THE INNOVATOR // COVER
manages ERP systems (enterprise resource planning software) for a large, global company. She reflects, “Every entrepreneur in a relationship is familiar with the conversation when they go to their partner and say, ‘I’m going to quit my steady job and do something from scratch.’ Remember, I had just given birth to my second child and had no capital when I made my decision to start a leasing company, but at no point did he ever say ‘you are crazy, we can’t afford that, it’s too risky.’ Coming from a family of entrepreneurs he knows the journey is not smooth and he has trepidation about risk, but he’s always been supportive. There are many nights he stays up helping me with work problems, and the family has seen me on my laptop for half the day while we were away on vacations.” Armstrong also admits to having a hard conversation with her spouse about household management. “When he migrated from an office to working from home, I asked to renegotiate the roles in the family. Like all families we have roles that work for us, but I needed to change things. I asked for five years so I could put all my effort into the business. At that point the kids were in their late teens, so we made some shifts that gave me more continuity in the business and more work hours. There was a lot of company and professional growth because he was prepared to be that support person in addition to his job.” Knowing firsthand how challenging it is to be a female small business owner, Armstrong passionately helps bring the stories of other female entrepreneurs to light, showcasing their journeys, their success, and most of all, their innovative spirits. “Innovation can be service, the way you create a client experience, how you remove redundancy – it’s not just about
technology,” Armstrong points out. “Innovation can be improving corporate culture. It’s about being proactive to the changes that keep you moving forward. Complacency is the enemy of innovation!” Prime Capital has innovated, evolved, grown, and succeeded through its startup phase and through times of economic uncertainly. Now, it’s 20th anniversary passed during the throes of the global pandemic. Rather than muse over the regret of not being able to gather the team, clients, and supporters to celebrate this milestone, Prime simply looked to its fourth core value: we’ve got your back. ABOVE: PRIME CAPITAL AND PARKWOOD HOMES STAFF WHO WORKED TOGETHER IN DECEMBER 2019 ON OUR PCG CHARITABLE WGYBACKPACK INITIATIVE.
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JUNE 2021 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM