Data can be hard to manipulate and translate into a user-friendly graphical format. In this blog post series we will review different data visualization tools that will help you unlock the insights hidden in raw data. More importantly, these tools will allow you to answer many business and market questions and tell a compelling story to partners, employees, customers, and investors. Tableau Public
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A co-work office is a space used by multiple contractors, companies or both. The growth in contractors and entrepreneurs has led to an explosion in co-working office space to support them. These spaces have a number of organization styles to support a wide range of businesses.
Teja Edara, entrepreneur and UBC MBA student, sits down to talk with us about the foundation of Just Greet in Vancouver, BC.
Teja Edara, entrepreneur and UBC MBA student, sits down to talk with us about the foundation of Just Greet in Vancouver, BC. We follow his journey from concept to creation and explore challenges and lessons along the way.[[{"fid":"2701","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":4855,"width":5000,"style":"width: 150px; height: 140px; float: right;","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]
Common online knowledge says that blog and social media posts should have an image with them. Unless you are a professional photographer, you probably do not have a lot of high quality images just sitting on your computer. It is tempting to just grab photos from Google Images but this presents a number of copyright issues. Fortunately, there is a growing body of free images online that businesses can use to promote themselves with a few requirements.
Small Business week is well underway. We have launched our Celebrating You campaign to honour the many achievements of the BC Small Business community in the last year.
October is here and marks the beginning of Small Business Month, when we celebrate the vitality that small businesses bring to the culture and economy of Canada.
With unprecedented numbers of proposed major projects in northern British Columbia, the opportunities for business are enormous.The provincial government’s March 2015 Major Projects Inventory outlines billions of dollars of potential investment in the region. These activities will generate a multitude of contracts for companies, large and small.
Unless you’ve been living in a bomb shelter, you would’ve seen the explosive growth of infographics over the last few years on the internet. Infographics are popular because they summarize complex information into simple to understand visualizations.
The Apple Watch and Google Glass are making headlines and wearable technology sales are just skyrocketing.
Work smarter, not harder! You already know that entrepreneurs are go-getters; on any given day these Jack-of-All-Trades’ job titles could be accountant, customer service rep, therapist, motivational speaker or IT specialist.
Long gone are the days when libraries were physical spaces to house tangible books, a place where noise is considered a taboo because libraries are a serious place for serious people – not for “hanging out."
A “pop-up” is a business that is renting a vacant space, part of a larger store, or is quickly assembled in a public area to sell specialty or novelty items
Yoga has been practiced for over 5,000 years. There are many variations of yoga, all combining a variety of physical, spiritual, and mental disciplines. Over the last few decades, yoga has become very popular in Western culture, with new studios opening up in all major urban centers. The Yoga Studio Business Accelerator Guide will introduce you to online and library resources and research tools that focus on the yoga industry.
Keeping track of your financials can seem daunting when you are starting or growing your small business. Accountants and bookkeepers can be expensive, so for entrepreneurs looking to tackle the job themselves, these online tools can help you get expenses under control.
Thinking of staying indoors and escaping the sizzling summer heat? We’ve got the perfect way for you to maximize your time — a collection of four uplifting movies that will teach you valuable life lessons and help you to become a better entrepreneur. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the shows — the inspiration you’ll get from these masterpieces could lead you to your next big business breakout! Jerry McGuire (1996)
Everyone can remember a time when they had a wonderful customer service experience.
For businesses, it is important to know your target audience to understand their behavior and, to some extent, how they think. SBA has a Customer Analysis: Step-by-Step guide that you can use as your template. For this post we will feature
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.
Cosmetic and personal care products are items that are used to maintain or increase one’s physical appearance and personal hygiene. These products can include soaps, shampoos, deodorants, bath products, lotions and make-up. Soap and personal care businesses typically manufacture a line of cosmetic products and sell these products through distribution to retail outlets or directly to consumers. This industry overview will walk you through the current outlook of soap and personal care manufacturing with relevant statistics and available resources.
