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As we wind down another year, we'd like to congratulate our clients
and other BC women in business for your successes! We were fortunate
to have met many of you through seven major events that we held
this year: our Celebration of Women Entrepreneurs Conferences in
Victoria, Cranbrook, Prince George, Kelowna, Qualicum Beach and
New Westminster, as well as our You Grow Girl 10th Anniversary Event
held in Vancouver in October.
We're pleased with the
'Growing Your Business Guide' we produced, and the women who
participated in that by sharing insights about when and how to grow
a business. These women provided inspiration through stories about
how they succeeded, in small and large ways, while managing to balance
their personal lives with the busy schedule of running a business.
At this time of year, we are reminded of how important it is to
maintain a healthy balance between our business and family needs.
Read on for some tips to help you do just that.
(From "Starting
Your Business Guide") Deborah Vandenakker insists on balancing
her work and her life. She makes time for her friends and personal
fitness. She recently acquired Stanley, a canine "associate
" who gets her away from the computer for regular afternoon
walks. Work demands are at their peak in her graphic design business,
Fresh Design. Add to that working at home and it 's easy to slip
into long days.
(From "Growing Your Business Guide" ) Ten years ago, Brenda
Palmer was a single mom with three children and a baby, hand-producing
antipasto for friends and family in her kitchen. Now, her 3,000
square-foot facility in Cranbrook produces over 15 varieties of
gourmet food products like roasted garlic and caramelized onion
glaze, apricot ginger BBQ sauce and wild BC huckleberry jam.
By the year 2010, Canada will be home to a MILLION women entrepreneurs.
Current research in a report completed by CIBC indicates the following
trends:
- There are more than 800,000 women entrepreneurs in Canada. This
number has grown at an annual rate of 3.3 per cent since 1989.
- With BC and Alberta showing the highest rates of growth in
the number of self-employed women, Western Canada is the preferred
location for women entrepreneurs.
- In the last 15 years, women-run businesses have risen 60 per
cent faster than those run by men.
- Due to rising education levels and an increase in more profitable
professions, one in two self-employed women are in occupations
with above average wages.
- Women entrepreneurs have exceeded their male counterparts in
growth in both one-person operations and 'seniorpreneurs' .
"The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single
step."
~ Lao Tzu
"The will to persevere in the face of obstacles is often
the difference between success and failure. If at first you DO
succeed, try something harder." ~ Ann Landers
Do you need to improve your marketing skills?
This is the course for you!
Are you doing too much marketing for the return? Do you feel tired
and frustrated at the amount of money and effort this marketing
requires? What if you could find a way to reduce the scatter, efficiently
manage your time and get better results? That is what focused marketing
means: concentrating on your best potential customers and delivering
a clear, consistent and appealing message that improves your "batting
average". With this guide, you'll develop a better understanding
of your customers and how to effectively reach them.
Women's Enterprise Centre invests in enterprising women in BC with
loans of all sizes, large and small, up to $100,000, repayable over
a few months to a maximum of five years.
What makes our lending program so unique? You get:
- Detailed feedback on your business plan to help you determine
the
steps necessary to get customers, bring in revenue and grow.
- Ongoing, complimentary coaching from a qualified Business Advisor,
when you need it, to overcome challenges as you build your business.
- Access to practical business training courses at a subsidized
rate
to close gaps in your education or experience.
To learn more about how to qualify and apply for our empowerment
lending program, click the 'Read More' button!
Have a great business plan? Enter by December 15 and win
cash prizes!
The contest is FREE and open to ALL new and existing BC - based
businesses.
The deadline for all business plans to be received is no later than
12:00 noon December 15, 2005. The top FIVE business plans will each
receive a prize package of cash and media exposure. Contest winners
will be announced January 16, 2006.
Integrating e-Business into your small business
With the number of your customers online and searching for information
about products and services increasing, knowing how to integrate
e-business into your business is very important. Consumers expect
to be able to communicate with your company through your website
and e-mail.
Answers to Canadian exporter's most frequently asked questions
While the Internet is a huge and often intimidating place to research
international trade, a few select websites can help answer most
of the commonly asked export questions. Here is a list, compiled
by Western Economic Diversification Canada, of questions commonly
asked and sites that could provide answers.
