The Canadian
ISSUE NO. 1
MARCH 2022
INDIGENOUS SME Empowering Canadian Indigenous Small & Medium Businesses
DISCUSSING INDIGENOUS ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITH Steven Vanloffeld Founder & CEO at eSupply Canada Ltd.
Indigenous entrepreneurs have many opportunities for development & growth
23 All Images, trademarks, service marks and logos referred to or appearing in this magazine are the property of their respective owners.
BUSINESS MAGAZINE
CELEBRATING BUSINESS SUCCESS IN CANADA
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CONTENTS
31
12
Kwe-Biz - Supporting Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs
Discussing Indigenous Entrepreneurship with
STEVEN VANLOFFELD
34
29
17 Indigenous Businesswomen of the month:
Carol Anne Hilton
Destinee Peter
Business Leader to follow
20
Exclusive!
10 Indigenous Businesses Follow Across Canada
International Indigenous
5 Indigenous Tourism Experiences in Canada By Keith Henry
22
Canada and it's Indigenous Community By Darian Kovacs
24
Canadian Indigenous TikTok Stars By Darian Kovacs
40
How First People’s Economic Growth Fund is Empowering Canadian Indigenous Entrepreneurs?
51 Justin Hall A Dynamic Indigenous Entrepreneur to Watch Out for
27 How Nookoom Learning is providing Métis-led Training, Facilitation & Community Engagement
49
TEARA FRASER
40
All You Need to Know Indigenous ACE
45
The Growth of Women Entrepreneurship in Canada
47
All you need to know about The Canadian Centre for Aboriginal Entrepreneurship, Inc
53
The Importance of Creating an Inclusive Ecosystem for Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs
63
5 Digital Marketing Trends for Small Businesses in Canada in 2022
66
Canva - The Best Design Platform for Your Small Business
69
Get to Know about the Best Business Resources for Indigenous Entrepreneurs
72
5 things to consider before starting your own business
An Indigenous Wonder Woman to Follow!
57 HOW TO BUILD A START-UP FROM SCRATCH: Essential steps you need to succeed
60 HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN BOOST YOUR SMALL BUSINESS Running a small business can be one of the most rewarding jobs in the world.
February 2022 | Issue 1
EMPOWERING CANADIAN INDIGENOUS SMES
MESSAGE FROM Hon. Mary Ng, P.C., M.P Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development
On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wanted to congratulate the whole team at CanadianSME on the launch of CanadianSME’s Indigenous Magazine. This launch could not be more important or more timely, as we look to build a more inclusive economic recovery from COVID-19. This means building a Canada where Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses have the tools they need to succeed and take advantage of every opportunity the future holds. By creating a platform for greater coverage of Indigenous business news, issues, successes, and opportunities, Canadian SME’s Indigenous Magazine will enable the wider success of so many. From promoting Canada to the world as a great place to do business, to helping our entrepreneurs and businesses stay competitive and access new markets, to ushering in an inclusive and sustainable recovery from COVID-19 – Minister Ng is focused on helping Canadians succeed. First elected the Member of Parliament for Markham–Thornhill in April 2017, Minister Ng was first appointed to Cabinet in July 2018 as Minister for Small Business and Export Promotion. After being successfully re-elected in September 2021, she became Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development. Prior to serving as a Member of Parliament, Minister Ng worked in government provincially in Ontario and federally including as Appointments Director for the Prime Minister. As well, she worked as Executive Director for the President of Ryerson University where she oversaw the creation of a world-leading business incubator for tech start-ups. Throughout her 20 years of public service, Minister Ng has been a devoted community leader with a focus on creating jobs, fostering entrepreneurship, and empowering small business to innovate and grow.
February 2022 | Issue 1
EMPOWERING CANADIAN INDIGENOUS SMES
SPECIAL MESSAGE Indigenous businesses are cornerstones of our local economies and key to thriving communities—creating jobs and driving innovation. The value of Indigenous peoples’ contributions to our economy cannot be overstated. According to the research conducted by Global Affairs Canada and the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, Indigenous SMEs generate billions of dollars in annual operations, support thousands of jobs, and play an important role in international exporting. As responsible stewards of these lands, Indigenous communities are also active players – and often proponents – of many clean energy projects across Canada that Rocco Rossi
are powering our transition to net-zero.
President & CEO Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC)
We recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated many issues faced by Indigenous-owned businesses, making this a uniquely challenging time. Understanding the existing barriers that Indigenous businesses already face, including limited access to financing, means that government and business must work collaboratively to drive targeted solutions We continue to advocate for policies and work cooperatively with the government to make it easier for these businesses to access the right forms of capital, including grants, loans, and tax incentives. The business community also has an important role to play through partnerships, consultations, workforce development and education as outlined within the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations on Business and Reconciliation in Call to Action 92. While the future is still uncertain, we look toward the next year with hope and optimism and will continue to promote, strengthen
Tabatha Bull President & CEO Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
and enhance a prosperous Indigenous economy through the fostering of business relationships, opportunities, and awareness.
Hello readers! Our first indigenous issue is finally here and we, as a whole team, are excited to share with you all some of the most amazing content on Indigenous small businesses and entrepreneurs in Canada, and how the entrepreneurs have shown amazing zeal to keep up with the changes during the past two years. We have been striving hard to become the top small business monthly magazine in Canada. And we wish to offer all our readers just the right kind of strategies, ideas, inputs, tips, and tricks of doing business the right way. Indigenous-SME's mission is to ensure that every indigenous person has access, knowledge and resources at their fingertips. Educating them about how to start any kind of business in Canada- whether it's for-profit or not, is our goal and the best way to achieve it is by providing access, resources and tools that can help with their success! Our first indigenous-SME issue is focused on showcasing the determination and courage of all the indigenous entrepreneurs who have fought hard in the past years. We wish Indigenous-SME to be the perfect stage to portray the good works done by the Indigenous small businesses and we are just here to help them shine with their accomplishments. Learn 6 Key Trends that Will Drive Small Businesses in 2022 and The Importance of Creating an Inclusive Ecosystem for Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs. Get to Know about the Best Business Resources for Indigenous Entrepreneurs and How Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business Is Empowering Canadian Indigenous Entrepreneurs. Check out the Indigenous Businesswomen of the month featuring Destinee Peter and 10 Indigenous Businesses to Follow Across Canada. We, at Indigenous-SME, trust in bringing forth the efforts of all such amazing indigenous entrepreneurs in Canada who are taking every day as a challenge and trying their best to reach where they actually belong – the top. Especially in the past two years, when the whole world was at a standstill due to the global pandemic, these small business owners didn’t lose hope and strived hard to march ahead with a lot of enthusiasm, passion, and positivity. We are here to address them our way, through our monthly magazine. We hope that this month’s issue will provide you with the knowledge and information that you need to stay ahead of your competitors.
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Do not forget to subscribe to our magazine to get the latest trends and to stay up-to-date regarding all our events. Until the next Issue, happy reading! Published by Cmarketing Inc 2800 Skymark Avenue, Suite 203 Mississauga, ON. Canada. L4W 5A6. Copyright © 2022 CMarketing Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited.
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INTRODUCTION
EMPOWERING CANADIAN Indigenous small businesses
VISION AND MISSION When it comes to creating a platform where small and medium-sized
business owners can connect and find resourceful information, CanadianSME has been very successful. Through our team of experts and extensive research, no one is better placed to understand the needs of small
businesses. Not only have we been able to fill in the gap when it comes to providing exclusive information that is crucial for business owners when it
comes to succeeding, but with their help and the help of business experts,
CanadianSME is now well known among many entrepreneurs across Canada
today! However, there is still room for improvement. Although CanadianSME is well known for promoting diversity and inclusiveness, we realized we came up short when it came to promoting indigenous-owned businesses from Canada.
It may come as a surprise to realize that Indigenous-owned businesses
contribute approximately $30 billion dollars annually to Canada’s economy. Therefore, this community that has well over 50,000 businesses is without a doubt the backbone that drives our nation's prosperity. The Indigenous
community is a crucial part of our business industry and it’s our responsibility to provide them with all the resources we can that can contribute to their
success. We at CanadianSME understand how important it is to provide an outlet for these companies who deserve just as much recognition as any other business out there.
9 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
INDIGENOUS SME
OUR GOAL There have been many aspects that have been identified as challenges for Indigenous
entrepreneurs and SMEs when it comes to helping them grow their business: finding employees with the right skills and qualifications, access to equity or capital, government policy, rules and
regulations, access to financing, input costs,
infrastructure needs. CCAB has also been told
that access to business networks and a lack of
Our mission is to ensure that
mentorship opportunities hold back Indigenous
every indigenous person has
challenges that they face on a regular basis.
access, knowledge and resources at their fingertips. Educating them about how to
business growth. These are just some of the many
Our ultimate goal is to provide these Indigenous entrepreneurs with an inclusive curriculum that
fosters productive learning. We have plans for a wide spectrum of activities, from reading to
start any kind of business in
networking and everything in between! We
Canada- whether it's for-profit
beginning of what it takes to ensure the success
or not, is our goal and the best way to achieve it is by providing access, resources and tools that can help with their success!
10 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
strongly believe that this initiative will just be the of the Indigenous business industry in Canada.
INDIGENOUS SME
Indigenous entrepreneurs are just as innovative and hard-
What Indigenous SME magazine will do for Indigenous entrepreneurs?
their nonnative counterparts.
There are many benefits that a Canadian Indigenous SME magazine will have
constantly fight for recognition
need to help them thrive in their business endeavours, but every issue of this
working, if not more so than Because they have to
in an industry that is already dominated by people with
money or influence, they need to work twice as hard to be
for entrepreneurs. Not only will it give them the resources and knowledge they publication will also include articles about developing and growing businesses from First Nations Inuit and Metis persons, as well as insights from industry experts themselves!
innovative. The Canadian
The Indigenous Magazine will provide a platform for Indigenous entrepreneurs
to promote and attract more
designed specifically around Aboriginal topics and features content that sheds
Indigenous SME Magazine aims attention to these forgotten voices while also providing articles about how small
businesses can succeed.
Additionally, our events provide a platform where indigenous business owners get the
and business owners to share their stories with the world. Each article is
light on issues such as entrepreneurship development and challenges to succeed.
By helping indigenous people, we can create a sustainable future for their community. Supporting these businesses benefits everyone!
opportunity to share their
Why are indigenous businesses important?
encourage others, Indigenous
Indigenous businesses are more than just local services providing goods and
success stories which can
entrepreneurs, to start their business while having a
complete understanding and knowledge of any challenges they might face and how to overcome them to be
successful in the long run.
services. They create employment opportunities for Indigenous people in the community and provide an essential part of their culture through creativity,
tradition, and spirituality. Recent studies have revealed that nearly four in ten Indigenous small and medium-sized businesses employ at least one Indigenous individual.
Indigenous businesses are leaders in environmental sustainability. By respecting the land, they are ensuring that the future generation will be able to benefit from it. Additionally, Indigenous business leaders have also been known to invest in social development initiatives, such as supporting educational scholarships with financial aid or funding youth sports programs.
When Indigenous businesses succeed, the economic empowerment of
communities can lead to a more prosperous future. The reason why so many indigenous communities choose entrepreneurship as a career path isn't just
because it increases income levels, but it also provides an opportunity within these areas.
Indigenous businesses have the potential to be key to Canada's economic recovery. However, this will only be possible if we work in partnership with
Indigenous nations toward reconciliation. By working together and promoting Indigenous businesses, we will be one step closer to ensuring the growth and success of our country’s economy. 11 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
DISCUSSING INDIGENOUS ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITH STEVEN VANLOFFELD Founder & CEO at eSupply Canada Ltd. Indigenous entrepreneurs have many opportunities for development & growth
CanadianSME had the
opportunity to talk with Steven
Vanloffeld, CEO and founder of eSupply Canada Ltd., a major
distributor of office, PPE supplies, household and industrial
products. Steven, besides being
a former Band Councillor, is also the principal consultant and
owner of INDsight Consulting, an evaluation and research
company. Steven's company,
eSupply Canada Ltd., provides
all these products to aboriginal businesses and communities,
governments, and industry, as well as the general public.
INDIGENOUS SME
He has learned first-hand that his community has limited ability to purchase essential
supplies outside of large retail outlets. So, Steven Vanloffeld established eSupply
Canada Ltd. in 2019 and is committed to
empower businesses and communities with
indigenous people's choices. eSupply Canada Ltd. takes pride in being a member of the CCAB (Canadian Council for Aboriginal
Business), and is registered with the Federal Government's PSAB strategy (Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business).
I often get to see one of the leading big box
retailers roaming in the office supply space. I spoke to my finance expert at that time, "Do you know how much we spend on that
retailer?" And my finance expert replied to You had been a former Saugeen counsellor, and currently the CEO and founder of supply Canada, and you started this business in February 2020. Could you please share with the audience what motivated and inspired you to start this innovative business in Canada? And, also, please tell us what you want to achieve on this
me, "It was something in the six-digit range." And I exclaimed, "Wow, that sounds impressive!"
