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Economic Development Newsletter Header
February 2016
This Month's Issue:
Networking
Why Your Small Business Needs to Network
by Rhys Chouinard ([email protected])
 
Often people think that networking is only important during the job hunt, but that's far from the truth. For a small business owner, networking can be one of the most powerful tools in the arsenal for finding the right clients. Face-to-face networking gives potential clients the "gut feel" for a business and its services or products. This impression is longer-lasting and more impactful to a person than a brief website visit or email. When the economy takes a hit, marketing and advertising budgets are historically the first to get cut. To compensate for this, hitting the pavement with a pocket full of business cards may be the low-cost solution to generating the leads necessary to keep a business afloat. By attending network events and handing out business cards, a small business is able to leverage the networks of the people with whom they interacted, amplifying the exposure of their company even after the event has passed. 

Networking is not only important for cultivating referrals (resulting in new business) it is also an important opportunity to seek advice from other business experts. Asking a consulting firm to perform market research for a small company may result in costly (but useful) market intelligence that could have also been gathered through a healthy networking schedule. Networking allows a small business to crowd source local lessons of business savvy and monitor a business community's sentiment. A quote from a recent study (Success Factors of Small Business Owners of Independent Financial Planning Firms [1]) says it best: "Almost all small businesses tend to be resource poor in the beginning, and nascent entrepreneurs, in particular, find networking to be a source for supplementing scarce resources". Of course, the success of a networking outing depends on the individual, as well as the crowd. With this in mind, remember that successful networking often gets easier with experience, so getting out to as many events as possible in the early stages of a new business can be crucial for success. The confidence that comes with networking can be a positive self-reinforcing cycle that helps generate better leads, and as a result, more successful networking.

For some small businesses, networking is difficult; time is already tight, budgets are strained, and attending industry events can seem like an un-affordable luxury. However the value in meeting a large number of potential clients in a short time frame cannot be under-stated. While often exhausting, saying a business name out-loud and talking face-to-face about the products and services will give people a better understanding of what a company is all about, and create ripples of business exposure as those people perk up at the next business meeting they attend and say "Hey, I know a company..."


Supporting Article(s), Resources:
[1] Success Factors of Small Business Owners of Independent Financial Planning Firms, Joanne Snider, 2015, Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In This Issue

Join the Conversation!
Upcoming Events

 

 

Imagine Possible: 2016 Business Breakfast

Mar 8

 

Alberta Smart City Symposium

April 12 - 13

 

 

Imagine Possible: 2016 Business Breakfast - March 8, 2016
 



  
Local Networking Opportunities
by Monty Killoh ([email protected])
 
Networking is a valuable and rewarding endeavour for businesses and entrepreneurs of all shapes and sizes. Below are some of the local and regional organizations that put together events, conferences, seminars, workshops and meet-and-greets where networking can help your business forge new relationships and connections.

Business Link is an Alberta-based entrepreneurial Hub that provides resources and advice for everything from starting a business to effective use of social media marketing. They also run webinars and entrepreneur meet-up events that provide great options for networking.

Northern Alberta Business Incubator (NABI) http://www.nabi.ca/
NABI is a St. Albert-based business incubator that provides business planning programs, office space in a shared building with other entrepreneurs, as well as networking events including everything from workshops on marketing strategies to general BBQ dinners for local businesses. As NABI is focused on new start-ups, their events are a great opportunity for start-up businesses to network with other businesses in the same boat.

City of St. Albert's Economic Development Department http://cultivatebusiness.ca
The City of St. Albert's Economic Development Department puts on numerous events throughout the year for the local business community. From a gathering of all businesses at the annual St. Albert Business Breakfast, to smaller events such as last year's "Downtown St. Albert - The New Cool," Economic Development offers numerous opportunities to meet and network with other businesses located in St Albert.

TEC Edmonton is a business incubator and accelerator focused on providing support to emerging technology-based companies. Similar to NABI, this incubator provides workshops and seminars to help new start-ups grow, albeit in a more technology-specific context. Events organized by TEC Edmonton are great places to network with other start-ups and learn about new emerging technologies.

St. Albert Chamber of Commerce http://www.stalbertchamber.com/
The St. Albert Chamber of Commerce is a local organization that helps to represent the interests of local member businesses to various levels of government, and supports the local business community by organizing workshops, advocacy groups, and meet-and-greet events - all of which are great opportunities to network with other local businesses.

