News from Alberta Women Entrepreneurs

October 2010

CEO's Message
Women as Entrepreneurs: the New Face of Feminism

Have you ever stopped to think of the impact of rights we take for granted as women in Canada: The right to vote; The right to ownership of property; The recognition of women as persons?

I recently had the opportunity to speak for the Famous Five Foundation and the title of my presentation was Women as Entrepreneurs: the New Face of Feminism. I posed a question: Would you be able to proudly state that you are a feminist? Very few hands went up. And I understand why - I have also been uncomfortable describing myself with this label because my understanding was that it implied that I was a man-hating, bra-burning extremist looking to ensure the superiority of women was recognized. Yet, I believe that women and girls should have rights and equal opportunity for participation in political, cultural and economic activities in our society. Read More...

15th Anniversary Celebration

Thank you to all who attended our 15^th Anniversary September 23, 2010 in Calgary making it a huge success! Guest speaker Patricia Lovett-Reid, Senior Vice President with TD Waterhouse and host of BNN's MoneyTalkinspired attendees by sharing real life stories of Canadian female role models and entrepreneurs. Sharing the stories of successful women entrepreneurs who had found their way to authentic success along with her own personal challenges, Patricia reminded us all that we define our own success.

Special thanks to Stephanie Leblond Photography, an AWE client, for her in-kind photography of this special event.

Upcoming Events

Small Business Week 2010

October 18 - 22
Power Up Your Business. Invest. Innovate. Grow.

Our economy is driven by small and medium-sized businesses which total 97.5% of all Canadian companies and employ the majority of workers across the country. In recognition of the contributions and achievements of Canada's entrepreneurs, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has been organizing Small Business Week® in the third week of October for over 30 years. Events held during the week bring entrepreneurs together at conferences, luncheons and trade fairs where they have the opportunity to learn, network and exchange information and ideas with their peers. To find out more visit the BDC Small Business Week website.

AWE invites you to come out and visit us at the following small business week events:

October 19: Edmonton Chamber of Commerce Small Business Week Kick-off After Business Mixer and Trade Show
October 20: Grande Prairie Small Business Week Women's Luncheon - AWE Partnership Event

October 21: Calgary Public Library Small Business Week 2010 Tradeshow

Click on the following links to find out more information on Small Business Week events throughout the province:
St. Albert Chamber of Commerce

Camrose Chamber of Commerce

Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce

Didsbury Chamber of Commerce

Don't see your local Chamber of Commerce? Find it by clicking here.

Spirit of Entrepreneurship

AWE in partnership with BDC, CYBF and Community Futures Lethbridge, invites you to join us October 29 at the Coast Lethbridge Hotel for the Sprit of Entrepreneurship.

This morning event will feature guest speaker Frank O'Dea, co-founder of The Second Cup. From a small kiosk to some 450 stores in 13 countries, hear his remarkable journey to success. For more information call Community Futures at 403-320-6044 or visit www.cflethbridge.com.

Women Entrepreneurs in the Community

Success is not just defined by ones own growth, but also the impact made on the growth of others. Entrepreneur Catherine Vu, of ProActive IT Management Inc, has done just that through her involvement with Junior Achievement of Northern Alberta & NWT. Catherine was recently awarded the Junior Achievement Chairman's Award for Outstanding Volunteerism. Through her contribution of time and mentorship, Catherine's dedication to entrepreneurship will carry through to the next generation of business leaders currently in the Junior Achievement program. "I really love being involved with JA because I love influencing our kids on the value of being an entrepreneur. I want to present entrepreneurship as a relevant career choice for their future," says Catherine.

You too can have an impact on our community's future leaders and entrepreneurs! Click here to find out how you can volunteer with Junior Achievement.

Mark your calendars for an evening of growth and personal development in an inspiring atmosphere for professional women in support of Junior Achievement.

H.I.P. Women Event
November 18th
EvelineCharles Academy, Edmonton
4:00 - 9:00pm
Tickets $50
Register today and help develop Canada's future business leaders!