There are in total 634 First Nations in
Canada. If each of us are going to spend the same amount, then suddenly the stationery
platform?
alone would cost 67 million dollars. I looked
I used to be an elected council member at Saugeen
a resource-rich region. We have the largest
served there for a period of 2 years, from 2016 to
there's a 20 billion dollars refurbishment
portfolios.
there's a good chance. I looked at what we
Being a council member for the community, when I
significant progress is taking place for all
opportunities, I got to see a lot of revenue was
massive opportunity.
and retailers as there was not a big economy within
Being an online distributor, and especially an
scenario within my community.
janitorial and industrial products, we were
If we look at ourselves as a business, my First Nation
intensive competition as we can easily ship
at the development of our territory, as we are
First Nation, situated on the shores of Lake Huron. I
nuclear power plant in the world. And now,
2018. Economic development was one of my
underway to extend the life of the reactor. So,
was going through the economic development
leaving the community to the neighbouring towns many First Nations. And this is certainly the same
were buying and what others were buying. A indigenous people in Canada, and there is a
online distributor of office, PPE supplies,
the direct way to compete in a more capital-
as a business, it is about 30 million dollars a year,
within Canada.
myself, "How do we know what type of business we
Our goal is therefore to put forward a
outside the community? Why can't we buy things off
indigenous economic development
that would certainly become a supply. All these
can use our system to truly capitalize on
and most of it was leaving outwards. Then I said to can start? What are the things that we are buying
platform where indigenous communities,
ourselves? We can start buying those things and
companies, and indigenous entrepreneurs
things were going inside my head.
development opportunities in their area. And
13 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
we are carrying it out through franchises.
INDIGENOUS SME
In light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, we are
As the demand for culturally sensitive
seeing a growing number of diverse communities
services is growing, and many
seeking support. So, how has eSupply Canada
organizations are working hard to
supported indigenous communities with stationery in
develop partnerships with indigenous
response to the pandemic?
communities, how do you feel about developing interactions and
Well, we are lucky as a company that has access to
collaborations with indigenous
supply in the supply chain. As you said, we did start on
communities?
offline. The communities got shut, and the world
We believe that increasing publicity,
February 16, 2020, and after 3 weeks everything went
business too. And that's certainly not good for an office. In Parliament, a company providing office supplies is a
company that also delivers tools and industrial products. We looked at the needs of the community and what the government asked for. There is a request between
Canadians and businesses to help support Canadians in their business along the way. We said that we are a
small company that's started just a few weeks ago and
we do not have access to provide the kind of support we want. So, how are we going to give them back? How are
we going to support communities? All we had was office supplies. We had access to industrial supplies, masks, disinfectants and gloves. Because many of these PPE
requirements are commonly used in industrial sites even if there was no pandemic.
Fortunately, we had access to these things, and were able to provide them with the supplies to indigenous workers working from home across Ontario. It began within my territory and then got extended to every
indigenous worker in Ontario. We realized we couldn't
provide monetary assistance, but we can give up our
profits to support those who try to help our communities and keep them safe. And this something we are very proud of for what we have been able to do.
engagement and collaboration is a
positive step forward. Indigenous people and their leaders have fought hard for this interaction and collaboration for
decades. They also won in many cases
through successive court decisions. This was mostly through litigation, not
because governments and organizations felt the need to actively share the
benefits. And the leadership says that
development cannot take place on our territory without the consent of our
people and without their participation. This participation and consultation thus became a cornerstone of the
development of indigenous territories through continued development and
judicial decisions. This is very necessary. Many companies have discovered
mutually beneficial partnerships through interactions with indigenous people.
Many indigenous communities are now thriving through these partnerships.
One might think that many indigenous
communities are against development,
but this is not the case at all. Aboriginal people like to have a seat at the table. They care about the environment,
sustainable development, and also about work and water. But again, sustainable
development is first and foremost, and
carrying out things in a good way. So, in a consistent and legal way, we will stop there.
INDIGENOUS SME
These developments have benefited
And do you know what mutually beneficial partnerships
and governments. And one of the things
from Win-Win solutions? It's about organizations
Indigenous communities, businesses
I want to point out is, for example, do you know how important this
relationship is? Just look at Suncor. In
can arise in cooperation as a result of collaboration
reaching out to indigenous experts, community people, and there are many of them.
northern Alberta, they operate within
The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business is a prime
2020 alone, we increased our local
whom these companies can contact and say, "this is
several indigenous territories. And in
spending on procurement and business partnerships to more than 900 million dollars this year.
The impact on the community, the
profession and the quality of life of the
people in this area is significant. This is the type of partnership Indigenous
people model for, and we are looking for it across the country.
Do you think there are strategies that need to be developed further to better work or communicate with indigenous communities right now? Well, when I think about that, even
today, I get to hear time and again that I have partnered with an indigenous community or not. There's a
development part happening though.
People still say that I don't know how to
reach out to these communities. It's like taking the first step in picking up the phone. It's like making the effort to
reach out to the Chief and Council, also to the Band Secretary and out to the
Band Administrator, which is akin to the chief administrative officer. Within
municipalities, it's just a matter of taking the onus and reaching out to those
communities, because often on the
receiving end, are willing partners who want to hear from proponents and
businesses about the opportunities that they are bringing to the table.
example. They have a list of indigenous people with
where you're going, what's your advice, and how are you going to assist me?" There's a lot of support, and I
encourage every business and government to utilize them.
I believe there are tremendous benefits to opening an office in an indigenous community. We know that a company can enter a growing market full of potential customers with the goal of increasing profits and providing jobs to local residents in need. In conclusion, what do you think would be the benefits of opening an indigenous office, Mr. Steven? I'm not going to focus on the indigenous population when looking at your supply candidates. We are a
company providing industrial and janitorial supplies. We position ourselves as full-service business partners for
businesses and governments, and we provide anything that they require. Franchising is part of our growth
strategy and our franchising model will focus exclusively on indigenous communities, businesses, and
entrepreneurs. Individuals must be indigenous to own a supply franchise in order to take advantage of
developments in their territories. And it offers many benefits.
We provide affordable barriers to entry, access to
international supply chains, nationwide distribution, shared property, public jobs, public goods, and
indigenous communities, and much more. You can easily
take advantage of the benefit agreements you can enter into with resource companies in your area. And the
absence of capital requirements allows franchisees to
compete on par with larger retailers. So there are many
advantages of having an Indigenous Engagement Office within your business.
15 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
INDIGENOUS SME
First and foremost, you must staff with
indigenous people. I want to highlight people because companies often expect Indigenous
peoples to hire aboriginal people, invest limited resources, limit support staff, and often expect Aboriginal people to step forward and remove barriers within their communities and among others. This cannot be.
Indigenous people of their country need the right support groups and resources to
accomplish this. They can interact with leaders
within the country to make a difference, change policies and the structure of systems. Many of
these businesses find it difficult to change these systems over decades. This is especially true of
indigenous people who have been around more
often than long hours. We need internal support for change, and this is the greater benefit
businesses can see from closer partnerships, more trust, closer collaboration, and real
engagement with indigenous communities. We know that organizations should support
these efforts. And that's not about answering
‘yes’, it's about conclusions. In the long run, it is ultimately about building beneficial
relationships. Overdevelopment instead of
opportunity doesn't always get "yes". It should be a partnership and a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship.
CanadianSME Concludes
CanadianSME is delighted to have the
opportunity to speak on this important topic of interaction and cooperative development with
indigenous communities. However, there is still a lot to learn and let people be aware of. Thank
You so much, Mr. Stephen for making time out of your busy schedule and being so insightful. We
think our audience will be pleased to hear from you again.
INDIGENOUS BUSINESSWOMEN OF THE MONTH:
Destinee Peter
Owner, Tangles Hair & Beauty Salon
Inspiring Indigenous Woman Entrepreneur to follow
Destinee Peter is a force to be reckoned with. A member
By insisting her team be culturally sensitive, especially to
became the owner of Tangles Hair and Beauty Salon at
respects her heritage and culture. Destinee is dedicated
of Saskatchewan’s Carry The Kettle Nakoda Nation, she the age of 22. Since taking ownership of the salon, she
has grown the business significantly with her vision and passion which has resulted in her gaining recognition
throughout her community. Not only has her journey as an entrepreneur been recognized as the owner of a
successful growing and thriving business, but she is also making a difference in the Indigenous community. For
starters, five of her female hairstylists are of Indigenous
descent and she is also promoting Indigenous economic development across Canada. She also took the time to explain to her team about her Indigenous background and how sacred hair is to Indigenous people.
17 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
Indigenous clients, she has ensured that her salon to making her business grow and ensuring the
Indigenous community is recognized throughout her business’s success.
Now, eight years after taking ownership of the salon, her
Aware that everyone is going through a difficult
support from fellow local female entrepreneurs, Destinee is at
time to sit down with her team to find ways on
business is thriving more than ever. Through hard work and the height of her career. Her successful entrepreneurship
journey landed her a spot on the 2019 National Youth Panel where she didn’t hesitate to talk about the Indigenous
community and why it’s important to support and encourage them.
time due to the pandemic, Destinee took the how they can help those in need. One of the ways the salon gave back was by providing free haircuts to clients that were facing
financial pressures during the pandemic. Being able to give back to the community that has
contributed significantly to the success of her
business was a no-brainer for Destinee, which was why she was beyond surprised by the
overwhelmingly positive response she received. She has always been passionate about giving
back. Prior to the pandemic, she used to teach
cosmetology lessons to students in carrying the Kettle.
Focused on finding new ways to grow her
business, she invested in a laser hair removal machine recently which now accounts for twenty percent of her business. She is Destinee is very proud of her heritage and is always proud to share her knowledge and journey
whenever she gets the chance. She knows that she wouldn’t be where she is had it not been for the
support and encouragement of her community,
which is why she is always looking for ways to give back to her community.
18 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
continuously trying to find new ideas that can contribute to the growth and success of her
business. She is always on the lookout for what is trending in the beauty industry as well as
actively listening to her client's needs so she can provide them with all the services and
products they need to keep them coming back.
INDIGENOUS SME
Her success hasn’t gone unnoticed. In fact, she recently took home the Up
and Coming Award at the inaugural
Indigenous Entrepreneurship Awards, which was put in place by the
national non-profit Pow Wow Pitch.
Her successful journey has made it so many people, more specifically,
women, are now looking up to her. A facilitator at the Matchsticks
Indigenous Women Business
Mentoring Circle, a program that is run by Women Entrepreneurs of
Saskatchewan, Destinee is happy to provide advice and mentor young entrepreneurs. Having overcome
many challenges to be where she is today, she looks forward to sharing her knowledge and having people learn from her mistakes.
Destinee Peter is a proud female entrepreneur of Indigenous decent who has had a successful journey as an entrepreneur and is a true inspiration to many, especially the Indigenous community.
5 INDIGENOUS TOURISM EXPERIENCES IN CANADA By Keith Henry
Point Grondine Park:
Rich with natural beauty and cultural heritage, Canada is a
Become one with nature at Point
travelers. What better way to explore the country than with
acres of scenic natural wilderness
desirable destination for national and international unique, memorable experiences that acknowledge
Canada’s heritage through Indigenous-owned tourism experiences. Finding authentic and Indigenous-owned
tourism experiences are made possible through the work of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC). The
purpose of ITAC is to improve the socio-economic situation of Indigenous People within Canada, doing so by ensuring the provisions of Indigenous tourism operators and communities.
It is ITAC’s vision that Canadian tourism enables a thriving Indigenous tourism economy, sharing authentic,
memorable, and enriching experiences. Through strategic
partnerships, community support, and of course, incredible tourism opportunities, Indigenous voices can be amplified. Here are five notable authentic, Indigenous tourism experiences that support Indigenous-owned small businesses across the country.
20 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
Grondine Park, featuring 18,000
and old-growth pine forest. This backcountry wilderness park,
located outside of Toronto, is ideal for those looking to explore deep within nature, including a wide
selection of hiking trails, canoe
trips, and backcountry camping.
The park is owned and operated by
the Wikwemikong Unceded Territory. The operators of the park invite you to reconnect with the land and
embrace their rich Anishinaabek
culture. Point Grondine promotes its heritage by partnering with an assortment of Indigenous
organizations, offering cultural
tourism experiences for schools, groups, and families.
INDIGENOUS SME
Salmon N Bannock:
Wanuskewin:
As the first Indigenous-owned restaurant in
Located in the heart of Saskatchewan, Wanuskewin
Indigenous culture through delicious food and
and appreciation of the evolving cultures of the
Vancouver, Salmon N Bannock showcases
pride. Founded in 2010 by Remi Caudron and
Inez Cook, the restaurant represents a variety of First Nations Peoples including, Long Plain, Maori, Muskoday, Musqueum, Nuxalk, Nuu-
chah-nulth, Ojibway, St'at'lmc, Squamish, and Ts'msyen. The restaurant is a must-visit
experience for foodies, curious minds, and
cultural travelers, looking to taste authentic Indigenous cuisine.
