What Does Small Business Month Mean to You?

October is our month to celebrate small business in Canada.   Canada was built on the hard work of our small businesses and they are the heart of the Canadian economy.  Working in the Canadian small business community as an IT consultant for the past 16 years, I have known this for a very long time.  When I was on the Advisory Council for Tech Select, an industry group of small business focused technology professionals, we determined that 97% of the businesses in Canada would fit into the small business category.  We also determined that definition of small business varies with whom you speak with, but many of our members served small businesses from 5 to 100 employees.

Chambers of Commerce across Canada will recognize and reward many small businesses during the month of October.  One of these is a Calgary IT support firm called XCEL Professional Services which is owned by my good friend, Colin Knox.  His small business in Calgary specializes in providing IT support throughout the small businesses in Calgary.  He has been named as one of Calgary’s Emerging Enterprises of the Year.  However, this is just one example. There are many XCEL’s across Canada that we need to recognize and celebrate.  Good Luck Colin and every business out there making a difference.

What does Small Business mean to me?

This gets me thinking about the small businesses I have been involved with.  They range from a couple of passionate entrepreneurs with a simple idea to scores of hard working teams expanding their reach to all corners of the globe.  The Canadian small business market is alive and well and continues to make a name for itself in communities across the world.

For me personally, I am working on small business number three.  After successfully building and selling my first IT service firm, I then helped a second grow from Red Deer to Calgary. Now consulting with other IT firms and small businesses globally from our office in St. Catharines, Ontario, I continue to have a soft spot for small business in Canada.

What else has the Canadian small business community done for me?  Many of my clients, colleagues and partners have also become personal friends.  I have a network of great mentors and trusted advisors who help guide me and even those I serve each day.  It is this reason why I continue to get out of bed in the morning; being of service to my friends and seeing them achieve levels of success with a little help and guidance from my team.

Celebrate Small Business in Canada

Over the course of the month, there are a number of events and a heavy focus within the media, recognizing the exciting achievements of small business owners and entrepreneurs – many of whom put their life savings on the line to pursue their dreams and make a better life.

A quick online search will help you find local events in your area.  However, I thought I would showcase a few events happening across Canada highlighting the achievements of small business:

• Oct 17 – Calgary Chamber of Commerce Business awards, this annual event rewards two businesses in Calgary with the presentation of the RBC Small Business of the Year Award
• Oct 17 – Smart Business, Small Business: An SBA Speaker Session, this will be in celebration of BDC’s Small Business Week theme “Power up your business. Invest. INNOVATE. Grow.” with two very special speakers.
• Oct 18 – Enterprise Toronto is hosting a small business forum at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
• Oct 19 – Burlington Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Breakfast with Robert Deluce, President of Porter Airlines.

The timing is perfect to get out during October and celebrate the success of the small business community.

Where can you turn?

There are many resources available to small business owners when it comes to growing, supporting and maintaining a healthy and profitable small business.  One of the latest resources is the Amex for Business Canada Facebook Page which allows small business owners to hear from business leaders, receive the latest industry news and connect with the small business community. They have a contest going on right now where they are rewarding one small business owner with a $10,000 cash prize and social marketing consultation with Facebook Canada. Check out their page here and see how your business can soar to new heights.