Fall/Winter Programs

For start up businesses:

Roadmap for Success

This one time session, 3 hour workshop led by an AWE Business Advisor, provides an introduction on how to develop a business plan. During this session you will learn how to:

Draft the basic components of a good business plan that will help you move forward with confidence
Conduct informative marketing research
Create financial plans that will support business viability

Included in the $45+GST cost of the series is a comprehensive workbook with detailed information, business plan samples, and lists of resources.

Edmonton:
October 12: 9:00am-12:00pm
November 25: 5:30 -8:30pm

Calgary:
October 8: 1:00pm-4:00pm
November 24: 5:30-8:30pm

Click here for more info or to register

For existing businesses:

E-branding Your Business

Part of the Building on Success Series, this upcoming workshop will provide attendees with the valuable techniques and skills to build compelling and dynamic brand presence online. This 3-hour session, offered in both Calgary and Edmonton, will be facilitated by online expert Adriel Michaud of Top Draw and Epiar.

Edmonton - Register here
Date: October 27, 2010
Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
Cost: $45+GST

Calgary - Register here
Date: October 28, 2010
Time: 1:00pm-4:00pm
Cost:$45+GST

Upcoming Building on Success Workshops:

November: Managing Growth...The Right Way
January: The 7 Steps to Marketing Success
February: Your Value Proposition

Visit the AWE website for more information or to register.

Access to Supply Chains

Helping women-owned businesses grow by providing connections to resources, training and networks that open doors to new contracts and markets.
Contributed by: Office of Small-Medium Enterprises

The federal government has recently announced a new $40 million initiative called "The Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program". Created to bolster innovation in Canada's business sector, the CICP will help companies bridge the pre-commercialization gap for their innovative products and services by:

Awarding contracts through an open, transparent, competitive and fair procurement process, to entrepreneurs with pre-commercial innovations
Testing and providing feedback to these entrepreneurs on the performance of their products or services
Providing innovators with the opportunity to enter the marketplace with a successful application of their new products and services and,
Providing information on how to do business with the Government of Canada.

The call for proposals for this program can be found by going to www.buyandsell.gc.ca, entering into MERX (an on-line electronic tendering system), and typing "CICP" in the search field.

For further assistance, you can also contact the Office of Small-Medium Enterprises (OSME-NCR), which maintains an information line and offers free seminars to explain the federal purchasing process and how to sell goods and services to the Government of Canada, at 780-497-3601 or visit www.buyandsell.gc.ca.

The 5 Key Steps to Exporting
by Canada Export
Canadian firms should check off these five key things from their exporting to-do list, according to the Government of Canada's A Step-by-Step Guide to Exporting. Here's how to get in the know before you go.

1. Register your business - get a business number
2. Identify the goods you want to export
3. Determine the country of origin of the goods
4. Determine whether the goods being exported are subject to restrictions or other requirements.
5. Ensure that the goods you wish to export from Canada are permitted to enter the country to which you are shipping.

For more information check out: A Step by Step Guide to Exporting.

Other Articles of Interest

Why Growing Companies Stumble
The Financial Post

What would be your Entrepreneurial Confessions? A recent article in the Financial Post discussed this posed question and highlighted a select few of the hurdles faced by some entrepreneurs.
1. Mistake: Doing it all yourself - Lesson Learned: Do what you do best, and delegate the rest.
2. Mistake: Marketing to all, rather than narrowing in on your target market - Lesson Learned: Do your due diligence up-front.
3. Mistake: Not nailing down contract details - Lesson Learned: Do not begin work on a project until all positive and negative posibilities have been laid out and signed off by both parties.
4. Mistake: Hiring strictly on technical skills and neglecting to consider personality traits - Lesson Learned: Company culture is just as important as technical fit.
5. Mistake: Losing touch with your customer base - Lesson Learned: Make personal contact with your customers, the connection can lead to growth in many avenues.
6. Mistake: Equating raw size with success - Lesson Learned: Growth doesn't always need to come in the form of square-footage or employees.
Eleven Entrepreneur Confessions: How I Stumbled Stretching For Growth: Read More...