Heritage Park works to advance the understanding Northern Plains Indigenous Peoples. Visitors to the heritage site have the opportunity to learn about the ancient petroglyphs recently uncovered by a
roaming herd of bison, walk the trails and explore the landscape that’s been continuously inhabited by Plains People for 6,000 years. Guests are
welcome to register and participate in cultural programs, tours, dance performances, and
workshops. The heritage site serves as a living
reminder of the peoples’ sacred relationship with the land.
Wapusk Adventures: Adventures, was opened in 2001 by Dave Daley
Pirates Haven ATV Friendly RV Park, Chalets & Adventures:
dream, Dave has grown the business into an
Visiting Alberta? Stay at Metis Crossing, a new
Being an authentic Indigenous tourism
Saskatchewan River. This lodge invites visitors to
The sled dog adventure company, Wapusk
and his family. Starting with just 10 dogs and a award-winning company with 38 sled dogs. experience, Dave and his dogs as Wapsuk
Adventures are one of the few remaining dog sledding teams left in the area. Located in
northern Manitoba, Wapusk Adventures attracts thousands of global tourists every year.
boutique lodge on the banks of the North
discover the rich history of the Métis People in
Smoky Lake, Alberta, and experience the area’s bountiful wildlife. Guests can experience the
wildlife firsthand through the Visions, Hopes, and Dreams tour, which features sacred species
including white bison and white elk. The lodge was
designed as a year-round destination to share the
Metis Crossing: Visiting Alberta? Stay at Metis Crossing, a new boutique lodge on the banks of the North
Saskatchewan River. This lodge invites visitors
to discover the rich history of the Métis People in Smoky Lake, Alberta, and experience the
success, beauty, and cultural enthusiasm that Métis Crossing strives to bring to the world.
Indigenous tourism awaits. If you are interested in
learning more about authentic Indigenous tourism experiences in Canada, please visit destinationindigenous.ca.
area’s bountiful wildlife. Guests can experience the wildlife firsthand through the Visions,
Hopes, and Dreams tour, which features sacred species including white bison and white elk. The lodge was designed as a year-round
destination to share the success, beauty, and
cultural enthusiasm that Métis Crossing strives to bring to the world.
Keith Henry is the President & CEO of the
Indigenous
Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) .
ITAC unites the
Indigenous tourism industry in Canada and enables collective support, promotion, and marketing of authentic Indigenous cultural tourism businesses in a respectful protocol.
21 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
Canada and it's
Indigenous Community By Darian Kovacs What Being Indigenous Means With a population of 38 million people, Canada features a diverse population and rich cultural heritage. Despite this
In Canada, there is a trend of
reflective of those who live here. Since first incepted, the
under the umbrella acronym,
single voice and perspective. Minority groups in Canada are
as BIPOC, increases the treatment
opportunities to access the same digital spaces. Increasing
diversity hires or token employees.
the Canadian media and digital marketing landscape.
cultures and heritage of
diversity, the digital landscape of Canada is less than
referring to Indigenous Peoples
world of digital marketing has been largely dominated by a
BIPOC. Using a blanket term, such
working to make their voices heard and increase
of Indigenous professionals as
digital equity can introduce a more representative voice in
This term diminishes the unique Canadians by failing to
acknowledge the individuality of
The Growth in Indigenous Businesses in Canada
the people it references.
Canadian Indigenous Businesses are currently growing at a
uniqueness of their individual
businesses. As a result, we are seeing more and more
their individuality through the
promote their products, services, and values within their
operate. Being an Indigenous
inclusion of Indigenous activists and beauty lines to the
things and it's time for unique
across the country, there is an increase in both supply and
shared.
Indigenous Peoples celebrate the
rapid rate, on average nine times faster than non-indigenous
communities and communicate
Indigenous Canadians embrace their culture and use it to
stories and businesses they
communities and business operations. From Sephora’s recent
person in Canada means many
increase of authentic indigenous tourism opportunities
Indigenous perspectives to be
demand.
22 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
Indspire:
Jelly Academy:
An indigenous charity that invests in the education of First
Founded by Indigenous Entrepreneur,
organization helps by providing the tools required to
digital marketing course designed to
Nations, Inuit and Métis people across Canada. The
complete one's education and acts as a catalyst for Indigenous people to achieve their full potential.
Canadian Council for Aboriginal Businesses: CCAB builds bridges between Indigenous and non-
Darian Kovacs, Jelly Academy is a educate all Canadians on the
fundamentals of digital marketing. Jelly Academy strives to be
accessible by offering scholarships
and advanced learning opportunities for Indigenous students.
Indigenous peoples, businesses, and communities
through diverse programming, providing tools, training, network building, major business awards, and national
events. The council works to increase opportunities for Indigenous people by approaching the business and digital landscape in an informed and professional manner.
Darian Kovacs: Darian Kovacs is the Indigenous founder of Vancouver-
based SEO company Jelly Marketing and digital marketing course, Jelly Academy. He brings 15 years of
marketing experience and a passion for education, and creativity. He is
First Nations Tech Council:
the host of the podcast Marketing
News Canada. Darian specializes in
BC-based organization, First Nations tech Council (FNTC)
mixing PR with digital marketing and
equitable access to the tools, training and support to
internationally renowned brands on
innovation. Programs offered ranged from fundamentals
digital marketing and PR strategies.
works to ensure that Indigenous peoples have full and
has worked with numerous
maximize the opportunities presented by technology and
developing and executing their
and basic computer comprehension to more detailed and specific technical careers. 23 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
CANADIAN INDIGENOUS TIKTOK STARS By Darian Kovacs The popularity of social media continues to grow rapidly and shows no signs of slowing down. What once offered
an opportunity for users to share pictures with friends and family, has now become one of the largest forms of
advertising, collecting more than two billion dollars in
TikTok is a social media
platform that uses short-form
Canadian ad spend every year. Social media is now the
video footage. The app is used
products, with many of them relying on Influencers to
and allows individuals to
primary platform for brands to sell and promote their
by a typically younger audience
reach their intended audience. Influencers are social
express themselves through
media personalities that harness the ability to speak to a large social following on behalf of the products and services they work with.
singing, dancing, comedy, and even cultural traditions.
Indigenous TikTok stars such as
These social media influencers can request a large price
Fawn Wood, Michelle Chubb,
earning upwards of 4 figures for a single post. With the
and James Jones have
tag in exchange for their services, with many of them
Shina Novalinga, Mikey Harris,
growth of influencers (or content creators as they're often
become icons, representing
called), there is also an increase of diversity amongst
creators, including a community of Indigenous creators. These Indigenous social media icons redefine what it
means to be a social media star, leveraging the popular platform, TikTok, to share their culture and stories. 24 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
Indigenous music, dance, community, and art.
INDIGENOUS SME
The creative work of these individuals is
Unlike Instagram and
Canadians, both Indigenous and non-
video enables more of a
reaching an audience of younger
Indigenous, promoting their culture, educating settlers, strengthening
Indigenous community bonds, and uplifting other young creators in the process. TikTok offers what many other platforms do not, which is the freedom to create in a way
that is authentic and representative to the individual.
Michelle Chubb
Twitter, TikTok’s reliance on story to be shared and a
community relationship to build with the individuals. We’ve highlighted five of
Canada’s most influential
Indigenous TikTok creators and what you can expect from each of them:
James Jones
Michelle Chubb is from Winnipeg, Manitoba,
An indigenous dancer from the Treaty 6 territory
Michelle’s content is based on educating
large TikTok community following. His content
and part of the Bunibonibee Cree Nation. viewers about Indigenous rights, jingle
dress dancing, and authentic powwow
attire. She also recently became a new
mom. Michelle shares beading tutorials, traditional dancing, and social injustice
content about the Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women and residential schools. Her viewers learn about the systemic and
direct racism that Indigenous people face every day. Michelle uses her platform to connect, educate, and empower. Her
content has earned her the 2021 Women of Influence award and a feature in Teen Vogue. You can find her on TikTok at @INDIGENOUS_BADDIE.
known as Edmonton, Alberta, James has earned a educates viewers with the history of traditional dance and he has been ranked one of the top 5 hoop
dancers in the world. His art form has allowed him to travel across Europe, China, Australia, and North
America, displaying his skills. As a previous finalist on So You Think James Jones: An indigenous dancer from the Treaty 6 territory known as Edmonton,
Alberta, James has earned a large TikTok community following. His content educates viewers with the
history of traditional dance and he has been ranked one of the top 5 hoop dancers in the world. His art
form has allowed him to travel across Europe, China, Australia, and North America, displaying his skills. As a previous finalist on So You Think You Can Dance
Canada, James has performed in front of all types of audiences, including hoop dancing on world tours
with the Juno award-winning group, A Tribe Called Red. You can watch his authentic dance videos by following him on TikTok at @NOTORIOUSCREE.
25 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
INDIGENOUS SME
Fawn Wood
Mikey Harris
Shina Novalinga
Fawn Wood comes from a
From Winnipeg, Manitoba,
Shina gained popularity after
singing family, a Cree and
dance and choreography to
mother practicing Inuk throat
multi-generational traditional Salish background. Fawn
showcases her work as a
hand drummer, including her title as the first woman to ever win the Hand Drum
contest at the Gathering of Nation’s Pow-Wow. Her
channel offers a mix of
content, including comedy, singing, and relatable
Indigenous-focused videos. She includes PlainsCree
Phrases and Cree Morning Terms in her content as a
way of demonstrating her native language, with the
intent to help other young
indigenous people recognize
Indigenous culture in popular media. She recently released an album with Buffalo Jump Records and is planning a
merchandise line and music
video. Follow along on TikTok with @FAWN.WOOD.
Mikey Harris brings authentic the TikTok stage. His dance style is best known for
blending traditional Métis
with jigging hip-hop dance
styles. His dance career has brought him to a variety of stages before TikTok,
including the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Canadian
Parliament Hill New Years
Bash, and the Indigenous Music Awards. While his
channel is primarily dance-
focused, it also incorporates
educational information and passionate discussions
about being Indigenous.
Mikey aims to educate and raise awareness for young
performers, creating space for all cultures in the social media world. Follow Mikey
and his dancing on TikTok: @MIKEYHARRISS.
posting videos of her and her singing. Living in Montreal
Quebec, her channel offers a beautiful tribute to the Inuit
culture and traditions. Shina’s
throat singing videos typically feature her mother and offer
a glimpse of the long-lost art form. The art of Throat singing was previously banned by Christian
Missionaries, as it was
believed to promote demonic practices. It has since seen a resurgence but is still a rare
skill to perform and practice.
Shina’s content demonstrates
the traditional arts, attire, and activities of Inuit people. Her videos are educational, cultural, and promote
Indigenous issues in beautiful, artistic ways. Follow her here: @SHINANOVA.
Darian Kovacs: Darian Kovacs is the Indigenous founder of Vancouver-based SEO company Jelly Marketing and digital marketing course, Jelly Academy. He brings 15 years of marketing experience and a passion for education, and creativity. He is the host of the podcast Marketing News Canada. Darian specializes in mixing PR with digital marketing and has worked with numerous internationally renowned brands on developing and executing their digital marketing and PR strategies.
26 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
HOW NOOKOOM LEARNING IS PROVIDING MÉTIS-LED TRAINING, FACILITATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Candace Lloyd had a vision. Proud of her Métis background and having a
strong reputation in her community as a Métis Traditional Knowledge Holder,
she wanted to share her knowledge with people around her so that they can use it to further grow and build an even stronger community. Since building a community is one of the main traditions of the Métis and the most
honored, Candace’s main goal is to find new ways to encourage people to connect and work together in harmony.
With that in mind, Candace founded Nookoom Learning, a Métis cultural awareness, and intercultural awareness consulting. The company was Candace Lloyd Founder at Nookoom Learning
founded in 2020 and has since become a leader of its kind in eastern Ontario. There has always been a significant gap in the Ontario Métis
relations when it comes to knowledge and community building. However, since the founding of Nookoom Learning, that gap is slowly closing and Candace is confident that with time, the gap will become non-existent.
27 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
INDIGENOUS SME
Nookoom learning provides Métis-led training,
facilitation, and community engagement. The company is known for combining Métis culture and worldview to
deliver a unique learning and training experience for a
diverse clientele. There are three main learning services that Nookoom Learning provides to its clients: Cultural
Awareness Workshops, Métis-Led Facilitation, and Métis Education Specialization.
Cultural Awareness Workshops One of the biggest issues in our community at the
Métis Education Specialization Métis Education Specialization is crucial because it
moment is that many people have a lack of
not only builds and leads curriculum, but it also
This can often create prejudice and division among the
program is to attract people from the Métis
understanding when it comes to indigenous culture.
population. The Cultural Awareness Workshop provided by Nookoom Learning provides information about the Métis culture and its history. With interactive cultural
honors the Métis culture and history. The goal of this community so that they can learn more about their culture, history and what is means to be Métis.
awareness training workshops, this course aims to
Candace Lloyd launched Nookoom Learning with the
culture which will ultimately put an end to prejudice
and to further develop and grow it by providing
provide people with a better understanding of the Métis
hopes of uniting people from the Métis community
and cultural division within our society.
opportunities that Métis people are not aware of. This is a huge step in the aboriginal community because now people can learn more about the culture and
have a better knowledge of the Métis community. With companies such as Nookoom Learning, we are
creating awareness that the aboriginal community is strongly lacking.
