Off the Ground Blog

Accelerate Your Learning with Video Tutorials

May 5, 2017

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!

Support for Social Enterprises

May 5, 2017

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.”

Making the Pitch: How Research Can Build Credibility

Apr 4, 2017

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?

Industry Overview: Financial Industry

Apr 4, 2017

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.

Open Education Sources for Small Businesses

Mar 3, 2017

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.

Want to Improve your Chances of Business Success? Get a Mentor!

Mar 3, 2017

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: 

Gen X, Y or Z? British Columbia’s Demographic Breakdown

Feb 2, 2017

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?

Family Business & Succession Planning

Feb 2, 2017

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.

Trends for Businesses for 2017

Jan 1, 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.

Industry Overview: Wine

Jan 1, 2017

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.