 Funding Roadshow and think it is a great chance for entrepreneurs working on an innovative product to pitch their business seed/ideas to a panel of angels, VCs, banks, and government organizations. Entrepreneurs will individually pitch in a closed setting to funders in order to: • Receive candid feedback on their pitch and business model • Meet experts who provide one-on-one tips for their business • Follow-up with funders and potentially get funded

  • Industry Overview: Wedding Business

    Feb 2, 2014

    For engaged couples, staging a wedding can be both exciting and stressful. To help manage the process and to ensure a picture-perfect (stress-free) wedding, hiring a wedding planner is a smart idea. Wedding planning is an ever popular industry and one of the most searched guides on our website. As such, we want to provide you with a current industry overview, trends and challenges as well as provide some research resources for those interested in the wedding planning business.

  • Four Tips for Entrepreneurs Seeking Venture Capital -Video Content Roundup

    Feb 2, 2014

    Money is a major source of concern for all entrepreneurs. Developing a startup isn’t cheap, which is why it’s important to secure enough funds to get your business on the road to success. In order to clear this hurdle, many entrepreneurs seek out investments from venture capitalists (VCs), receiving funds in exchange for a share of the company’s equity. Though there are numerous risks associated with attaining money from VCs, the payout can be tremendous. To help you navigate the murky waters of the VC landscape, consider the tips below.

  • Four Ways Successful Startups Tackle Customer Relations - Video Roundup

    Jan 1, 2014

    Customer relations will either make or break your startup. According to Steve Blank, author of The Startup Owner’s Manual, new ventures rarely go belly-up due to a lack of technology. Instead, they fail because they haven’t found enough buyers willing to take the plunge. Customers are more than a source of profit—they also provide firsthand insight into your value proposition, allowing you to continually tweak and change your prototype until it suits your market. These four tips will change the way you think about customer relations and propel your startup toward success.