Regulations for starting a small business in BC
This website offers an excellent starting point about regulations
common for most small business start-ups. It includes links to relevant
government regulations from a variety of sources governing small
business startup and operation.
How to choose your company website colors
Ever come across a website that uses a funky combination of print
and background colours? Colour is often overlooked in website design
as a valid marketing tool. Website sales can be greatly affected
by simply changing colours.
Women's Enterprise Centre
Business Loans Info Session: Learn About Your Financing
Options
January 5 and 26, 2006, anywhere in BC. Toll Free phone-in click
here
Women's Enterprise Centre Focused Marketing Prince George
Mondays, Jan 16, 30, Feb. 13, 27, Mar 13, 27. To Register click
here
Women's Enterprise Centre Peer Mentoring Group Prince George
Mondays, Jan 16, 30, Feb. 13, 17, Mar 13, 27. To Register click
here
Courses from Women's Enterprise Centre are available on demand throughout the province. For more information email info@womensenterprise.ca
Small Business BC and eBC
Small Business BC Seminars
All Year. Waterfront Station 601 W. Cordova, Vancouver click
here
eBusiness BC Lunchbox Seminars
All Year Tuesdays. Waterfront Station 601 W. Cordova, Vancouver
click
here
Around the Province
Business Planning Workshop
December 5, 12, 20 and 22, Community Futures Strathcona click
here
Two-Day Entrepreneurial Assessment Workshop, Community Futures
December 19 and 20, Kelowna. To register, call (250) 868-2132
eWomenNetwork "Strategic Business Introduction"
Session
January 11/25, 2006, Moxie's Grill, 808 Bute Street, Vancouver click
here
First Steps: Finance for Business Start Up Seminar
Wed., January 18, 2006, 601 W. Cordova, Vancouver click
here
First Steps: Market Research for Your Business Plan
Wed., January 18, 2006, 601 Cordova, Vancouver click
here
HR Basics: Hiring, Screening, Discipline, Terminations, Community
Futures
Wed. Jan. 18, 2006, Okanagan Similkameen. Register toll-free (877)
493-5566
Low Cost - No Cost Marketing Magic
Wed. January 25, 2006, 601 Cordova, Vancouver click
here
Business In Vancouver: Influential Women In Business Awards
2006
Thursday, March 1, 2006. For more information click
here
North Shore Vancouver Business-to-Business Trade Show
Friday March 17, Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre
click here
3rd Annual Business Career Expo 2006
Friday March 17, 2006, Vancouver Convention & Exhibition
Centre click
here
3rd Annual Silicon Vineyard Innovation Awards
Thursday, March 30, 2006, Coast Capri Hotel, Kelowna click
here
More Events Online
Small Business BC Expo Raffle Winner
Congratulations to Star Cardinal, winner at the Small Business
BC Expo!
On October 19, Star Cardinal was the winner of a Focused Marketing:
Targeted Efforts, Tangible Results Study Guide and a Business Counselling
Session with a Women's Enterprise Centre Business Advisor.
Nanaimo News Bulletin. Nanaimo, B.C. Nov 1, 2005
For over 10 years the Women's Enterprise Centre has helped thousands
of women in B.C. realize their entrepreneurial potential. On Oct.
22 more than 300 business women gathered at the Qualicum Civic Centre
to glean information on starting and expanding their business and
learning about 2010 opportunities. The event, entitled 'Yes You
Can,' provided networking, workshops and inspirational keynote speakers
such as Barbara Stegemann, Deborah Hope and The Honourable Colin
Hansen.
Self employed individuals - when to file your year-end
tax return
You can choose a year-end after December 31, so you can defer tax
on your first fiscal year until the calendar year in which the first
year-end occurs. However, you will still have to pay tax based on
a December 31 year-end once your first fiscal year is completed.
Thus, you would be paying tax on more than 12 months of income when
you first pay tax on your self-employment income.
Monthly eNewsletter delivers business tips and resources
The Women's Enterprise Centre eNewsletter is a business and information
newsletter that goes out to over 7,000 subscribers BC-wide. It provides
the latest in business articles, events and business lending opportunities.
Our subscriber list is continually growing and branching out to
all cities BC-wide. Whether you are an entrepreneur, business professional
or business executive, this newsletter is for you! If you are receiving
this newsletter as a forwarded email, don't miss out, subscribe
today by clicking the "Read More" button below!
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