Ever wondered about testing your business idea at a summer night market?
TEDxVancouver is an independently produced local event held since 2009 designed to showcase stories from people of every walk of life in British Columbia. For this week’s video round-up, we are sharing the stories of three local influencers (and one visitor), who followed their own path, and tell how they focused their entrepreneurial point of view to make great things happen. Watch out! After watching these videos, you might just be inspired.
Specialty foods refer to items that cater to a specific audience such as organic, gluten-free, halal or artisanal food products. However, this overview will concentrate on the organic food market, as it is one of the most rapid growing industry sectors in Canada.
The fifth annual Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise takes place this week in London, Ontario. In honor of CCSE, we are highlighting some great resources for Canadian social enterprise and non-profits.
As alumni, UBC graduates have access to a rich source of business information by getting and registering their UBC Alumni A-card, which grants them access to Business Source Alumni Edition. If you are thinking of starting your own business and have obtained a degree from a UBC campus, consider the following to help you with your business research. Below we have highlighted some of the best ways to use the A-Card to access business research for recent (and not-so-recent) UBC graduates.
The Canadian confectionery industry includes establishments engaged in the manufacture of chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery. Chocolates and chocolate confectionery, including chocolate covered candy and nuts, may be made from cacao beans or purchased chocolate. Non-chocolate confectionery includes candy, candied fruit, chewing gum, cough drops and lozenges, marshmallows, granola bars, and nuts.
A big part of moving your business forward is knowledge of emerging trends and an ability to continually learn new skills as the trends evolve. This week, we’ve highlighted a few trends that are pertinent to various aspects of starting and growing your business, and have complimented them with some open educational resources (OER) to deepen your understanding of these fields of business.
Filing taxes can be a stressful task. Do you know which forms you need? How to calculate your annual allowance? Or the deadline for filing? Here are some helpful links to get you through tax season.
As business trends and knowledge change at a fast rate in our society, the demand for lifelong learning increases. This week, we look at the growing number of online resources that can contribute to lifelong learning to help your business succeed.
Did you know that some of the top-rated business schools in North America produce podcasts? The great thing about podcasts is that you can listen to them anywhere and whenever you have a spare moment- during your commute, or while exercising or running errands. The following podcasts feature a wide range of content, including interviews and lectures from successful entrepreneurs, business experts, CEOs, business school professors, and authors discussing entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, and business trends.
The construction industry is large and varied – wherever there is industry growth, there is sure to be construction to follow. It includes the builders of many different types of buildings as well as general contractors that are relied upon to complete specialised tasks, including electrical work, plumbing, heating, and roofing.
Your business is a long-term commitment, with frequent surprises and questions along the way. Whether you're just starting out, in the early years of your business, or facing a major change, you'll need the support and guidance of someone who's been there. Use the resources here to find the right mentor for you. Featured mentorship programs: »Aboriginal Business Mentorship Program (Canada)
As Canada ages, the sphere of entrepreneurship is bound to become older and wiser as we approach the age of the senior entrepreneur. This week we showcase the "seniorpreneur," who has unique desires, skills and needs that set them apart from their younger counterparts.
So many books, so little time! If you're wondering where to start, try this list of some of the most popular business books of 2014. 1. Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger What makes things popular? Why do people talk about certain products and ideas more than others? And what makes online content go viral?
Hiring a market research firm to access deep insight into markets is valuable but many times highly costly for young start-ups or small businesses. However, if you know where to look, you can gain access to quality knowledge that top market research companies freely distribute online. The information on these websites is published in a variety of forms, and usually spans the gamut of all things market research.
There are a lot of image creation and editing tools available online, many that offer free accounts as well as premium versions. Don’t worry if you’re not a graphic designer—whether you want to make an infographic, edit a photograph, or create visual content for social media, there are tools that can help you do it. Here are just a few, but there are plenty more out there!
January not only marks the start of a new year in 2015, but also is the time of year that surrounds us with great new films.