Off the Ground Blog
Key Resources Highlight (Part 3 of 5): Management and Human Resources
A successful business is all about proper management! On our Key Resources: Management and Human Resources page you'll find resources on the management of people and human resources, including how to assess yourself and discover what areas you excel in and where you might need a little help.
Key Resources Highlight (Part 2 of 5): Funding and Financing
You already have a great idea and all you need now is the financial resources to develop it, right? Figuring out how to get funding and financing for your business can seem incredibly daunting. However, there are numerous grants, funding and financing opportunities available in BC and Canada that are designed to help overcome the financial challenges of starting a new business.
Key Resources Highlight (Part 1 of 5): Business Plans
Sometimes, in business and in life, we get distracted from the big picture and focus too much on the details. This can be a challenge whether you are beginning or currently have a small business. With that in mind we decided to do a five part series highlighting some of the tools and resources found in our Key Resources section of the website. Each week will cover a new aspect of starting and running a business including business plans, marketing and legal assistance.
Resource Highlight: MOOCs for Entrepreneurs
Many people would like to go back to school, but for a variety of reasons (time, money, etc…) they are unable to. This is the same for small business owners or entrepreneurs who may wish to brush up on some aspect of starting or running their business or who have never had an opportunity to take classes on business. That’s where a relatively recent phenomenon, the MOOC, comes in.
Resource Highlight: Finding Free Images Online
There seems to be a growing emphasis on the importance of including visuals with your online content. These visuals can take the form of infographics, videos or photographs and are often used to add context or additional information to the accompanying text. Infographics and videos often require significant amounts of behind the scenes work and are most effective when they have been created for a specific purpose or organization. Photographs are a little different in that they generally serve to enhance the content message and are easier to generate than a video or infographic.
Check out the SBA “Tools for Doing Business” Page
Looking for ways to expand the online presence of your business? Here at the SBA we are constantly on the lookout for free or low cost web tools that might be useful to your business. To date, we have compiled a list of over 75 mainly free tools that are usually simple to learn, easy to use and have the potential to significantly enhance the way you do business.
Managing Your Email Effectively (Part 2 of 2)
Last week in the first of our two part series “Managing your Email Effectively” we offered a list of simple tips and tricks designed to help manage and perhaps the number of emails you receive any day. However, we are well aware that even by following all of the suggestions we gave that the emails in your inbox will not magically disappear. This second section is focused on tools and apps that can help manage and organize your inbox, hopefully saving you time and reducing stress.
Managing Your Email Effectively (Part 1 of 2)
Email has become an integral part of our day to day lives, both personally and in business. However, most of us are now inundated by the non-stop emails that fill our inboxes.
Small Business Access to Financing Report Summary
The Small Business Access to Financing: Request and Approval Rates, Interest Rates and Collateral Requirements (2000-10) report by Daniel Seens was just released by Industry Canada. This report brought together and analyzed the results of two surveys: the Survey on Financing of Small and Medium Enterprises and the Credit Conditions Survey.
Industry Overview: Craft Breweries & Microbreweries
Craft breweries and microbreweries produce beer in limited quantities when compared to large breweries (generally under 10,000 barrels per year) and usually distribute their beer within a limited geographic region. Craft breweries often specialize in specific styles of beer, and focus on providing customers a superior product, using traditional brewing techniques. Certain craft breweries sell beer directly on their premises, and are called brewpubs. Craft breweries are known to develop clever marketing strategies with limited budgets in order to connect with their target markets.