Welcome to our quarterly Futurescape newsletter! We hope you enjoy our content this quarter
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After sampling around 120+ jobs and creating 18 businesses on his own, self-admitted
‘serial entrepreneur’
Darren Sweet has found the perfect fit with Ogopogo Tours
.
Known for their sustainable model, the tour company was first born from Darren’s desire to reduce emissions when idling a traditional diesel tour bus.
Having experience from driving for another wine tour company, Darren, with the help of his partner Adonica, started the business as a
‘man with a van’
in July of 2015. Nowadays, Ogopogo Tours operates six vehicles, including a wheelchair friendly transportation option and offers 40 different products from multi-day wine tours out of Vancouver to a motorcycle tour in their two-person sidecar (their most popular private tour).
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A quarterly snapshot of Community Futures activities
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Building Communities Luncheon
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On November 20th, CFBC hosted its 2nd Annual Building Communities Luncheon in Victoria. There were over 40 MLA's, including Ministers in attendance from across all parties in BC and seated among them were CF Staff and Board Members from a number of offices. The Hon. Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development opened the luncheon.
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CFBC presented on the BC Wildfire Business Transition Project (BCWBTP) and the Rural Economic Resilience and Opportunity Project (REROP). The luncheon provided a great opportunity for strategic conversations with key Provincial government officials.
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While in Victoria, CFBC Board of Directors and key staff had a number of meetings with Ministers, MLA’s and senior provincial staff to discuss the critical need for important supports for communities and small businesses impacted by mill closures and natural disasters.
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Cannabis Business Transition Initiative
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CF Central Kootenay announced its Cannabis Business Transition Initiative on Thursday, November 14th. The program, which is being funded $675,000 over two years by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, will assist new and existing cannabis businesses transition to the legal economy.
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Business Transition Forum
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On
November 6th, CFBC attended the Business Transitions Forum in Vancouver.
The Forum provided attendees
with tactical takeaways in order to help them make smarter decisions in the short term while setting them up for a successful transition in the future. They walked away with practical insights from entrepreneurs and business experts that have travelled down the transition path before them.
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On November 3rd, CFBC attended the BCEDA Minister’s Dinner in Richmond. The event gave those involved in economic development an opportunity to speak to Hon. Bruce Ralston, Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology and key staff from various provincial government ministries about the issues that are impacting their communities. The interactive format at this dinner gave Minister Bruce Ralston, Selena Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs & Housing plus other Ministers and key staff take turns at each table as each course of the meal arrived allowing for extensive dialogue on opportunities throughout BC and in the identification of partnerships.
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Vancouver Island Economic Summit (VIEA)
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CF Island Coastal and CFBC attended the Vancouver Island Economic Summit in Nanaimo from October 22nd to 24th. This is an annual gathering of businesses, communities and government leaders sharing ideas, asking questions, networking, learning about new initiatives, and exploring opportunities which will position Vancouver Island in the Global Marketplace. CF Island Coastal was also a sponsor of the "Island Good is Great" session. Our draw prize filled with Island Good products from CF clients was won by Gloria Hatfield of Page's Resort.
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Entrepreneur and Small Business Fair
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On October 23rd, Diversecity Community Resource Society hosted their 4th Annual Entrepreneur & Small Business Fair and Vanessa Tveitane joined by Cheryl Johnson were there to spread the word about resources available through CF and EDP. As a member of the selection committee, Vanessa was part of the team that reviewed the business plans of the 18 grant applicants. Three $1,000 Immigrant Entrepreneur Grants were awarded.
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Merritt Youth Entrepreneur Program
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CF Nicola Valley in partnership with the City of Merritt - Municipal Government and the School District No. 58 kicked off the second annual Merritt Youth Entrepreneur Program to grade 10 students. The program offers start-up seed funding and resources for Merritt students l
ooking to start a business or make products to sell.
The delivery of this program was assisted by the Junior Achievement, RBC, and CIBC.
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On October 22nd and 23rd, CF Stuart Nechako and Nadina were sponsors of the 2019 Regional Business Forum - Creating a Culture of Innovation in Vanderhoof. It was two fast-paced days of keynote presentations on major projects taking place in the RDBN, panels, breakout sessions, contests, food and fun.
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Export Navigator Announcement
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On October 16th, the Hon. Bruce Ralston, Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology was in Kamloops to introduce Daphane Nelson as the new Indigenous Advisor in the Export Navigator program. Daphane will be based out of the Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Interior First Nations in Kamloops. She joins a team of nine advisors around the province who provide personalized approaches to help businesses become export ready.
