Small Business Week is a chance to step away from the day-to-day, meet other entrepreneurs, learn something new, and make connections that could help your business.
But with workshops, networking events, panels, and celebrations happening across Alberta, it can be easy to fill your calendar without thinking about what you actually want to get out of it.
A little preparation can help you make the most of your time. Here are a few simple ways to get more value from Small Business Week before, during, and after the events you attend.
Before Small Business Week
Decide what you want to get out of it
Before registering for every event that catches your eye, think about what would be most useful for your business right now.
Maybe you want to:
- Meet other business owners in your community
- Learn more about a specific area of running your business
- Find organizations or resources that can support your next steps
- Make connections with potential partners or collaborators
- Get fresh ideas and hear how other entrepreneurs are approaching similar challenges
Having one or two goals in mind can help you choose the right events and make your conversations more meaningful.
Choose your events
Take a look at what’s happening in your community and build a schedule that feels manageable. You don’t need to attend everything to make Small Business Week worthwhile.
Look for a mix of events that fit your goals, whether that’s a workshop where you can build your skills, a panel where you can hear from other entrepreneurs, or a networking event where you can meet new people.
If you’re looking for ideas, check out our roundup of Small Business Week events happening across Alberta.
Prepare a quick introduction
You don’t need a perfectly polished elevator pitch. You just need to be able to explain who you are and what your business does in a sentence or two.
Try something simple:
“Hi, I’m [name]. I run [business], where we help [customer] with [what you do].”
From there, let the conversation happen naturally.
Do a little homework
If an event has speakers, exhibitors, or participating organizations listed, take a few minutes to see who will be there.
Is there someone you’d like to meet? An organization you’ve been meaning to learn more about? A speaker whose experience connects with something you’re working on?
Knowing this ahead of time can make it easier to start conversations once you arrive.
During the Event
Focus on conversations, not collecting contacts
Networking doesn’t have to mean handing your business card to everyone in the room.
A few good conversations are often more valuable than trying to meet as many people as possible. Ask questions, listen, and look for common ground.
Simple questions can get a conversation started:
- What brought you to this event?
- What kind of business are you in?
- What are you working on right now?
- Have you been to this event before?
- What’s been keeping you busy lately?
You don’t need to turn every conversation into a business opportunity. Sometimes, meeting another entrepreneur and learning about what they do is valuable on its own.
Take a few notes
After a good conversation, make a quick note on your phone about the person you met and anything you talked about.
It might feel unnecessary in the moment, but after several events and dozens of introductions, those details can be surprisingly easy to forget.
If you attend a workshop or panel, jot down one or two ideas you want to explore later rather than trying to capture everything.
Be open to unexpected connections
You might arrive hoping to meet a potential client and instead meet someone who knows a useful resource, has faced the same challenge, or introduces you to someone else a few weeks later.
Give yourself room for those conversations. Some of the most useful connections are the ones you weren’t planning to make.
After the Event
Follow up while the conversation is still fresh
If you meet someone you’d like to stay connected with, don’t wait too long to reach out.
Send a short LinkedIn message or email within a few days. Mention where you met and something specific you talked about.
For example:
“Great meeting you at the Business Link Alberta’s Small Business Week event on Tuesday. I enjoyed our conversation about growing a team. I’d love to stay connected.”
It doesn’t need to be complicated or turn into a sales pitch.
Follow through
If you told someone you would send them a resource, make an introduction, book a coffee, or check something out, follow through.
Small actions can go a long way toward turning a quick event conversation into a lasting professional relationship.
Put what you learned into action
Events can leave you with pages of notes and plenty of ideas. The harder part is doing something with them.
After Small Business Week, look back at what you learned and choose one or two things to act on.
That could mean exploring a new resource, reaching out to someone you met, trying a new approach in your business, or booking time to work on an idea that came up during a session.
Make the week work for you
There’s no single right way to take part in Small Business Week. You might attend several events across Alberta, join one workshop online, or simply use the week as a reason to reconnect with your local business community.
Start with what would be most useful for you and your business, choose a few opportunities that support those goals, and give yourself time to follow up afterward.
Join us for Small Business Week
Business Link Alberta is celebrating Small Business Week with in-person events in Edmonton and Calgary. Come connect with fellow entrepreneurs, meet organizations that support Alberta businesses, and hear from business owners about the bold moves they’ve made along the way.
Edmonton: October 20
Calgary: October 22
Explore Small Business Week events
Keep the momentum going
Have a question about your business or not sure what your next step should be? Meet one-on-one with a Business Link Strategist to talk through where you’re at, explore your options, and find resources that can help.
Book a free meeting with a Business Link Strategist.