Candace Lloyd is a Métis cultural advisor, speaker, and educator focused on cultural awareness
workshops, Truth and Reconciliation training, and
Métis-Led Facilitation
relationship building. Candace recognizes the power
The core of Nookoom Learning’s success. What better
building community is a time-honored tradition of
way to honor the Métis culture then by connecting
people from the Métis community so they can learn,
share the love of their culture and discuss opportunities
that are available to them? By hiring professionals from
Nookoom Learning to facilitate projects or events taking place, the Métis culture and knowledge will further spread, and its community will learn about
opportunities that they would not have known of otherwise.
28 - IndigenousSME - January 2022
of bringing people together from all walks of life; the Métis. Her goal is to find pathways to work
together in the spirit of collaboration and harmony.
CAROL ANNE HILTON AN INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS BUSINESS LEADER TO FOLLOW
Carol Anne Hilton is an international Indigenous business leader that inspires many in her
community. A Hesquiaht woman of Nuu-chah-
nulth descent from the west coast of Vancouver
Island and from the house of Mam'aayutch, she is the founder of the Indigenomics Institute which focuses on empowering and developing the economy of Indigenous people. Through her
knowledge, expertise, and strategic insights, Carol Anne Hilton is focused on helping the Indigenous economy grow by driving multi-generational
impact nationally and globally. Her main goal is to
create a collective reality that’s focused on helping the Indigenous community develop their economy by helping them put in place strategies that empower it.
Not only is she a business leader and an international
speaker, but she has also written a book titled Indigenomics: Taking a Seat at the Economic Table. The book is mainly focused on increasing the visibility and role of the
Indigenous economy. Carol Anne Hilton introduces her book as the foundation of the economic and reconciliation of
Indigenous people, which she addresses as Indigenomics.
While her book talks about ways for the Indigenous economy to grow by building relationships, some of the main
highlights include the exposure of the false media narrative
of Indigenous dependency, the ongoing power shift and rise
of the modern Indigenous economy, and the unfolding story in the law courts that is testing the nation’s relationship with the Indigenous community. Her book is a crucial read for anyone looking to have a better understanding of the
Indigenous economy and its challenges, as well as business leaders looking to grow. In fact, several Indigenous
entrepreneurs refer to her book as a guide on how to
succeed when it comes to starting a business that will succeed over time.
29 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
INDIGENOUS SME
Her single hashtag #indigenomics has created an
entire movement that is centered on rebuilding and
strengthening the Indigenous economies. Carol Anne’s work and contribution are not only empowering her heritage and Indigenous background, but it’s also driving the narrative of the multi-billion-dollar
Indigenous economic target. By providing the tools and resources to Indigenous entrepreneurs that can help
them grow, she is not only contributing to the nation’s growing economy, but she is also empowering
businesses that are Indigenous-led and ensuring their success for generations to come.
Carol Anne strongly believes that by providing the tools and resources to business leaders, there can be a solid partnership that will build meaningful innovations which will have a strong positive impact on Indigenous economies over time. Her successful professional career and her work within the Indigenous community have made her a true inspiration to her community and business leaders across the nation.
An advisor to the government of Canada and the First
Nations, Carol Anne Hilton has a solid reputation of being
successful and helping other entrepreneurs and business leaders from the Indigenous community succeed. Her
successful background speaks for itself: a multi-awardwinning business leader with extensive knowledge of
community social and economic development. She has
over two decades of experience in business development and economic design which has allowed her to have an extensive career in business and earned her recognition for her significant contributions and value creation in Indigenous economies.
30 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
KWE-BIZ - SUPPORTING INDIGENOUS WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
Indigenous people have also faced more challenges when it comes to starting a business. Especially Indigenous women. It’s no surprise that women always face more obstacles than men when it comes to entrepreneurship, so one can only imagine the struggles that an
Indigenous woman would face. That’s where Kwe-Biz comes in. The
company is focused on helping indigenous women succeed and build strong businesses. Not only do they support Indigenous women
entrepreneurs, but they also provide programs and workshops that can help them succeed and thrive. By providing online and in-person
business training and mentorship programs, Kwe-Biz is encouraging
entrepreneurship towards Indigenous women. From the start-up phase
to existing businesses looking to grow, Kwe-Biz delivers ongoing support
to ensure that Indigenous women entrepreneurs have every opportunity to succeed in the business industry.
31 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
Shyra Barberstock President & CEO, Okwaho Equal Source Inc.
INDIGENOUS SME
Kwe-Biz Business Workshops This program has been specifically designed to help Indigenous women entrepreneurs take the next when it comes to their business. By
Kwe-Biz offers three main services that are all focused on helping Indigenous women entrepreneurs succeed: Business Accelerators, Business Workshops, and Mentorship
providing networking opportunity and
community workshops, the Kwe-Biz Business Workshops is sharing its expertise and
knowledge to women entrepreneurs and helping them succeed as entrepreneurs.
Programs. Each of these services has one main goal: contributing to the success of Indigenous businesses led by women.
Kwe-Biz Business Accelerator Program The Kwe-Biz Business Accelerator Program is led by
Each workshop this program offers is centered
that can benefit the women from the Indigenous community
to the success of Indigenous women-led
Indigenous people who share their knowledge and expertise who are looking to start or grow their business. Each of the
topics that are delivered in the program is crucial aspect that can strongly help Indigenous women entrepreneurs succeed. Finance for business, entrepreneurship 101, small business enterprise, branding & marketing and e-business are just some of the topics that the program offers.
around important aspects that can contribute businesses. By attending these workshops,
Indigenous women entrepreneurs can learn
and further develop their business skills, and work on achieving their business goals. The
workshops are kept specifically small in size to create a safe and inclusive environment so
that each participant can go at their own pace and feel comfortable participating in the
different workshops that are available to them. Examples of workshops available are
marketing and sales, business pitching,
financial literacy, and different strategies for accessing capital for a start-up.
32 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
INDIGENOUS SME
Kwe-Biz Mentorship Program The Kwe-Biz mentors are experts in their field that can help
Indigenous women entrepreneurs think strategically so that they can reach their goals and objectives much faster and easier. Each of the mentors offers confidential information for Indigenous entrepreneurs looking to grow their
businesses. At no cost, the Kwe-Biz mentorship program is a great opportunity for participants who are looking for
guidance and tools that can help them succeed in the
business industry. They can help entrepreneurs when it
comes to making difficult business decisions and find new growth strategies that can help their business succeed.
Kwe-Biz is an Ontario-based company that was designed by Okwaho Equal Source, an indigenous-owned and
operated business. Supported by the Government of
Canada through the Federal Economic Development
Agency, the company was put in place to help Indigenous
women entrepreneurs succeed and grow their businesses. Indigenous businesses contribute greatly to the nation's
economy and that’s why we need companies like Kwe-Biz to encourage and provide opportunities and support to Indigenous-led businesses.
33 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
THESE ARE SOME OF THE TOP 10 INDIGENOUS BUSINESSES IN CANADA.
Lesley Hampton
Devon Fiddler
Sara & Cody
Sean McCormick
Jenn Harper
Patrice Mousseau
Lynn-Marie & Melissa-Rae Angus
Carrie Armstrong
Trisha Pitura & Mélanie Bernard
Mya Beaudry
Indigenous businesses contribute more than $30 billion to Canada’s economy. Projected to grow even more in the next few years, it’s our responsibility to encourage them and support them in any way we can. One of the ways we can encourage Indigenous-owned businesses is by choosing to purchase from them. This simple action will increase Indigenous visibility and raise awareness towards a community that desperately needs it.
With that in mind, here are 10 Indigenous Businesses in Canada that we can encourage going forward:
34 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
Lesley Hampton
CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF LESLEY HAMPTON An Anishinaabe Artist and Fashion Designer, Lesley Hampton is the
founder of her name brand. Based in Toronto, her brand is focused on mental health awareness, body positivity, inclusiveness, and
authentic representation in media. A member of the Temagami First Nation, Lesley has been described by the Globe and Mail as an
“important Indigenous face in the Canadian fashion landscape”. Her athleisure line is centered around her heritage culture and
Indigenous roots. She recently signed a contract with BNM Model
Manager as a curve model and she is also a speaker on Indigenous
entrepreneurship. Through her social media and personal brand, she has been able to grow her company and gain recognition for her hard work and unique approach to promoting her business. An
ambassador for equality and diversity and known for representing authenticity through her products and style, Lesley Hampton is quickly shaping and bringing a unique view to her Indigenous background and culture.
Devon Fiddler FOUNDER OF SHENATIVE
SheNative was founded by Devon Fiddler through her passion for fashion and ambition. Having been the victim of racism and
stereotypes as an Indigenous woman, Devon was devoted to helping First Nations entrepreneurs succeed, which ultimately
inspired her to become an entrepreneur herself. Today she is the
founder and CEO of her own company which delivers leather goods and apparel. All her products are focused on inspiring Indigenous women and helping them feel elevated. SheNative creates
handbags and other apparel that represent and share Indigenous culture. Having been the victim of racial profiling, Devon is
committed to breaking the barrier by finding ways to create strength and a strong social impact. One of the initiatives that the company has put in place is to employ Indigenous women in the design and manufacturing of their products. Additionally, the company is
involving Indigenous communities and customers in their design
process and giving 2% of its revenue towards causes that have a positive impact on the lives on Indigenous women.
35 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
Sara Martin and Cody Isaac FOUNDER, NORTH OKANAGAN APPAREL
Starting a business during a global pandemic has a number of
challenges. But that didn’t stop Sara Martin and Cody Isaac from
starting their clothing line in North Okanagan. Cody is of Syilx Nation and is passionate about sharing his heritage and culture through
the designs of their brand. Wanting to provide people everywhere
with apparel that is not only comfortable and high quality, but that also represents Cody and Sara’s love of the Okanagan culture,
together they launched North Okanagan. They initially started their company in June of 2020, right in the midst of a global pandemic.
To many, it might not have been the smartest idea, but for them, it seemed like the perfect time. Since then, they have grown their basement operation into a full-scale business that has gained popularity throughout the country. North Okanagan is a small
business that represents Indigenous culture through its products
and is slowly expanding into delivering many more ideas that will encourage and increase the visibility of Indigenous communities.
Sean McCormick
PRESIDENT & FOUNDER, MANITOBAH MUKLUKS Cultural appropriation has without a doubt always been one of the
biggest challenges when it comes to the fashion industry, especially
for Indigenous communities. One of the most popular items that are being duplicated from the Indigenous communities is mukluks and
moccasins. Manitobah Mukluks is an Indigenous-owned brand that delivers products made by the Indigenous community. Focused on helping Indigenous people grow and raising awareness, the
company ensures that the Indigenous culture is preserved and respected. Manitobah Mukluks also works in partnership with Indigenous creators and artists to provide them with equal
opportunities and share their culture with the world. Although some products are outsourced so that they are able to compete with
other non-Indigenous-owned brands, a majority of their products are made locally in Manitoba. The company is focused on raising awareness towards Indigenous communities and is constantly finding new opportunities to include and promote them.
36 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
Jenn Harper
FOUNDER, CHEEKBONE BEAUTY Founded in 2016, Cheekbone Beauty is an Indigenous-owned
Canadian cosmetics company. Known for the high-quality crueltyfree beauty products, the company has built itself a strong
reputation for providing cosmetics products that are designed for low environmental impact and maximum wearability. Their most
popular product is their signature SUSTAIN line of lipsticks and eye
pencils and their Warrior Women liquid lipsticks which can be found at Sephora Canada. All their products are natural and organic-
based and focused on using ingredients that create less waste and
are environmentally friendly. Dedicated to making a difference in the lives of Indigenous youth, Cheekbone Beauty donates to important
causes such as the educational funding gap. Their goal is to create a space in the beauty industry that recognizes and represents Indigenous youth. Since its launch in 2016, the company has
donated over $150,000 to several causes such as One Tree Planted, Navajo Water Project, and the FNCFCS.
Patrice Mousseau
CEO, FOUNDER OF SATYA ORGANIC SKIN CARE Patrice Mousseau started her company as a personal solution to
help her daughter that was diagnosed with eczema at a young age.
Not wanting to give her child a steroid cream that was prescribed by her doctor, Patrice created her own balm that would clear her
daughter’s eczema within just a few days. That’s how Satya Organic
was born. Filled with all-natural ingredients that are non-toxic, Satya Organic is a great company for people who are looking for skincare products that are natural-based and chemical-free. All their skincare products include five simple natural ingredients: Organic calendula petals
Organic beeswax
almond oil
Organic colloidal oatmeal
Organic cold-pressed sweet
Organic cold-pressed jojoba
Satya Organic has gained great recognition for their cruelty-free,
family-friendly, hypoallergenic, and chemical-free skincare products that soothe and relieves even the driest and itchiest skin.