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Union of BC Municipalities
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CFBC attended the UBCM Convention from September 24th to 26th, at the Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre. This is a gathering of hundreds of local governments of all sizes from all areas of the province to come together for policy making and to send key messages to the provincial government. At the forefront was the Rural Dividend Fund’s reallocation by the provincial government to use the Rural Dividend program funds to prop up support for workers displaced in the forestry downturn. The UBCM passed a resolution presented by the Regional District of Kootenay (RDKB) Boundary calling on the government to reconsider the re-allocation of money away from the dividend program “while identifying alternative funds to simultaneously deliver supports for communities impacted by mill closures and curtailments.”
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2019 Provincial Conference & AGM
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On October 1-3, 2019, community and business leaders from across British Columbia met in Kelowna for the annual Community Futures Provincial Conference and AGM. The conference recognized the partnerships that have been key to Community Futures and play a vital role in assisting businesses across BC. CF staff, volunteers and partner organizations also brainstormed relevant ideas focused on how business support organizations can work collaboratively to support future needs of entrepreneurs.
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THANK YOU
to our
Sponsors
!
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CFBC Board of Directors 2019-20
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The Community Futures AGM was held on Thursday, October 2nd and an election was held for a General Manager's Representative to serve for two years, Rob Marshall from CF Shuswap. A huge thank you to Kevin Dorrius from CF Revelstoke for completing two, two-year terms on the Board of Directors.
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Meet the CFBC Board of Directors
From L to R: Tom Hoffman, Director; Robert Annis, Past Chair; Cheryl Johnson, Executive Director; Troy Dungate, Vice Chair; Charlotte Ferreux, Director; John Farrell, General Manager's Representative; Brenda Gould, Director; Russ Beerling, Director; Cathy Robertson, General Manager's Representative; Mike Guarnery, Chair; Rob Marshall, General Manager's Representative.
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*Missing* Larry Casper, Indigenous Advisor
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Each Year Community Futures British Columbia recognizes the outstanding achievements of its volunteers, staff and partners with a number of awards:
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Al McCracken Memorial Award
Wendy Prystay
CF Pacific Northwest
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Don McMillan Memorial Award
Debra Arnott
CF Sun Country
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Award for Excellence & Innovation
CF Boundary:
Flood Recovery
CFs Cariboo Chilcotin, North Cariboo and Sun Country:
Wildfire Business Transition Training/Coaching Program
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Feature Loan Award
CF Central Kootenay:
Kootenay Carshare Cooperative
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Community or Regional Partnership Award
CF Central Kootenay:
Imagine Kootenay
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Provincial Partnership Award
Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology:
Export Navigator Program
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Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program
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The Community Futures Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP) provides assistance to entrepreneurs with disabilities or ongoing health conditions to start or grow their businesses.
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Welcome Dugan Selkirk!
Dugan is the new EDP Business Advisor for Community Futures BC. He brings 20 years of experience of launching and running start ups and consulting to those doing the same. He is passionate about helping start up founders access capital to help their businesses grow and specifically help those entrepreneurs with additional challenges to level the playing field and have equal access to opportunities.
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EDP was a proud sponsor of the #VanStartupStories for 2019:
"Showcasing Entrepreneurs with Physical and Intellectual Challenges"
on November 21st in Vancouver. Four dynamic speakers shared their compelling stories on their personal journeys.
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EDP exhibited at Small Business Information Expo (SBIE) on November 21st in Surrey and the C
anadian Immigrant Fair - Careers, Education Settlement in Vancouver on November 8th to promote Community Futures and the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program.
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EDP attended the ASPECT Conference 19 on November 4-5, 2019 in Richmond to promote the EDP Program. The Hon. Shane Simpson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction opened the conference. ASPECT provides leadership, professional development, advocacy and representation support of community-based workforce development service providers.
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November 1st, 2019 marked the start date for the partnership between Rise and Community Futures BC which provides access to capital for entrepreneurs in Vancouver who have a history of mental health or addictions. Vanessa Tveitane was invited to attend the Business Advisor Retreat, which was a valuable session involving Rise staff and Rise Business Advisors from across Canada.
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CF Boundary and the Boundary Country Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted the 1
st
Annual Biz Connect in Grand Forks on October 17
th
. Biz Connect provided an opportunity for entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses and for service providers to connect with the community, raising awareness of what is available for support. EDP's Vanessa Tveitane was able to promote the resources for entrepreneurs with disabilities or ongoing health conditions. An Outstanding Community Service award was presented to Patty Idler in recognition of her outstanding work as a volunteer.
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CF Wildfire Business Transition News
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The Wildfire Business Transition Project is a regional initiative between five Community Futures organizations working together with Community Futures British Columbia to help small and medium-sized businesses, Indigenous communities and not-for-profit organizations that were impacted by the 2017 wildfires, the worst in B.C.’s history.
