Procurement Assistance Canada (PAC) Pacific is partnering with WeBC, Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC) and Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) to deliver a Small Business Information Expo (SBIE) for businesses and organizations owned and led by women and people who identify as 2SLGBTQI+.

The Small Business Information Expo is a FREE event that brings together various government departments and non-profit organizations that support small BC business.

The expo gives you the chance to attend a FREE educational panel and meet with experts who provide valuable programs and resources to small businesses.

We know that government and non-profits have a lot of support for small businesses, and the range of programs and information can feel overwhelming. During this panel, experts will share information on selling to the Government of Canada, financing, and other services designed to enable women and people who identify as 2SLGBTQI+ achieve their business goals.

Register here >>>

The post Yes We Can! Resources for Women and 2SLGBTQI+ Businesses appeared first on WeBC.

Join Cathy Kuzel, Business Development Strategist and Advisor, and learn key tips for leveraging your existing networks to build your connections.

In this webinar, you’ll learn how to create stronger relationships, the best ways to interact, and the keys to networking in online (and in person) settings.

What Will I Learn?

• Why it’s important to network – especially now
• How to engage with strangers during a virtual event
• How to effectively leverage your networking opportunities
• Tips and techniques for Follow-up

Register: https://smallbusinessbc.ca/education/business-networking-skills-for-success-2022-10-17

The post Business Networking Skills for Success appeared first on WeBC.

One of the best ways to be successful as an entrepreneur is to build a strong mindset to be ready for challenges so that when they come, which they will, you will be ready to face them.

These tips will help you create a strong mindset to deal with any business challenges.

1. Get a Mentor

An easy way to keep calm under pressure is to get a mentor from a professional organization. These mentors, who are experienced entrepreneurs, have been vetted and screened to match certain criteria. This ensures they have enough experience to help you.

Having a mentor is so beneficial that entrepreneurs with mentors double their chances of staying in business past five years compared to entrepreneurs without mentors; 69% of entrepreneurs believe their business grew due to mentorship.

2. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness meditation can permanently change the way you deal with stress.

A Harvard study showed that people who took an eight week mindfulness meditation course experienced changes in their brain, which led to decreased feelings of anxiety and stress. A University of California, Santa Barbara study also showed that just two weeks of meditating decreased mind wandering and increased focus.

If you have a daily stress management practice, it will allow you to remain focused during challenging times so you can process information clearly and make effective decisions.

3. Build a Support Crew

Entrepreneurship is an extremely unique and risky profession. If you are running a small business in Canada you have a 50% chance of staying in business for five years. Those are high odds of failing. It’s crucial to have a support crew of people who are similar to you.

You can easily find likeminded people at co-working spaces and weekly business mastermind groups where you can meet daily, weekly or monthly to share ideas and support one another.

4. Follow a Plan

Many entrepreneurs regret not having a business plan in place after starting a business. If you have a business plan, it gives you confidence, as it shows you what you need to do to be successful. It also offers you back up options if things don’t go as planned.

This way when high stress challenges come up, you don’t panic, as you have everything laid out for you in your business plan.

If you have strategies in place to build and maintain a strong mindset, it’s likely you will see business challenges differently. By preparing for unexpected change, you will be able to overcome it from a place of peace and efficiency, rather than panic and ineffectiveness.

If you’re a business owner who has dealt with unexpected change over the past couple of years, then take a look at the Passion & Grit: Build Your Resiliency Toolkit program.

Starting May 12 this program is designed to help you develop four keys of resiliency: mindset, preparedness, strength and action, so that you can prioritize your next steps and summon the strength and passion to move forward!

Learn more and apply today at go.we-bc.ca/PassionAndGrit

The post How to Create a Strong Mindset to Deal with Business Challenges appeared first on WeBC.

This spring, I was honored to have the opportunity to Facilitate Taking the Stage® along with some other amazing women; Charlotte Ferreux, Christine Sommers, and Paris Gaudet. Together we each worked with a group of strong and inspiring women.

Through a series of weekly 2-hour sessions we worked together to build:

• Leadership presence and identity
• The script and language of leadership
• Our voice of a leader and leaders presence

The sessions combined practical learning and discussion with extensive personal feedback, stories, and group discussion.