37 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
Lynn-Marie & Melissa-Rae Angus CO-FOUNDERS OF SISTERS SAGE Founded by sisters Lynn-Marie and Melissa-Rae Angus who are of
Gitxaala, Nisga’a, and Metis Nations descent, Sisters Sage is a beauty company that handcrafts wellness and self-care products such as salves and soap while using traditional Indigenous ingredients like
cedar, lavender, and sage. Each product is 100% vegan and crueltyfree. Founded in 2018, Lynn-Mary and Melissa-Rae started the
company in hopes of creating a business that could help others
while sharing their culture and heritage with the world. Passionate about artisan products, the Angus sisters decided to launch a
business that was focused on their passion and pays homage to
their Indigenous heritage. Within the last three years, the company has been growing and gaining recognition all throughout the country.
Carrie Armstrong
FOUNDER OF MOTHER EARTH ESSENTIALS Founder Carrie Armstrong comes from a long line of Cree Medicine Women. She started her company to share nature-inspired
teachings that are rooted in the sacred plants of the Medicine
Wheel. Fearing that the generational teachings were threatened,
Carrie worked with her elders and medicine people to create and
grow Mother Earth Products. All the products use natural ingredients
and are based on traditional recipes that were passed down from a
generation of Indigenous healers. Passionate about her heritage and culture, Carrie focuses on selling products such as soaps, oils,
candles, hair care products and so much more. She also recently published her book Mother Earth Plants for Health & Beauty:
Indigenous Plants, Traditions and Recipes which includes many great skincare and beauty recipes. Mother Earth Essentials is a
company that not only increases the visibility towards Indigenous culture, but it also provides and delivers natural-based products and recipes that have been passed down from a generation of healers.
38 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
Trisha Pitura & Mélanie Bernard FOUNDERS, MINI TIPI
A female-owned company and Indigenous-led, founders Trisha Pitura and Mélanie Bédard started Mini Tipi back in 2016. The
company sells beautiful hand-crafted designs sewn locally in
Quebec. Among their many products, they are mostly known for
their blankets, ponchos, mittens, and shawls. Constantly looking for new ways to increase visibility and support the Indigenous
community, Mini Tipi collaborates with Indigenous artists across the country. By doing so, not only is the company sets itself apart, but they are also supporting artists and celebrating their heritage.
Founders Trisha and Mélanie are beyond dedicated to giving back to the community every chance they can. This is why they are
constantly donating to local food banks and Indigenous women
crisis centers as well as sharing their products to those in need. Mini Tipi is definitely setting itself apart from other companies through their generous donations and promoting Indigenous culture.
Mya Beaudry
FOUNDER AND CEO OF KOKOM SCRUNCHIES Who says you need to be an adult to start a company? Kokomo
Scrunchies was created by 10-year-old Mya Beaudry. This Algonquin who is originally from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation started the company based on an idea she had. Since then, she has grown the company nationwide and provides scrunchies to everyone. Each
scrunchie is handmade in Canada and personally designed by Mya who ensures they are made with love. Kokomo (meaning
grandmother) has now expanded in several different products such as scarves, hair bows, and socks, all uniquely designed and just as colorful as her original scrunchies. What better way to encourage Indigenous businesses and support them than by purchasing products from their younger generation?
39 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
How First People’s Economic Growth Fund is Empowering Canadian Indigenous Entrepreneurs? More than 20 years ago, Joella Hogan started
Indigenous Businesses Impacting the Local Communities
Canada. With this venture, she thought of
Indigenous businesses are actually motivated by
her indigenous firm, Yukon Soaps Company in combining her passion for getting in touch
with the people from her community, elders, her language, with the world. She asked
elders and children to collect rose petals and juniper berries for producing her soaps. Most
of her products are taken by tourists as Yukon souvenirs.
their revenue. However, they also love the fact that
they have a kind of environmental footprint and an impact on the local communities. Several women Indigenous entrepreneurs identify themselves as ‘creators’. They see their company as a creative
outlet and a way of meeting the requirements of their communities. A lot of these women
entrepreneurs make use of “traditional knowledge Like Hogan, there are numerous other
or cultural expressions in their business”. Also, a lot
who tried to make it big as an entrepreneur.
services, products, and processes.
new businesses at a rate of five times more
Like several other small-scale businesses in
these businesses are already worth billions.
heavily impacted by the global pandemic. They
are more than 19,000 businesses that are
management, with a dip in revenues, and an
generates more than $10 billion as yearly
covering their overall operations costs. Businesses
revenues for their owners, the Indigenous-led
supply chain were hit badly by Covid-19. The
community by providing them with essential
source of revenue and employment for a lot of
examples of successful indigenous people
Today, indigenous people are coming up with
of them are innovators and exporters of new
than the non-Indigenous communities. And
Canada, even the Indigenous businesses were
As per a report by Statistics Canada, there
faced huge disruptions in their supply chain
located in the Indigenous communities, which
increase in the need for working capital for
revenues together. Apart from generating
in industries like retail, tourism, and resource
businesses have a huge impact on the
shutdown of several casinos also eliminated a vital
goods and services, along with creating
First Nation communities.
several jobs. Today, at least one in three Indigenous businesses in Canada have
created employment for the common people. 40 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
INDIGENOUS SME
The Indigenous business communities are
· Deprived Socioeconomic Status
position. They face unique challenges
Most of the Indigenous entrepreneurs aren’t well-
obstacles have hindered their growth, and
average Canadians, with just a few having university
already in an economically disadvantaged almost every single day. And all of these
they have found it pretty difficult to sell their products and services to the global marketplaces.
Key Challenges Faced by the Indigenous Businesses in Canada
educated. Their education level is lower than the
degrees. The Indigenous Peoples account for around
30% of Canada’s federal prison population. Also, of all the women incarcerated federally, around 42% are Indigenous. Ironically, the small Indigenous
businesses are generally run and owned by women.
On average, the Indigenous entrepreneurs have lesser financial resources and have a small base of assets for collateral as compared to the non-Indigenous
Here is a gist of the challenges that most of
businesses. This makes it hard for Indigenous
facing due to global disruptions related to
growth and sustainment.
the Indigenous businesses in Canada are
businesses to access the working capital needed for
the pandemic.
· Poor Access to Working Capital This is the major issue for most of the
Indigenous businesses in Canada. Most of then do not have a good relationship with
the traditional banks. Also, they often face
institutional bias as they are often seen as a higher risk. These businesses often lack the collateral that is needed to get loans and credits. Even though some of them have assets, it gets tough to secure a loan through them.
Conclusion Keeping every single aspect listed above in mind, and in response to the global pandemic, the First Peoples Economic Growth Fund (FPEGF) is striving to deliver the Emergency Loan Program to the Indigenous
businesses in Canada. This is termed the Indigenous
Business Stabilization Program (IBSP) and is given on behalf of the Government of Canada. FPEGF has approved a little more than $2.0 million for the
businesses that were severely impacted by Covid-19. Additionally, when the pandemic first hit, FPEGF
deferred all the loan payments for 6 months. Also, the company extended loan payment deferrals to some
· Remoteness of Communities
of their clients who wanted additional assistance for
Be it in Nunavut, Northern Ontario, Labrador,
local clients to help them in whichever way they can.
location of the Indigenous businesses often
may arrive unannounced in the future.
tough to ship goods. It is also logistically
In case you have any queries related to FPEGF loan
roads, highways, or airports nearby. Even
FPEGF and get all your questions answered.
proper internet services, staying connected
To know more about Indigenous businesses and small
suppliers, customers, and financial
forget to subscribe to our monthly CanadianSME
or the Northwest Territories, the remote
creates several problems. Sometimes it gets difficult to ship goods if there are no proper without a reliable network connection and
survival. FPEGF plans on continuing its work with its They will also monitor new recovery programs that
referrals, consult with your Loans Account Manager at
gets difficult. Making communication with
and medium-sized businesses in Canada, do not
institutions is often troublesome.
Small Business Magazine.
41 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
In Canada, the I-ACE program is the only Indigenous codesigned and community-delivered entrepreneurship
program. Their programs offer prospective Indigenous
entrepreneurs the needed knowledge, skills, and mentorship that’s required to successfully start and manage a
company. The program also serves the community with the confidence that they need to march ahead in fostering economic development for the country without
compromising on their traditional Indigenous values and customers.
How ACE Started?
Peter B. Gustavsson School of Business of the University of Victoria founded the Indigenous Advancement of Cultural
Entrepreneurship (I-ACE) in 2013. The ACE program marks itself as the nation’s only Indigenous co-designed
entrepreneurship program which is delivered in First Nations communities and is centered on their priorities. Since its
inception, the School has worked with around 67 Indigenous communities in British Columbia and has produced 604 graduates and 200 start-ups.
Ex Haida Nation council president, Miles Richardson, has
mentioned that the success of I-ACE demonstrates that the business schools should be more flexible in their approach and delivery. I-ACE initially received $1 million as funding
from the Bank of Montreal. Richardson also mentioned that
the First Nations communities are now seeking a productive economic relationship with Canada.
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INDIGENOUS SME
I-ACE – Courses
The Indigenous ACE or I-ACE program offers
courses that are well-suited for students who are looking for an opportunity to learn more about lean start-up methodologies. The
students can learn about the usage of this methodology and understand the target Cory Stephens – Awarded for Excellence in Aboriginal Relations
The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) and CIBC has announced that Cory
Stephens received the 2021 Award for Excellence in Aboriginal Relations. This award was presented to him because he challenged the status quo and
audiences better. They will also gain an opportunity to learn several research
techniques, gain multiple experiences, and validate a sustainable business model.
Moreover, the I-ACE program’s educators will work with the students to develop a
marketing strategy for reaching out to the customers.
took action for advancing Indigenous business
relations. Mr. Stephens is an amazing example of a person who thrives to take the Aboriginal and
Indigenous business in Canada to the next level of success.
Cory Stephens was born and raised in Prince
Rupert and has a Tsimshian mother. He had a Nisga’a stepfather. He grew up in different
communities and cultures that resulted in his
interest in advancing Indigenous business relations and entrepreneurship. He graduated in commerce from the Gustavsson School of Business at the
University of Victoria. From there, he dedicated his knowledge and expertise to bridging the gap between indigenous entrepreneurs and the
national business landscapes by respecting the
The 8S of I-ACE
and understanding with the non-Indigenous
Upon the successful completion of the
culture and tradition. He tried to build a connection communities as well.
course, the students from I-ACE will receive a
Stephens worked with several companies and
achievements. Each of the certificates will
Print Consulting in Prince Rupert, B.C. His company
steps symbolizing the flight of an eagle as
communities while preserving Indigenous traditions
businesses.
certificate that will represent their
government trade organizations. She founded Foot
correspond to an eagle, with the final two
aimed at supporting the growth of Indigenous
students will be ready to launch their
and customers. He developed the training and capacity program for Health Canada that he
thought would become the best practices model for Pacific Coast First Nations organizations. 43 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
INDIGENOUS SME
1.
Seeing – The eagle's spirit certificate
indicates that a student has looked inside to discover their entrepreneurial individuality. With their eagle spirit, they are now ready to look outwards. 2.
Spotting – A student with an eagle vision
certificate has proven proficient enough for looking out towards the horizon for finding the entrepreneurial chances that are right for them. 3.
Shaping – A student who has found their
flock has learned about their target audiences and discovered the ways of providing them with value. 4.
Stimulating – Once a student completes
the first loop of the 8S's, they will prove that they are fully equipped and are well-prepared to move from personal development to entrepreneurial development. 5.
Strengthening – A student who has found
their call has perfectly learned how to differentiate themselves from their competitors. 6.
Seizing – A student who has earned their
claws has learned how to seize their market share that is right for their business. 7.
Soaring – Once a student earns their wings,
they are ready to take flight with all of the components of their business plan. 8.
Sharing - A student who has built their nest
has proven their ability to share their newfound success. Although they have been doing this in every stage of their journey, this certificate is a final reminder of their ability to give back.
44 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
Conclusion The Indigenous businesses play a huge role in shaping up the economy of the nation.
Although Indigenous people are finding it hard to gear up after this pandemic scare, it’s time
to provide them with the needed support. And several companies like CCAB are doing their part to provide the Indigenous communities
with the needed strength and help them shape a prosperous Indigenous community.
To learn more about Indigenous businesses in Canada, do not forget to subscribe to our Canadian Indigenous SME Small Business Magazine.
The Growth of Women Entrepreneurship in Canada Women entrepreneurship in Canada is on the
rise. According to a study, there are more than 360,000 self-employed women in the country, with an increase of 30% in the women-owned
A Summary of Canadian Women in Business
companies in Canada in the last ten years. This
The numbers of women entrepreneurs in
Also, for every woman who aims at having their
typical businesswoman in Canada is
data can behave like a motivational push.
management experience as compared to
women entrepreneurs in Canada, there has been
entrepreneurs are most likely to start early
nation’s GDP.
industries like retail and service. Women
So, what is a typical woman in business in
money as their male counterparts.