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CF had an opportunity to share the results of its Wildfire Business Transition Project with government officials and emergency management practitioners at an industry-wide conference at the Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity (EPBC) Conference on October 29th. Karen Eden, General Manager of CF Cariboo Chilcotin, and Deb Arnott, General Manager of CF Sun Country, made the presentation on behalf of the Wildfire Business Transition Project.
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CFBC released a series of videos documenting the support and assistance that was provided for rural small businesses, Indigenous communities and not for profit organizations that were impacted by the 2017 and 2018 wildfires in British Columbia, the worst in the province’s history.
- PART 1 provides an overview of how the project came together
- PART 2 focuses on the work of the Business Ambassadors and Outreach Workers
- PART 3 looks at some of the businesses that were assisted by the Community Futures organizations in their region
- PART 4 focuses on the work accomplished by the Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Interior First Nations (CIFN) to assist Indigenous communities that were impacted by the 2017 wildfires
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Small Business Tips for Success
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Reputation Management: How to Protect Your Brand Online in 2019
Explore reputation management software you can use to monitor your brand's reputation online, as well as strategies you can implement to manage your corporate reputation.
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The Beginner’s Guide to Facebook Messenger Ads
Check out our rundown of what Facebook Messenger ads are, the different types of Facebook Messenger ads you can leverage, and some of the best Facebook Messenger ads that can inspire your
own
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What Is Digital Marketing?
Find out what digital marketing is today, the tactics involved, the types of content you can create, and the purpose digital marketing serves to your overall marketing strategy.
Marketing has always been about connecting with your audience in the right place and at the right time. Today, that means you need to meet them where they are already spending time: on the internet.
Enter digital marketing -- in other words, any form of marketing that exists online.
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The 10 Step Guide to Starting a Business
British Columbia is home to over 500,000 small business. In fact, a remarkable 98 per cent of all businesses in our province are small businesses. They employ over one million people, accounting for 54 per cent of private sector employment within the province. If you’re considering starting your own business, there are a robust and easily accessible slate of resources and support for you to call upon. In this 10 step guide to starting a business, we’re going to consider each area of the start-up experience, highlighting the services and help you can lean on to achieve your goals
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How to Write the "About" Page of a Website
For some people, writing can be a painful process. Are you writing about yourself? Even worse. However, some level of relief is that the “About” page of a website isn’t about you; it’s about how you’re going to make your prospective customer’s life easier. It’s about them. At first, this may seem a bit counter-intuitive
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Why
is Strategic Planning Important?
Strategic planning clarifies your long-term goals and the steps necessary to achieve them. Based on your business plan, a clear business strategy lets you envision where your company will be in the future and provides you with a map for getting there.
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Join us for
Accessibility Month in January 2020
featuring over 20 seminars and webinars, all with in-person ASL interpretation. A variety of topics will be covered, from business planning to financial management to market research.
For more information, click
Here
.
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Tax Help for Small Businesses
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CF North Fraser
i
s hosting this FREE event on
Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) offers a free Liaison Officer service to owners of small businesses and self-employed individuals to help them understand their tax obligations.
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This is for Sole-Proprietor or Partnership only, NOT Limited companies.
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Business Continuity Planning Workshop
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CF Okanagan Similkameen
is offering a two-day workshop on
January 16, 2020 at 9 AM and January 17, 2020 at 3 PM
. The workshop comes complete with a Business Continuity Plan Template to allow your business to
weather an unexpected disaster.
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BC Natural Resources Forum
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Attend the 17th Annual BC Natural Resources Forum on
January 28-30, 2019
for insights from Indigenous, Government and resource leaders on how British Columbia can improve its competitive advantage in sustainable resource development.
For more information and to Register, click
Here.
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Agriculture Succession Planning Workshop
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Planning the transfer of your farm, whether to a family member or outside buyer, can seem like an overwhelming task. Now might be the time to get serious about creating a succession plan that works for you! The Basin Business Advisor Program can help you get started on the right foot. This workshop is designed to help you explore options and to answer some of your questions.
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CF East Kootenay with Basin Business Advisors Program
is hosting this FREE event on
Wednesday, January 29, 2020 at 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
.
CF Central Kootenay with Basin Business Advisors Program
is hosting this FREE event on
Thursday, February 20, 2020 at 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
.
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The Small Business BC Awards recognize the outstanding achievements of BC's entrepreneurs. These awards are a celebration of the contributions small business owners make to their local communities and to the global economy. It's free to enter and open to all new and existing small businesses in BC. The awards ceremony will be held on
February 21, 2020.
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The Great BC Business Sale (GBCBS)
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The GBCBS is a collaboration of government and non-government partners working together to promote and support entrepreneurship in rural and non-metropolitan regions of British Columbia where unique lifestyle, relative affordability and career opportunities abound.
For more information, click
Here.
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Do you have News, Success Stories, or upcoming events that you would like to share in our next newsletter? Please send them to
mgalang@communityfutures.ca
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