At the end of the sessions, we asked the group for their feedback through a final survey. We found the top five lessons participants learned were:

Lesson #1

You are a leader, regardless of your role or title.

Over 93.33% of participants would recommend this program to another entrepreneur

Women often believe that we need to be in a senior role, have the executive title or oversee others to be called a leader.

What we’ve learned is that we’re all leaders in every conversation we have.

I feel so empowered to lead after Taking the Stage. For so long I thought all the self-doubts and fears I had about really stepping out and achieving success as a female entrepreneur were my own. Now I know what I go through is common amongst other women. This has been an incredible realization for me and has changed my perceptions completely

Owning my role as an entrepreneur who can make a difference for my clients and community. I can now pitch my business to clients in a confident and natural way.

Lesson #2

The Script and Language you use are key.

94.45% of respondents agreed that they will be able to use the new skills immediately.

Choosing strong words to communicate our messages and craft a leader’s script can help us present our message in a succinct way.

Participants were able to gain confidence by using different language, tweaking their tone and managing the pace of their prose. They were all able to take this new knowledge and easily apply it to their day-to-day lives.

I have been taking opportunities to use stronger words (less mincing), assertive voice and negotiating more in daily interactions.

I would say the biggest empowering skill I took from the workshop was being mindful of how I communicate myself and my ideas. It’s been a big help!

I’m removing “weakening” written and oral communication patterns, organizing my messages, believing that I am a leader, and I can act like so.

Lesson #3

Our voices Resonate, Inspire, Direct and Motivate.

94.44% of respondents are more confident in taking on new leadership roles within their business and/or community after having completed the Taking the Stage® training.

Whether we like our voice or not, we can learn to use it to resonate, inspire, direct, and motivate others in everyday conversations.

By taking the time to really make space for themselves, value their own opinions and trust in their knowledge and capabilities, participants discovered new-found confidence in their voices.

Taking the stage was an amazing opportunity to rediscover my voice, focus my communications, and step forward with intent as I launch my start up. I really love the confidence boost it has given me to walk forward knowing I am accomplishing great things.

I really strengthened my understanding of my self-worth and our agency’s worth on the whole. This will be a game-changer for us when quoting on projects and communicating with clients when scope creep sets in.

Taking the Stage helped me to focus on my presence when speaking; posture, choice of strong words and using the full power of my voice.

Lesson #4

We bring our presence to every stage we’re on

44.44% of respondents rated their confidence HIGH and 50% MEDIUM in taking on new leadership roles within their business and or community after having completed the Taking the Stage® training.

Whether we’re presenting to a large audience, to a small group in person, or to 1 person on a zoom call, our overall presence helps us deliver our message.

Participants were surprised to learn just how much they are able to influence through effective communication; 50-90% of a presenter’s communication is nonverbal and every aspect of our presence has an impact.

I feel like I’m a whole new business owner after taking the Stage. No more second-guessing, no more compromising, I am now stepping into a whole new realm as a leader! I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to inspire with strength and influence with confidence

I feel way more empowered in my decision-making and leadership skills. I love how clear everything was presented and the Clifton Strengths was practically a life-changing realization. Love this piece.

Lesson #5

We’re not alone; All of us are on a journey of leadership

Group Facilitation is key to shared discussion and connecting peers. 83.34% of respondents rated their Facilitator an 8/10 or better.

Connecting with other women in the community is key to developing our roles, communication and skills and confidence. 

Seeing that they are not alone in their journey to change ingrained patterns and make positive choices towards leadership, participants attest to the value of Taking the Stage®

It was great to connect with like-minded women who are encountering the same issues and struggles that I do when it comes to “Taking the Stage” and being a leader.

I operate my business in a rural and remote area which can sometimes lack the resources that I need when I am ready to accelerate. The course not only provided me with invaluable tools and techniques to step into my leadership position but it also helped me connect with peers.

One of the biggest take-aways I took from it is that I am not alone. Pretty much everyone in that group shared the same sort of feelings, it was just nice to see other business owners and other young female professionals that felt the same way.

Survey results included in this post are from the “DF_TTS_EVALUATION_RESULTS.PDF.” Details are available upon request by contacting WeBC.

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