Canadian women entrepreneurs choose to start
Also, Canadian women in business are
data is quite inspiring for both men and women.
Canada are ever-growing. On average, a
own business in Canada in the near future, this
young, with just a few years of
Research has also shown that with the growth of
male entrepreneurs in the country. Women
an estimated rise of around $150 billion in the
and run small businesses in the country in entrepreneurs do not make as much
Canada like? What kind of industries do these
However, the gap seems to be closing now.
their careers as business owners? How many
more likely to be solo entrepreneurs.
women-led businesses are there in Canada at
present? We will try to answer it all in this article.
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INDIGENOUS SME
A Few Facts on Women Entrepreneurship
Current Situation of Women
in Canada
Entrepreneurship in Canada
According to an October 2020 report by the
According to an October 2020 report by the
entrepreneurs in Canada are growing in their own
entrepreneurs in Canada are growing in their
Brookfield Institute Canada, the women way.
Women lag behind when it comes to
entrepreneurship in Canada. And this is why
women are often excluded from the benefits of entrepreneurship which affects their ability to grow their companies. Such discriminations still persist.
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) suggests that if both women and men participated
equally as entrepreneurs, there would have
been an increase of around $2.5 trillion to $5 trillion in the global economy, with an
additional increase of six percent in the
Brookfield Institute Canada, the women own way.
According to a 2019 BDC study, currently,
women comprise 28% of all business owners in Canada. The women entrepreneurs in
Canada also benefit from being a part of a very strong business environment, clubbed with social and political stability. They also
have access to education which helps them start and grow their business. The Federal Government of Canada also aims at
supporting such women business owners through a $2 billion program, so that the
number of women-owned businesses can double by 2025.
worldwide GDP.
McKinsey Global Institute estimated that in
Summing It Up
Canada alone, the advancement in women's
The Government of Canada is trying in every
add $150 billion in the incremental GDP by
country. It thoroughly aims at supporting
entrepreneurial equality has the potential to 2026.
A study also suggests that if there is a 10%
increase in women-owned SMEs in Canada, it would add up to $198 billion to the nation’s GDP.
46 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
way to support women entrepreneurs in the
gender equality in business. Its efforts include pay equity, affordable child care, and putting an end to gender-based violence. So, if you
are a woman and if you are looking forward
to starting your own business in Canada, this is probably the right time to take the plunge.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
The Canadian Centre for Aboriginal Entrepreneurship, Inc CCAE or the Canadian Centre for Aboriginal Entrepreneurship is for
every single Canadian. It is meant for the Indigenous people with an aim to do big in the world of Indigenous entrepreneurship as The
Canadian Centre for Aboriginal Entrepreneurship, Inc. Similarly, it is
equally for all the non-Indigenous communities as the Canadian Centre for Accelerated Entrepreneurship.
CCAE provides its clients with entrepreneurship project management resources, entrepreneurship training, oral and writing services on Entrepreneurship and the New Gig Economy, and consulting to
government and Indigenous businesses, organizations and individuals.
CCAE does this by forming virtual partnerships through complementary team members.
The organization is owned by Bruce Lacroix, President, and CEO. He was
born in Halifax of mixed Mi’kmaq and French heritage. Bruce now resides in the beautiful heritage town of Nelson, BC, along with his family. Bruce regards himself as a lifelong entrepreneur who believes himself to be a ‘terrible employee’ while working for others. Bruce achieves great success while working in collaboration with others.
47 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
INDIGENOUS SME
INDIGENOUS SME
CCAE – Goals & Mission CCAE’s mission is to strengthen, promote and enhance a prosperous Indigenous business
economy by fostering strong business relationships,
thereby making use of opportunities and awareness for all of its members.
Over the past 25 years or so, the Canadian Centre for Aboriginal Entrepreneurship, Inc. and the
Canadian Centre for Accelerated Entrepreneurship
(Non-Indigenous) have supported more than 3,500 entrepreneurs in Canada and the Caribbean to
promote successful self-employment. If you belong
to the Indigenous community and wish to have your own business soon, or if you already are an
Indigenous business owner, you can get assistance
from the CCAE to form a successful and sustainable business community.
About Aboriginal BEST
Conclusion
CCAE’s BEST aims at nurturing the entrepreneurial
If you can relate to whatever you have just
organizations. Here, the participants can meet the
in Canada. The Indigenous business
spirits of the people, communities, and
guest speakers and identify capable business ideas in order to determine their possibilities and take
further steps to start and grow their own Indigenous businesses. By being a part of this, you will learn
about conducting market research, writing business
read above, you should be a part of the CCAE communities in Canada are growing in leaps
and bounds. And it is now time to gear up and start taking baby steps ahead to the path of success.
plans, and exploring financing options on your
enticing journey to your self-employment success path.
If you wish to learn more about such Indigenous businesses in Canada, do not forget to subscribe to the CanadianSME Monthly small
Aboriginal BEST is for Aboriginal, Métis, and Inuit
status. This is also for the ones who do not belong to these communities but are interested in becoming
self-employed or starting their own company. BEST can benefit you all throughout your business
development path and will help you in turning your
dreams into reality. If you wish to grow your venture, being a part of BEST could be the best option for you. More than 3000 people in around 130
communities across Canada have already taken part in the Aboriginal BEST in the past 15 years. 48 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
business magazine.
Teara Fraser CEO / Founder at Iskwew Air
An Indigenous Wonder Woman to Follow!
Teara Fraser could be gladly called as a wonder woman entrepreneur in Canada. She is the
Founder of the first-ever female-founded airline
company, Iskwew airlines, which is now buzzing in and out from the Vancouver Island airport. Teara is now one amongst the top 25 Women of
Influence in Canada. Fraser wishes to do more for the indigenous community. She also believes that the indigenous youth is one of the fastest-
growing demographics in Canada. And with
Iskwew airlines, she just took her first step towards uplifting this community in her own way.
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How Did it Start?
About Teara Fraser
Teara, a Canada-based single mother of
Tara was born in the Northwest Territories of
2001, and soon realized that she was meant
entrepreneur calls herself a ‘proud Métis woman.
two, got into a small aircraft in October to be a pilot. She made up her mind of flying airplanes and within a year, she
became a certified commercial pilot. She would fly passengers in northern British Columbia and as a young indigenous
woman, she aimed at making it big in the male-dominated aviation industry.
She founded Iskwew (pronounced as ISSKWAY-YO) airlines, an air charter company based out of Vancouver International Airport, it recently started its operation between Vancouver International Airport and Qualicum Beach Airport, four times a week.
Canada. This 49-year-old indigenous woman
She is a part of the indigenous group with very
distinctive customs, collective identity, and a way of life. In 2010, she started as an entrepreneur and founded an aerial survey business that allowed
Fraser to combine two things that she dearly loved; aviation and the land that belonged to her
ancestors. After six years, she sold that business,
and a kind of rebirth happened with her dream of being an indigenous entrepreneur.
While launching her airline, she said, “We need
airplanes, but we also need to be really thinking
about reciprocity with the land and how we walk
more gently on our Mother Earth.” And while doing so, she wishes to be part of the solution that will
“honor, uplift and energizes [the] indigenous land story, sovereignty and stewardship”.
To know more about Iskwew airlines, visit here https://www.iskwew.ca/ To know more about Teara Fraser, visit here https://www.iskwew.ca/our-people To learn more about such dynamic women entrepreneurs in Canada, do not forget to subscribe to our monthly CanadianSME Small Business Magazine.
50 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
Justin Hall A Dynamic Indigenous Entrepreneur to Look up to Owner, Nk’Mip Cellars The winemaking at Nk’Mip Cellars is led by Justin Hall, a member of the Osoyoos Band. He grew up in Osoyoos, British Columbia, and first joined Nk’Mip Cellars after completing his High School
graduation. He wanted to be a mechanic, but after a few days in his job life as a cellar hand, he completely got hooked. He discovered a new passion for winemaking, and now is the Estate
Winemaker at the Nk’Mip Cellars, producing amazing and award-winning wines. Justin Hall is
proud to be the world’s first indigenous winemaker and protector of the land, creating delicious, unique, and meaningful wines, while taking indigenous entrepreneurship to newer heights. All Images, trademarks, service marks and logos referred to or appearing in this magazine are the property of their respective owners.
DECEMBER 2020 • VOL. 24 INDIGENOUS SME
The Journey from Cellar Hand to Estate Winemaker
From the beginning, Hall knew that winemaking was something he
wanted to do more seriously. On the fourth day [of his first job], he
He always wanted this as his profession since he states that he’s born to produce the finest of wines for people
worldwide. He wants to study viticulture and enology in New
Zealand’s cooler climate and further his ambition to become
a top winemaker someday. Hall’s energy is so infectious, that he’s turning out to be an inspiration for many indigenous business groups to come.
enrolled himself at a local college in Penticton. He met a few friends and
Justin Hall’s Idea Behind Wine Names
and studied the ins and outs of wine.
The band’s culture infiltrates Nk’Mip in different ways, starting
Hall continued to hone his skills at
called Qwam Qwmt (pronounced as kw-em kw-empty),
started tasting wines on their own,
Lincoln University in Australia and
New Zealand. Although he did not receive a traditional academic
education like his classmates, he did have many years of practical
experience that allowed him to
connect what he had learned in the vineyard with theory.
with the names on the bottles. Its premium table wine is
which translates as “achieving excellence”. Hall states that
the name was given to reflect its excellence and perfection. He believes that there is no such word in the Okanagan
dictionary or language as inherently perfect, and even the
smallest things are always flawed. So Qwam Qwmt is in the
stage of achieving perfection. This wine is produced in very limited quantities and is considered to be worthy of such a title, believes Hall.
He took evening classes at Okanagan
On the other hand, Mer’r’iym means ‘marriage’ and is the
certificates in the Winery Assistant
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc.
University College, receiving his
and Viticulture programs. To learn
ideal name for a wine representing the union of Nk’Mip’s
more about the complexities of
large-scale wineries and the many
A Brief about Nk’Mip Cellars
the winemaking process, Justin
Nk’Mip Cellars offers a wide range of fine wines in three
roles and responsibilities involved in traveled to Western Australia to work at Goundrey Winery.
Justin returned to Nk’Mip Cellars after graduating from the University of
Lincoln, New Zealand with a Master’s degree in Brewing and Viticulture, where he took on the role of an assistant winemaker.
Justin was promoted to the role of Winemaker in May 2017. Being a
dedicated and devoted member of the Osoyoos Indian band, Justin
collaborates with Randy Picton to create the award-winning Nk’Mip Cellars wine.
levels: Winemaker’s Series, Qwam Qwmt, and Mer’r’iym. These premium wines have earned high marks and praise from
critics. In fact, in 2019, Qwam Qwmt Syrah was awarded the
British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards and also received a Gold Medal.
About 500 Osoyoos Indian Band members monitor the
sweet-smelling area of Osoyoos to make sure their practices are as sustainable as possible. It is located in the driest and
hottest region of Canada (the southern end of the Okanagan Valley amidst the Osoyoos desert) with a land estimated to be 300 acres, producing an average of 18,000 cases per
year. Hall and his troop are the protectors of the land and
believe it should be left in a better place from the time of his arrival at Osoyoos in order to craft the finest of wines at Nk’Mip Cellars.
You can also scroll through their website: https://www.nkmipcellars.com/About-Us to learn more.
The Importance of Creating an Inclusive Ecosystem for Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs Firstly, we are going to start off
To make entrepreneurship accessible to the indigenous women of Canada, the country should:
with a question, "What would it take to make sure that all
indigenous women in Canada have the opportunity to grow
Develop gender-specific programs for indigenous women;
into an entrepreneur?" Although
Create a special fund for aboriginal women's entrepreneurship;
to a seemingly intricate issue, it
Facilitate access and promote awareness using the latest communication technologies.
there isn't any simple solution is quite a known fact that
entrepreneurship is a rising and promising path. To empower
The challenges that indigenous women face while
their lives, uplift their
Firstly, because they are women, and secondly they are
their families. All it can be
when considering the challenges they face. This point of
action to bring massive impact
mediated by overlapping and multiple identities (race,
aboriginal women
many different ways. It helps us to understand how
indigenous women to enhance
pursuing entrepreneurship are complex and diverse.
communities, and strengthen
indigenous. It is vital to use an intersectional perspective
achieved with relatively little
view emphasizes the fact that human experience is
on enriching opportunities for
gender, age) that collectively affect diverse people in
entrepreneurs.
aboriginal women face these challenges than non-
indigenous women or indigenous men, allowing us to develop solutions to meet their unique needs.
53 - IndigenousSME - March 2022
INDIGENOUS SME
Benefits of Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship offers aboriginal women many
opportunities to enhance their lives by achieving
stability and financial independence. We know that
entrepreneurship is a difficult role, and especially for indigenous women entrepreneurs, but can improve
the socio-economic conditions of individuals and of communities as a whole. Today, aboriginal women are starting businesses at twice the rate of Canadian women.
