Small Business BC will host it’s first-ever MyBizDay in Northern BC as the event comes to PG’s Civic Centre next week.
“We’re going to Prince George with the MyBizDay event really because it’s a huge hotspot for entrepreneurs and it’s one of the big 3 that are outside of the Lower Mainland,” explains Small Business BC Communications Manager Mark Blendheim, “It really comes down to Nanaimo, Prince George, and Kelowna.
The event goes hand in hand with Small Business Month in BC, and coincides with yesterday’s release of the 2015 Small Business Profile.
The report found that roughly 33% of the province’s gross domestic product is generated by B.C.’s small businesses – well above the Canadian average of 30%.
For the fourth year in a row B.C. ranked first in Canada (tied with Saskatchewan) for the number of small businesses per capita.
“The upcoming MyBizDays will be great forums to talk about what makes entrepreneurs tick. Through our government’s Small Business Accord we are making B.C. the most small-business friendly jurisdiction in Canada by helping give small business owners the resources they need so they can focus on what they do best – create jobs and spur innovation,” says Minister of Small Business Coralee Oakes.
Attendees will have the opportunity to access information and support through a mix of education, interactive panel sessions, exhibitors and networking, with a focus on the digital side of things.
While the small business sector employs over 1 million Canadians, there are always some challenges when getting a business up and running.
“Trying to find financing, trying to stay on top of the latest market trends, getting out there with social media, basically drumming up business are the big challenges,” says Blendheim, “Getting past that 2-year mark is always people’s challenge. But when they do pass that, that’s when they become a little bit more established, cash flow and everything looks good for them, so we try to do everything possible to get them started, getting to that 1-year mark, 2-year mark, and beyond.”
Barkerville Brewing is among the exhibitors set to speak about overcoming business challenges.
The event runs all day on October 7th at the Prince George Civic Centre.