I’ll admit it – social media has me torn. As a father of teenage children, I resent the time suck and distraction of Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and so on. On the other hand, as a brand strategist, community builder and most importantly, as a tamer of wild elephants, I recognize and appreciate the value of these tools as essential equipment when gearing up for your next great safari expedition, product launch or recruitment drive. It's simple math, where teens + smart phones = reduced family time, while business + online communities = + / - the bottom line.

Choosing your business idea and identifying your target customers may have been easy; however, finding a place to hang your shingle can be much more difficult. As a new entrepreneur, one of the critical issues you will be faced with is site selection for your business. You will learn that there are two options when looking for a home for your new business; you may lease or purchase commercial property. Which choice is better? Much of this depends on your own situation, comfort level, and future plans.

If you have a business idea or an idea that you want to turn into a business, using the Business Model Canvas as a tool to assess the viability of that business idea is critical. Every successful entrepreneur has gone through a similar exercise, so if you're not convinced yet, let me show you how the Business Model Canvas can help you assess the key areas in your business and their potential for success. 

Now that the holidays are over, it is time to launch right back into our routines and begin planning for the rest of the year. For a lot of people, that means making New Year’s resolutions. Whether you plan to exercise more, spend more time with loved ones, or take that big trip you’ve been planning, a new year always brings the feeling of an opportunity to make a fresh start. While you’re making resolutions for your personal life, it’s a good time to consider what you want to achieve in your business as well. 

Deborah Green is a Cree woman from Piapot First Nation in Saskatchewan, and has lived in Blackfoot Territory for the past 20 plus years. Deborah has spent her career working in recruitment and human resources, specializing in diversity and Indigenous recruitment. She has held positions as a recruiter at an Indigenous-owned staffing agency and within the oil and gas sector.

Business Link has seen a record year in 2017 with over 15,000 interactions occurring across the province between January and November, up 45% from the same time in 2016… and the year is not yet complete!

The legalization of marijuana is estimated to give the Canadian economy a boost of $12.7 – $22.6 BILLION, according to a study from business services firm Deloitte. While you’ll need millions of dollars to become a marijuana producer and you’ll need tens of thousands to open a retail location (See: Cannabis-ness Succeed? The Straight Dope), what’s left for the rest of us?

One year ago, Daphne and Lana’s business, YEG Box, was just a thought in their minds. The friends would often run together and talk about the local items they had recently bought. Anyone they gave a gift to would ask: “Where did you get this?!”, so they decided to turn their savvy for finding unique local goods into a business. YEG Box is a monthly subscription service, sending boxes full of goodies from local Edmonton makers to people all across the country.

The last quarter of the year is the most exciting and terrifying time of the year as an e-retailer.
We operate two online monthly subscription box services: WineCollective and Canada Craft Club. We start planning for the holidays in August.

Poppy Barley is not just another shoe store, and that is exactly what Justine and Kendall Barber wanted when they started their business. The sisters launched into entrepreneurship with the help of Startup Edmonton in 2012. They found a niche in the women’s shoe market and built a successful, multifaceted business for an underserved market.