Aboriginal women view entrepreneurship as a
chance to refine their family's quality of life and
are also likely to pay off their loans compared to
Breaking Barriers While aboriginal women in the way of pursuing entrepreneurship face
numerous challenges, one thing that sets them apart is their ability to overcome any challenges and their inspiring
resilience. To effectively help aboriginal women pursue entrepreneurship,
understanding these barriers is highly important.
Lack of Access to Capital for Equity
men.
Their lives through entrepreneurship benefit the entire community.
Successful women entrepreneurs act as role models. Compared to the workplace, entrepreneurship offers many advantages to indigenous women.
Since entrepreneurs are bosses of their own, their work schedules are much more flexible.
Entrepreneurs can set their own time and
organize work according to their own schedule,
simplifying work-life balance since family life is often a serious problem for women who bear most of the responsibility for raising their
Since aboriginal people live totally on
reserve, they do not own any property. Thus, they cannot get loans from
financial and traditional institutions for the need of collateral. Even with the capital, they still have to put share capital to qualify for a loan. High
unemployment rates directly translate to difficulty in raising money for equity,
especially for indigenous women. It's too difficult for them to save money for
equity, ultimately making it invisible to
the lenders. Lack of credit is also stated to be a major hindrance for aboriginal women seeking loans.
children.
Having control over their own business means
that they can choose the amount of responsibility they want to assume.
Entrepreneurship also gives indigenous women a
sense of satisfaction and the purpose of creating something from scratch. This often allows them to work in a zone they are passionate about,
making them much more successful than regular jobs.
Inability to Work Full-Time Many banks also require borrowers to
work full-time, which is impossible for many women due to household
responsibilities. Many women are
attracted to entrepreneurship since it
allows them to work part-time, helping
them to balance several other aspects of their lives.
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INDIGENOUS SME
Lack of Education
Diversity of Circumstances
Lack of education, especially in the field of
Indigenous women in Canada are a diverse group
Aboriginal people are less likely to
women, specifically, face unique challenges. Many
financial literacy, is also a major obstacle. complete secondary education than other Canadian groups. Since they are unable to sketch out a robust business plan or
explore a financial institution, it turns out
to be extremely cumbersome for them to get a loan.
and the obstacles they face are very different. Métis programs designed to help indigenous women are not available to Métis women, and many companies are extending their responsibilities to consult only with indigenous people, not Métis.
The situation is different with indigenous women living on and off the reserve. People living on the reserve
can own property that can be used as collateral, but
Lack of Confidence
they still face high unemployment rates disproportionately.
Many indigenous women are incredibly
Similarly, Aboriginal people residing in isolated rural
banks, causing some of them to almost
living in urban areas, making it difficult to find work to
(although these women continued to take
difficult for them to access meetings and other
institutions). Lack of confidence is a big
indigenous women should take these factors into
discouraged by being turned down by
areas tend to have fewer job opportunities than those
give up their entrepreneurial spirit
finance a loan. Residing in a remote location makes it
out loans from aboriginal financial
programs from downtown. Any program to help
obstacle. This is partly due to a lack of
account.
mentors due to the continuing impact of
boarding schools on other generations or a strong family support system. Children
who are forcibly sent to boarding schools are now parents and often have
difficulties raising children without
continued nurturing. As a result, some
Aboriginal women may feel they do not deserve good results, while others fear success.
Lack of Access to MaleDominated Fields Two of the major engines of the economy
- mining and construction are dominated by men, and women find it hard to
penetrate. Thus, entrepreneurship is the
only way to make them powerful and selfsufficient.
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INDIGENOUS SME
Recommendations
Wrapping Up
To really back aboriginal women engaging in
The entrepreneurial spirit of Indigenous
launching programs specifically designed for
Entrepreneurship enables Indigenous women
entrepreneurship, nothing is more essential than them. For instance, caring for children through
seminars and training makes it more accessible to women with family responsibilities.
The content of the program should address
topics related to indigenous women. This means understanding how the objectives of
entrepreneurship differ for women and men and changing the subject accordingly. For example, one program may target small part-time
businesses. The other focuses on the types of businesses run by women in general and can
provide advice on how to overcome the unique
challenges women face when running these types of businesses. Finally, it is very important to showcase successful Aboriginal women
entrepreneurs in these workshops or sessions.
women can transform communities.
to gain financial independence and security while increasing the status of others in
society. However, enduring obstacles such
as lack of fairness, credit, trust and financial
understanding are in many cases preventing and hindering Indigenous women from doing business. Placing indigenous women at the core of any program will help ensure that
initiatives reflect the unique needs of these women. As funding is the most pressing issue, we believe the establishment of Canada's first dedicated Indigenous
Women's Entrepreneurship Fund, run by
Indigenous women, will be an important step in ensuring that starting a business should
not be out of reach for Indigenous women.
This not only demonstrates that participants can be successful but also offers entrepreneurs a rewarding opportunity to mentor.
Finding new and stable sources of funding is
important to enabling more aboriginal women to start businesses. One such promising practice is to leverage co-financing by linking AFIs with a comprehensive track record of regional
engagement and success with major financial institutions seeking to promote sustainable
economic development via entrepreneurship.
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Work Cited Jakobsh, K., & Boskov, S. (2020). Breaking
barriers: A decade of Indigenous women’s entrepreneurship in Canada. Women
Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. https://wekh.ca/wpcontent/uploads/2020/12/Breaking_Barriers.pdf
How to build a start-up from scratch:
Essential steps you need to succeed
Starting a business can be overwhelming, but it’s not unachievable. All you need is a drive,
passion, and determination. There are many success stories out there who have established a whole empire from scratch. If they can do it, why can’t you?
All you need is a fool-proof business plan and the right guidance to execute that idea into making it something substantial. Well, there’s nothing to
stress as this all-in business guide will probably answer all your questions:
Identify where there is a gap in the market.
Ask yourself - Is my idea good enough to fill the gap?
Is someone else doing the same?
1. Come up with a business idea If you have the zest to start a small business, one of the first things to do is to come up with a smacking business idea. You need to understand what problem you are hoping to solve that will be
appreciated by the people out there. Start by
thinking about the fields that are of interest to you before anything else. Or maybe you want to see a
change in the world that no one has thought of yet. There are some things to remember and a few questions to ask before finalizing something:
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If yes, what can you do better?
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2. Write a start-up business plan
Limited company - A limited company is a separate
So, you have finalized on that
separate in this case. So, if the company is in debt,
smacking idea, what’s next now? Well,
another important aspect of starting a business is to have a very sustainable business plan. It’s almost like a
roadmap where you jot down every
legal entity and you and your company’s finances are you won’t be held responsible.
Partnership - When you start a company with a co-
founder, it comes under a partnership. In this case, all partners share everything equally.
essential component that you may need to run your business.
4. Legal checklist for small businesses
Some of the main sections to include in a business plan are:
Now it’s time for some legal paperwork, another
1. Your Vision 2. Your Mission 3. Your Objective 4. Executive summary 5. Opportunity analysis 6. Sales 7. Marketing 8. Logistics 9. Operations 10. Finance
important thing to sort out beforehand. There are
numerous things that you need to keep in mind, some of them are listed below:
1. The business structure 2. Regulatory Requirements 3. Health and Safety Rules 4. Insuring Your Business 5. GDPR compliance
5. Raise money for your start-up By this time, you must have realized that running a
business requires money and not just a few dollars. We
3. Register your small business After you have your business plan
in place, it’s time to get started with
registering your business. Of course, you can’t miss this step. Once
you’ve found a business idea you
love, it’s time to get everything set up. So, you need to register your business with Companies House and HMRC. However, you can
register your business under various formats as described below:
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are talking about the kind of capital that many people
don’t really have in their bank accounts. But that does not mean they can’t start a business. There are several
routes that you can take from here in order to raise the capital that you need.
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At this point, it’s important to understand what kind of
8. Tech checklist for small businesses
can either take loans which you’ll need to pay back
Last but not least, on our list is a checklist
funding will suit your business needs the best. You
with a personal guarantee. Or, you can sell shares
that will give certain control of your company to the investors. There are certain government grants as
well, which you won’t need to return. Remember, these processes might take a bit of your time but in the end, it’ll be absolutely worth your while.
6. The Importance of Branding Branding helps in putting forth an identity of your
brand that the audience can connect with. One of the
first aims of a new business is for people to know who you are – branding is the perfect way to introduce yourself. Your brand will allow you to win potential customers by building and instilling trust through consistency.
of everything tech that must incorporate
to ensure seamless functioning within your organization. Let’s take a look:
Customer relationship management: Pipedrive
Online accounting software: FreeAgent, Xero, and QuickBooks
For social media: Buffer Getting organized: Google Drive and Dropbox
Staying in touch with your teammates: Google Chat, and Microsoft Teams
7. Digital Marketing
To Wrap It Up
In order to sell your product and pass through that
So, folks, that’s pretty much it, everything
products. Some of the most effective ways are:
first few months of starting and setting up
sales funnel, it’s important to start marketing your
1. Social media marketing 2. Email marketing 3. A website with a user-friendly interface 4. Put out blogs to show how your product is filling some gaps. 5. Flyers and other promotional tactics
that small business owners need in the very their businesses. For more information,
please subscribe to the CanadianSME Small Business Magazine.
HOW TECHNOLOGY Can Boost Your Small Business
Running a small business can be
For start-ups and newly established small businesses,
the world. The progress made from
are so many hurdles to overcome on a regular basis that
one of the most rewarding jobs in
the initial inception of the business
idea to the actual company launch is a successful journey in itself.
Long-term accomplishments are,
however, significantly more difficult to achieve than short-term ones. Unfortunately, a large number of small businesses fail. In fact,
around 20% of start-ups fail within a year and 50% don’t make it past five years. These damning
statistics show how difficult it is to grow a successful business.
growth can be one of the hardest goals to achieve. There survival often becomes the main focus. A common issue for many small businesses is that they don’t have the staff numbers to take care of routine functions. Owners and
managers often spread themselves too thin to the detriment of their business.
While it’s normal for business owners to put a lot of time
and effort into their venture, it’s important for them to also
realize they can’t do it all. At some point, they need to seek help, advice, and services from elsewhere. Outsourcing
services such as IT., accounting, payroll, and HR is a useful option for some companies. It allows the owners and
management to concentrate on the core functions of the business, thereby maximizing opportunities for success.
In today’s digital era, people are constantly
By opening up your business to the online
other. Technological advancements
limitations of your marketing approach and
engaged by one form of technology or the influence all industries. Companies of all
sizes must embrace technology to thrive in modern business.
marketplace, you are effectively reducing the increasing the potential of targeting customers all over the world.
1. Utilizing data
3. Communication is key
The majority of businesses today have a
Although we are witnessing a shift to conducting
website and multiple social media channels.
From their online presence alone, businesses are able to generate a huge amount of data. Even with limited analysis, useful
insights and information can be gained. Upon in-depth analysis, even greater
knowledge about customers, their interests, and spending habits can be uncovered.
Set clear goals relating to the growth of your business and your online performance.
Outline key metrics to track your progress.
Conduct regular analysis using your website
and social media channels and use the data generated to drive decision-making .
business online, people still value companies that have a human element to their operations. Technology should be used as part of a
comprehensive communications strategy but
should not be the only approach to customer
engagement. Direct conversations are the most effective form of communication. You should
consider installing a phone line for your business if you don’t already have one. Here’s how to get a
small business phone system, gain a reliable and trustworthy phone number and open up communication lines with customers.
You should also encourage communication via
social media channels. This has become one of the most important customer service delivery
2. Prepare your business for ecommerce The online marketplace is constantly
expanding. More and more people are
approaches in recent years. Building an e-mail list to regularly update customers is another powerful method of communication.
purchasing online, and this trend looks set to
4. Digital management
all transactions will be facilitated by e-
Management tools and project management
continue. It’s estimated that by 2040, 95% of commerce.
By preparing your business for e-commerce, you are preparing for the future. Whether
your company offers a service or you sell a product, put a plan in place to build an online store.
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software can help your team interact in real-time. There are many more advantages to digital
management tools, particularly when it comes to managing large teams.
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Digital management tools can be used to manage
It’s vital for small businesses to implement
Employees can also use computer-based tools for
and reliable when it comes to customer
and store files, invoices, and account information.
accessing and sharing business-related documents.
5. Advertising
strong security measures. Being trustworthy information can be advantageous for your
company, so ensure you take all necessary security measures and beware of data breaches.
Targeted advertising is a must for modern
businesses. One of the most effective advertising
8. Remote access
social media.
Technology has changed the way regular
techniques for a small business is advertising via
Through research and analysis, you should be able to establish a clear target market. This target
audience should be broken down into specific segments that can be targeted via paid
advertisements. Create adverts to suit each
segment and launch a digital advertising campaign. It’s also important to outline KPIs to determine the effectiveness of your campaign. Monitor the progress, analyze the results, and use the information gained for future campaigns.
business is conducted. There are no longer standard practices when it comes to
business operations. One of the most
important technological changes in recent
years is the emergence of remote working. Due to the availability of communication
software, high-speed internet, conference call technologies, and other digital tools, employees can now get their work done
remotely. There is less need for physical presence at meetings or conferences.
