Vendor Tips for Holiday Markets
Last year, we posted about Ten Holiday Markets in British Columbia. This year, we thought we would cover our top tips for vendors to make your craft fair or holiday market experience a success.
Blog Archive (2017)
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Industry Overview: Nonprofits
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.
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Rural Entrepreneurship and Innovation
In September, the Small Business Accelerator librarian, Adena Brons, attended the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundations's 2017 conference, "Different by Design." She traveled to Nelson B.C. for two days of learning and discussing the themes of workforces of tomorrow, our changing environment, creating connections, and communities of opportunity. Rural entrepreneurship is dynamic and innovative, as rural small businesses and entrepreneurs create their own solutions and new ideas for the challenges of the 21st century.
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Focus on...Small Business Week 2017
As the days get shorter, we celebrate Small Business Week 2017 with our partners at David Lam Library at UBC. Business Librarian Irena Trebic has picked a list of business books that can help guide you, whatever stage your business is in. Business Start-up in the Digital Age by Learn2succeed.com Inc
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Top Growth Industries in BC [Infographic]
Growth is happening in British Columbia, but where? This infographic covers the top 5 growing industries based on the British Columbia Small Business Profile 2016 Click the image below to see a larger version.
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Help UBC Library support your venture!
Call for British Columbia participants in UBC Library entrepreneurship research habits and information needs study!
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The Sharing Economy
Taking an Uber home from a night on the town, booking a cutesy cottage on Airbnb, and even signing up for some freelance tasks on Upwork. What do these three things have in common? These increasingly popular actions are all ways to participate in the growing economic model known as the sharing economy. What is a Sharing Economy? According to Entrepreneur.com, a sharing economy is an economic model that “connects individuals who need a particular product or service with other individuals who have or can render that particular product or service”.
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Industry Overview: Tourism
The tourism industry in Canada is growing, and British Columbia is no exception. 2016 saw an increase of 12.3% in international visitors and tourism is now one of BC’s leading business sectors (DestinationBC, 2017). Local tourist treasures have also been winning accolades including:
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The Best of #SBALibrary 2017
Our #SBAlibrary summer reading challenge was a great opportunity to delve into the world of business reading. With help from community members and organizations, we featured books that help entrepreneurs keep up with trends, build important skills, and be inspired by innovation. As we wrap up #SBAlibrary for the year, we want to take an opportunity to spotlight some of the most outstanding business reads that we featured this summer.
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Industry Overview: Video Production
Lights, camera, action! Video production involves the capture of moving images on various forms of electronic media. The video production industry has made headlines in British Columbia as the province is in the midst of a boom. We decided that now is an ideal time to spotlight the SBA’s resources for video production businesses.
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Becoming a Better Manager
It's no secret that business owners need many different skills to succeed: they're responsible for everything from making strategic decisions to making sure the water bill is paid on time. But amid the daily bustle, one important skill is at risk of being overlooked: management.
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Industry Overview: Graphic Design
Graphic design involves using both graphics and text to convey a concept or idea. The graphic design industry includes many activities, including corporate identity/branding, advertising, print production, and web design. Graphic designers create logos, posters, newsletters, brochures, signs, and other forms of visual communication. The graphic design industry in Canada is slated to grow as high-quality graphic design services will become increasingly integral for companies seeking to develop brand awareness.
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Emotional Labour and Your Business
Have you ever had to show confidence when you felt fear or express enthusiasm when you felt anxious? Maybe you’ve used a smile or a calm tone of voice to put someone else at ease. If so, you have performed emotional labour, and you’re not alone.
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Original innovators: A profile of the First Nations Technology Council
June 21 is National Aboriginal Day, which is an opportunity for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the diverse cultures and outstanding contributions the First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. Here at the SBA, we would like to recognize an important organization that is leading the advancement of digital technologies in First Nations communities throughout British Columbia: the First Nations Technology Council.
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Take the #sbalibrary Summer Reading Challenge
We’ve all heard it before – reading helps entrepreneurs keep up with trends, develop skills, and be inspired by innovation. But how do you decide what book to pick up next, and how do you motivate yourself to keep reading? The SBA has a solution for that!
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Accelerate Your Learning with Video Tutorials
Want to learn how to define your business structure, use social media for your business or sharpen your Excel skills, but don’t have time to take a course? No problem! With the growth of online videos, it seems there are online video tutorials for almost any topic. And that includes business research!
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Support for Social Enterprises
What do British Columbians value? Making positive impacts—and the social ventures sector is certainly thriving in British Columbia. According to the BC Social Venture Sector Labour Market Study, 2015 study published by the Sauder School of Business, it was found that, “the social venture sector in British Columbia has grown by 35% since 2010.”
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Making the Pitch: How Research Can Build Credibility
You’ve got “THE” business idea that you’re convinced will be a success. But how can you convince your audience? With research! Prove You Know the Competition A good starting point is identifying your competition within your industry. Do thorough research to find out what makes you different from the competition, and use that difference to explain why customers will buy from you. For example, if you think locality makes you stand out, why does that matter to your customers? What data suggests that this is an asset in comparison to your competition?
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Industry Overview: Financial Industry
Tax season is upon us! We doubt many of you look forward to this period, except of course the accountants among us. It is a time when we reflect on our finances and whether someone can assist us in meeting our financial targets. This overview is for the financial savvy among us who dream of helping others meet their financial goals and build a safety net.
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Open Education Sources for Small Businesses
We are in the middle of Open Education Week, which lasts from March 27th to 31st this year. The goal of the week is to raise awareness about sources, uses and benefits of open education. We conducted some research to find open resources that will be helpful for a small business owner. Although many websites offer free courses aimed at small business owners, it can be difficult to determine their quality. We decided only to look at recognized high quality platforms that offer free courses.
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Want to Improve your Chances of Business Success? Get a Mentor!
March 8th marks International Women's Day 2017! International Women's Day is a time to celebrate women and #BeBoldForChange as we rise together toward a better working world. Women in British Columbia looking to rise to their own entrepreneurial potential can find support with the Women's Enterprise Centre (WEC). For International Women's Day 2017, we have invited the WEC to share their tips for success:
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Gen X, Y or Z? British Columbia’s Demographic Breakdown
We often come across the terms such as Millennial, Gen X, Baby Boomers, Gen Y and Gen Z in the news, read about future trends or hear business leaders talk about their future customer base. What do these age groups really mean?
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Family Business & Succession Planning
With Family Day just around the corner, it’s time to talk “The Talk” with your kin. That’s right: we’re talking about family succession planning. Business owners want to see their businesses grow and succeed into the future. Yet, according to PwC Canada, only 18% of Canadian family businesses have a comprehensive succession plan.
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Trends for Businesses for 2017
Bank of Canada predicts 2% GDP growth for Canada for 2017. As a new year begins experts often write about popular trends we are likely to see. We read through these predictions to see what might be useful for small businesses in British Columbia. The following is a list of eight different trends that is food for thought for entrepreneurs.
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Industry Overview: Wine
A toast to 2017! As you sip your champagne, make it a new year’s resolution to fill your glass with your own wine by this time next year. With 1.5 million winery visitors each year, British Columbia is rich with opportunity for wine-based businesses and eager viticulture entrepreneurs. In fact, the wine industry involves a variety of different activities from operating a full-fledged winery, growing grapes, running a wine specialty shop/u-bottle facility, or offering wine marketing services.