Dallas Arcand knew from a young age that he would not let his unfortunate circumstances hold him back. Growing up with no father figure and hardly any opportunities, he didn’t always know how things would turn out. With hard work and creativity, he always managed to find ways to make money and succeed.
Chasing the Dream
For 25 years Dallas Arcand has been a Traditional Hoop Dancer. Winning the World Championship three times, he has reached the highest level of Hoop Dancing. He thrives on the pride and awe he sees in people when they witness something as unique and beautiful as the Hoop Dance. With a taste of success, he used the same principles and etiquette to become an entrepreneur. He identified a gap in his community and wanted to provide a service and promote the entrepreneurial spirit. Following his passion in life—to always be ambitious and motivated to achieve everything he puts his mind to—he opened the Silver Bullet Café on Alexander First Nation. Dallas became the change he wanted to see in his community. The Silver Bullet Café created employment opportunities and gave a place for community members to come together while enjoying traditional foods.
“We as First Nations people can be self-sufficient! We need to follow our dreams, we need to dream big, we need to reach for those goals, follow our passion and our desire.”
Getting Guidance
Dallas knew the entrepreneurial path would not be easy and he faced some challenges from the very beginning. He felt as if there were not enough hours in the day, as running a business is a full-time commitment. He found it helpful to simplify all of his ideas into manageable tasks that could be done throughout each day. With his business up and running he reached out to our Aboriginal Business Development Services (ABDS) team (now known as Indigenous Services) to gain resources and tools to further his business. He was impressed to have someone foster a relationship without bias or judgement and is now working with us to start up other business ventures.
A Little Advice
If you want to start your own business, Dallas has some advice for you:
- Take that first step: simplify a plan and put it on paper. Draw a picture, doodle on a paper, anything, because anything on paper counts for something.
- He also advises aspiring entrepreneurs to stick to a plan with a step-by-step process. Gather all of your resources to take the necessary steps to get to where you want to go.
Building a Business Empire
It’s a new year for Dallas and he has big plans. While still running the Silver Bullet Café, he is also in the development stages of opening a few other businesses including a Bison jerky/dry meat business, Aboriginal Tourism on the Alexander First Nation and an Aboriginal Bed and Breakfast. He has hopes that all of his businesses will work together and create employment opportunities for his people. Dallas knows he has a long road ahead of him, but he is committed to staying on that road because this is where his passion lies. We can’t wait to see what this ambitious entrepreneur does next!