You have a business idea and the motivation to take the next step. What should you do next? We’ll give you the tools to make your business idea a reality, and connect you with the most relevant resources to help bring your idea to life.
If you’re serious about starting a business, we can provide you with the one-on-one support you need. Our staff will work with you to understand your business situation and help you plan your next steps.
One-on-one Startup Guidance
Congratulations on taking your first step in starting your business! Not sure what comes next? Our team of in-house startup experts know how exciting and overwhelming it can be when you take that first leap. Don’t fret—we’ve got your back. We’ll help you navigate the business startup process with free one-on-one advice from our trusted advisors.
Just because you’re in business for yourself, doesn’t mean you have to be in business by yourself. Whether you have specific “how-to” questions or are feeling a little lost, we have answers.
We can help you:
- Understand and navigate the startup process including regulations and licensing
- Gather secondary market research
- Review your business plan
- Explore your financing options
- Get connected with resources and support in the business community including access to local business experts
- Get educated about business essentials by local professionals
- Share and collaborate with other small business owners
- Access specialized support for Indigenous and immigrant entrepreneurs
Market Research Expertise
Entrepreneurs create ideas for new products and services all the time. Let’s ensure yours is going places by exploring whether a market exists for your idea.
Does your idea fill a gap in the marketplace? One way to find out if a market exists is to look at market data such as industry trends, demographics, and competitors. You can then use this data to help you with next steps for your business launch or expansion. Whether you need research to determine if your new business idea is feasible or for developing your business plan, we’ve got you covered.
We can provide data related to:
- Demographic information including various population breakdowns, age groupings, income data, household spending, education and occupation information, etc.
- Competitor lists including data such as business type, location, revenue, number of employees, industry, and more.
- Average financial performance ratios for your industry.
- Contact information for business associations, suppliers, manufacturers/producers, and retailers/distributors/wholesalers.
- Consumer spending data or consumer spending potential, based on the products or services you want to sell.
- Industry news and trends to assist in determining the issues that are happening in your marketplace that may affect your business success.
- International trade data to assist in determining the trends around importing and exporting.