Alberta Women Entrepreneurs http://awebusiness.com
The Alberta Women Entrepreneurs is an organization dedicated to enabling women to build successful businesses. They organize conferences and workshops on a provincial level where women entrepreneurs can meet and network.

St. Albert Business Networking Group http://meetup.com/st-albert-business-networking-group
The St. Albert Business Networking Group is a grass-roots, social media-based "meet-up" organization of local entrepreneurs who organize local networking events. These events are entirely based on meeting other businesses and forming new connections and relationships.


  
Earth Hour - Get Involved! March 19, 2016
by Erin Isaac ([email protected])



Our community has taken large strides to reduce emissions but it has never been more important to take action on climate change and meet our targets.  Taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change is identified in the Environmental Master Plan (EMP) as a priority issue area.  So this year, the City of St. Albert has launched an opportunity for local restaurants to host an Earth Hour event and demonstrate their environmental leadership.
 
Earth Hour is a worldwide grassroots movement to unite people to take action for the planet and famously started as a lights-off event in 2007. 
 
This year Earth Hour events will take place on Saturday, March 19, 2016 starting at 8:30pm. Together we can shine a light on climate action!  For more details visit stalbert.ca/earthhour


  
New Businesses in St. Albert
Find local companies in our St. Albert Business Directory

Commercial/Industrial Businesses

Clarity Wealth Counsel Inc.                                                                                 780-266-6095
40 - 10 Carleton Dr
Private Client Wealth Management
 
Elite Concrete Specialists Inc.                                                                            780-459-0931
120 - 6 Renault Cres
Concrete Management
 
Grooming by Kerri                                                                                                 780-224-7064
200 - 6 Renault Cres
 
Iridescence Counselling                                                                                      587-984-1157
2212 - 13 Mission Ave
Counselling Services
 
James Wing - St Albert Massage Therapy                                                     780-460-6895
218 - 2 Hebert Rd
Massage Therapy Clinic
 
Janet Langevin - St Albert Massage Therapy                                                           780-460-6895
218 - 2 Hebert Rd
Massage Therapy
 
MonsterMutts Dog Grooming                                                                             780-716-9415
200 - 6 Renault Cres
 
New Balance Acupuncture Ltd.                                                                         780-756-3111
200 - 8 Perron St
Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Clinic
 
Phoenician Accounting & Tax Services                                                                      780-600-1777
234 - 7 St Anne St
Accounting Services: Tax, Audits, Statements

Tam Transportation                                                                                                          587-290-1444
70 - 161 Liberton Dr
Trucking/Logistics

 
 
Home-Based Businesses

Benco                                                                                                                                    780-405-1780
Sales & Install of Hearing Assistive Electronic Products
 
Brubaker Interiors                                                                                                  780-975-1273
Interior Decorating
 
Bunka's Place (Sew and Saw)                                                                            780-248-5709
Woodworking & Sewing of Small Crafts for Winter Fair Markets / Online Sales
 
Clstehr Consulting: Change. Leadership. Sustainability.                           780-477-4559
Consulting Services for Change, Leadership, Education
 
Concrete Inc.                                                                                                                       780-686-3535
Automotive Sales & Rentals - Strictly Off-Site
 
Gloria Schwenneker                                                                                              780-418-4134
Bowen & Touch for Health Therapies
 
Kathy Boer, SLP Assistant                                                                                              780-991-1625
Speech Therapy Assistant Services for Children and Teens
 
Kinnee Consulting Limited                                                                                              780-721-7685
Correctional Consulting - Provide Support Pertaining to Inmate Telephone Systems
 
Koollac Consulting                                                                                                            780-808-1594
Bookkeeping & Tax Services with Delivery & Pick-Up Services

Snap Cleaning Company                                                                                     780-660-1771
Cleaning & Janitorial
 
Wib Services                                                                                                                       780-458-3540
Bookkeeping
 
Zentures Inc.                                                                                                                       780-722-0257
Home-Based Design & Manufacturing of Simple Wood Based Products

  
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@stalbert.ca 
29 Sir Winston Churchill Avenue | St. Albert, AB | T8N 0G3