Off the Ground Blog

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Small Business Month: Centering Diverse Perspectives

Oct 10, 2021

How do you add more seats around the table? And what magic happens when you do? The resources below originating from a plurality of creators shed light on both the challenges for varied voices in small business and entrepreneurship to be heard as well as what successes can be realized when diverse perspectives are included. 

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Small Business Month: Overcoming the Pandemic's Impact with Resiliency, Innovation, and Care

Oct 10, 2021

Small businesses have faced challenges like never before during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the shuttering of restaurants to the supply-chain slowdowns in e-commerce. But they’ve also seen or created opportunities for themselves in its midst. From banding together with other small businesses to reconsidering the nature of their workplaces, the creators and entrepreneurs featured in the works below have displayed innovation, resiliency, and an ethos of care in their work. We hope their advice inspires and strengthens.

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Strategies to Support your Mental Health as a Small Business Owner: Part 2

Apr 4, 2021

Welcome to part two of our mental health blog post series. In part one, we shared information on beating burnout from entrepreneurs, business owners, journalists, and writers. In this article, you will find health sources that describe the science behind job burnout and testimonials from entrepreneurs who have learned first-hand the importance of balancing workplace productivity with personal wellness.

frustrated worker

Strategies to Support your Mental Health as a Small Business Owner: Part 1

Mar 3, 2021

This two-part mental health blog post series outlines strategies for beating burnout and investing in well-being at work. In this article, we share opinion pieces that address the psychological price of entrepreneurship and books that highlight the importance of accessing support early. In part two, you will find health sources and testimonials that will further explore this topic.

Guest Post: Pivoting During the Pandemic

Dec 12, 2020

Meakin Pivoting During the Pandemic Connor Meakin is a UBC Alumnus and the owner of a small business in Vancouver. We are excited to feature Connor as our latest guest blog writer. Guest Post: Pivoting During the Pandemic  

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Business Events BC - November & December 2020

Nov 11, 2020

Change. Extreme. Fortitude. Transformation. Unpredictable. These are some of the words predicted by the creatives at Thoughtmatter to describe 2020 – back in December 2019! 

How To Use Content Marketing To Grow Your Construction Business

Nov 11, 2020

Content marketing is using information for marketing purposes. The information can be in any medium, including writing, videos, infographics, photos, slide presentations, podcasts, and many more. It contrasts with explicitly promotional marketing material. Nobody watches a car ad to gain information about road safety, for example. An ad for a car is explicitly promotional and so it’s not content marketing. But a car manufacturer’s blog post that talks about how to drive safely in icy conditions is an example of content marketing.

COVID-19 & Business Research for British Columbia's Small Businesses

May 5, 2020

With the help of local BC business librarians, we have created a new page in our Business Basics section titled COVID-19 & Business Research to help you find credible business information during these uncertain and rapidly changing times. We have listed freely available public resources, as well as databases that may be licensed through local libraries, including here at UBC Library. You will find curated content on the following categories:

Supporting Small Businesses in the Time of COVID-19

Apr 4, 2020

Tory Braun from Okanagan Young Professionals Collective Discusses #LocalLoveBingo We are living in unprecedented times. As we all do our best to plank the curve, small businesses are forced to adapt to the new normal of physical distancing. Restaurants can no longer serve in their establishments, local bookstores are doing curb-side pickup, and small fashion retailers are quickly shifting to online-only. 

March 2020 Feedback Survey Launches

Mar 3, 2020

The SBA is making some changes in 2020! In our effort to continually improve our program we are looking for individuals currently in Canada to provide feedback in an online survey. Your time and opinions are invaluable to us, so here’s your chance to help us to push our program in the right direction!  What will I be asked to do? You will be asked to complete a survey so we can learn more about your business information needs and overall satisfaction with our services. How long is the survey?