6. The mobile audience is the future Mobile has surpassed desktops when it comes to website traffic. Your website, social media, and
digital advertising strategy should be optimized for mobile users.
We are beginning to see increased numbers of
transactions from mobile devices too. Don’t make the mistake of ignoring this segment of the
marketplace and ensure that you plan and target the mobile audience.
7. Improved security With such a reliance on the internet and digital
technology in recent years, there has also been an increase in cybercrime. To many
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This is highly beneficial to small businesses as this means they will require minimal office space, if at all, and can hire
employees from anywhere in the world. It reduces costs, increases the bottom line, and boosts the potential for success.
5 Digital Marketing Trends FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN CANADA IN 2022 As per Gartner, on its State of Marketing Budget
Report 2021, marketing budgets for businesses have
2022 is just around the corner. And this is the right time for you to evaluate the strategies for your small business in Canada. You should have a solid digital marketing plan which will help you navigate through any unforeseen emergencies in the coming year with ease. Why digital marketing in particular? That’s because we have witnessed a major shift in the digital space in the past two years. The social norms have changed, the way of doing business has changed. We have now become digital beings, to be precise. The pandemic had a great impact on changing our habits. And even when all this is over, consumer habits will remain the same. So, how do you think your business would cope?
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gone down to the lowest level, dipping by 6.4% of the company revenues in 2021 from around 11% in
2020. Marketers are facing disruptions due to the pandemic. And that’s not all – between new
technological applications, business models and regulatory changes, whatever digital marketing
strategies have worked for your business in the past might not work today. So, with 2022 on the horizon, you will have to find ways to digitally engage your
customers by harnessing the potential of different technological innovations.
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Heard About the Death of the Cookie?
2. Try to Include Mobile-first Marketing
Google recently announced that it will end cookie
As people are now using tablets and mobile
businesses? Pretty simple. It is bad news and will
businesses should create content that’s mobile-
tracking in 2022. What does that mean for small require certain drastic changes. For businesses across the web, tracking user activities is
essential. However, maintaining user privacy is also important and it is said to be the perfect
time to implement GDPR strategies, which are all set to make customers better aware of their
online privacy. Although there’s always an option to opt-out from third-party cookies, digital
advertisers are constantly looking for ways to alter their tactics.
phones more than laptops and desktops,
friendly, and which will keep their websites
higher on the web pages. Mobile marketing
strategies could be simple. However, optimizing
those properly is a trick. Make use of responsive website designs which will fit into any screen. In 2022, it is vital for your website or app to allow customers to browse your products and
services on any kind of device they are using. AMP (accelerated mobile pages) could be
another option to make your content load faster on tablets and smartphones.
Ways to Boost the Digital Marketing Game for Your Business
3. Consider Video Marketing Strategies
The best marketers are constantly looking for
Although it’s been lurking there for a long time
marketing to boost their sales. If you are looking
overlooked by business owners worldwide. In
ways to implement new trends in digital
for similar ways to pump your business online in the coming year, here are 5 trends to keep in mind.
now, video marketing is still something
2022, you should definitely give it a thought if
you have been one of them. Video marketing is
one of the most effective marketing tools which businesses can implement to market their
products and services better. According to the video marketing statistics 2021 by Wyzowl, 70% of consumers have either shared a brand’s
1. Make Use of Data-driven Technologies Google recently announced that it will end cookie tracking in 2022. What does that mean for small
businesses? Pretty simple. It is bad news and will require certain drastic changes. For businesses across the web, tracking user activities is
essential. However, maintaining user privacy is also important and it is said to be the perfect
time to implement GDPR strategies, which are all set to make customers better aware of their
online privacy. Although there’s always an option to opt-out from third-party cookies, digital
advertisers are constantly looking for ways to alter their tactics.
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video or 50% of them have said that their
confidence in online buying is boosted after
watching a product-related video by a brand. Video marketing is one of the most effective marketing tools which businesses can
implement to market their products and services better. According to the video
marketing statistics 2021 by Wyzowl, 70% of
consumers have either shared a brand’s video and 50% of them have said that their
confidence in online buying is boosted after watching a
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4. Go for Geofencing Technology for Targeted Messaging By 2023, 2.3 billion consumers will use geofencing
technology to learn about a particular brand. It is a location-based service that allows businesses to
send across targeted messaging to people who will enter their ‘fenced’ area. The messages could be through emails, texts, social media, or app
notifications. It has already been used by Burger
King, Waze, and so on. The best part is, more than
50% of people who receive a geofence alert actually act on it. Isn’t that great?
5. Embrace Omnichannel Commerce Solutions We’ve heard about omnichannel commerce solutions before. And now it’s time to implement the same for small businesses in Canada. Companies,
irrespective of their size, should focus on reaching
potential customers through each and every avenue, from social media to physical stores. With social
media gaining a lot of momentum in the past two years, you can even think about promoting your products on Instagram and Facebook. This will create an additional avenue for you to reach
consumers who could become your loyal customers in the long run.
Wrapping it Up With such a long stay-at-home period, customers have now reset their expectations from their
preferred brands. So, it’s important for businesses to find out marketing ways to better engage their
consumers. Keeping in mind the above-mentioned digital marketing trends will allow you to provide better services to your customers in the years to come.
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Do you wish to learn more about such trends and techniques of operating your small business in Canada the right way? Subscribe to our monthly CanadianSME Small Business Magazine.
Canva - The Best Design Platform for Your Small Business
The world is a visual place. This has become even more
If you want to expand your creative side
the shift towards more active online interactions.
choose Canva to bring innovative
true with the advent of new social media platforms and Businesses need a high-quality branding image to
compete, stand out, and be successful. If you've never done a design before, or are busy with other parts of
your business, creating the required number of images
can seem like an overwhelming task or a low priority. If that's the case, we recommend you to use Canva.
So, What Exactly Is Canva? How Is It Effective For Small Businesses?
Canva is graphic design software for creating
promotional content, materials, social media content,
and other design products. It has attracted millions of companies with easy-to-use drag-and-drop features and layouts, letting you create and share stunning graphic designs.
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and amplify your business’ offerings,
change with robust designs by applying a personal touch, ensuring visually impressive designs.
INDIGENOUS SME Here are a few reasons why Canva is the best bet for your small business:
Free to Use, and Upgrading is Affordable Small businesses often have strict marketing
You can even save images and share them directly from the app to your social media pages.
Doesn’t Require Design Experience – Just Eye for What You Like
budgets, and every expense is critical to their
Using Canva is the same as online shopping.
account with useful features lets you get instant
handouts, or a complete presentation for your
bottom line. Canva, having an unlimited free access to loads of stock photos, templates,
icons, etc. In fact, a free account is sufficient for many small businesses.
However, free accounts have limitations. If you
upgrade to a Pro account, you can unlock more photos, templates, and fonts. You can also gain features like team members, saved brand
colors, and extra storage space. The Pro version starts at $10 per month for the annual plan, so it's a lot cheaper than hiring a lot of design
Whether you’re looking for social media quotes, presentation, Canva has a ready-made template for you. Just find the project you’re working on and search for a template you like. You can
easily change fonts and colors to match your
brand. You can even add photos and logos to further promote your brand. You can also use
Canva to create your own designs. If you have
design experience or need more control, begin
with a blank page and add your own typography, elements, etc.
programs or agencies.
Access Your Projects from Any Device Since Canva is an online service, it saves your
designs in the cloud. This means you can start a project at home and continue working in your
store or office. It's a lot easier to design with a
computer or laptop than a phone. However, the Canva app allows you to quickly download and use photos taken with your phone.
Send Links and Work with Others You can share your project with others by
generating a link to your project. It helps you to invite people to a comment-only mode or
provide them full access to edit designs. It’s easy to get help and feedback from colleagues and
trusted friends. If you’ve someone designing for
your business, you can also use the link to send your design for review and approval.
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Automatically Resize Your Designs
Create Brand Consistency and Save Time Resize Your Designs
You’ve created some great Facebook images, but
One of the best things about Canva is that you
for your website banners and blogs. When using a
that the graphics can be easily reproduced
now you need to create Pinterest pins and images
Pro account, the sizing tool will automatically convert your designs to different sizes. It is very
useful and saves a lot of time. With a free account, you can always create documents of
different sizes and copy design elements by hand.
can easily copy and edit graphics. This means
with new content. A consistent selection of templates, colors, and fonts will help increase brand awareness and help you stand out. It
helps you stay consistent as you can copy designs and pages without any hassle.
Final Thoughts If you want to take your small business to newer heights, it’s no exaggeration to say that Canva can’t be ignored anymore. It’s one of the best
design tools to create business designs faster
and easier. For more information, you can check their website and also create a free account to explore more.
To learn more about small businesses in Canada, do not forget to subscribe to our monthly CanadianSME Small Business Magazine.
Get to Know about the Best Business Resources for Indigenous Entrepreneurs According to official figures from the Canadian Government, there are over 1.6 million indigenous
people residing in 600 aboriginal
communities in Canada. A variety
of institutions are now available to
indigenous people, but not always.
Indigenous people of Canada have been fighting the oppressive
government, social prejudice, and systemic discrimination for years. As a result, academics and business were severely disadvantaged.
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Because of all these shortcomings and unfair funding, only about 48% of aboriginal people
were able to graduate from high school. And the
Canadian business world, which relies heavily on human education, remains inaccessible to these aboriginal people.
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Fortunately, states like British Columbia have
found ways to address these challenges and
Best Resources for Indigenous Entrepreneurs in Canada
indigenous peoples. Specifically, in 2016, British
When starting a business, you’ve to manage
provide equal opportunity and access to
Columbia’s aboriginal graduate rate was 81%. However, much work remains to be done and
the Government of Canada is aware of this. As such, they have several tools and resources to promote and support indigenous groups, especially the indigenous entrepreneurs.
several aspects. From business plans and funding to coming up efficiently with a seller’s business
idea, there are numerous challenges in the way. That said, the Canadian Government has some
exceptional tools and resources at the disposal of indigenous business groups, which we’ve listed below.
Why Indigenous Entrepreneurship? Before we start talking about the best
resources for indigenous entrepreneurs,
let’s grab an eye at why you should start your own business as a local
entrepreneur. Well, first and foremost,
Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB)
being an entrepreneur means putting
When starting a business, you’ve to manage
that, but your future will be in your
to coming up efficiently with a seller’s business
your destiny in your own hands. Not only control. And with planning and careful execution, any idea can come to life.
Yes, it’s not an easy journey, but it’s worth it because it’s full of experience and will provide you with many opportunities to
several aspects. From business plans and funding idea, there are numerous challenges in the way. That said, the Canadian Government has some
exceptional tools and resources at the disposal of indigenous business groups, which we’ve listed below.
grow. Remember, small businesses are
the foundation of any prosperous nation, and by building resilient business
communities today, we are laying the foundation for a strong business
ecosystem for the next generation. According to Vancity’s 2018 survey, 48%
Animikii
of indigenous entrepreneurs said that
Animikii, a digital agency owned by an aboriginal
years ago, but it has come down to just
entrepreneurs in the aboriginal community by
Canadians and business groups are now
designing and custom software development.
the legal and historical challenges
planning to start your own business.
they faced systematic hindrances five
business owner assists the emerging
21% as of now. Non-indigenous
offering a helping hand in matters related to web
starting to acknowledge and recognize
Animikii is an incredible option to consider if you’re
confronting aboriginal communities.
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Canadian Centre for Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Committed to the promotion and growth of
indigenous entrepreneurship in Canada, the
Canadian Centre for Aboriginal Entrepreneurship
offers its support in project management, writing
and speaking services, entrepreneurship training,
and as a consultant to government and indigenous businesses, individuals, and organizations.
Native Women’s Association of Canada NWAC or Native Women’s Association of
Canada is a national aboriginal organization bent on representing the political voices of
aboriginal girls, women, and all the genderdiverse people in Canada, including First
Nations on and off-reserve, disenfranchised,
status and non-status, Métis and Inuit. NWAC works on a wide variety of matters like
employment, health, labor and business,
justice and human rights, violence prevention and safety, international affairs, etc.
Indigenous Tourism BC ITBC or Indigenous Tourism BC is a non-profit
stakeholder-based organization dedicated to the
The Key Takeaway
culturally rich, and authentic indigenous tourism
If you are an indigenous entrepreneur
uninterrupted development of a sustainable,
industry in British Columbia. Tourism is British
Columbia’s second-largest lucrative industry,
providing aboriginal tourism companies with new opportunities for economic development and
sharing the living language, culture, and traditions of aboriginal people will further deepen their
planning to start a business but don’t know
where to start, these resources will definitely help you find your way. Moreover, they also
provide any assistance you may need, be it financial or anything else.
connections, helping them to grow efficiently. To know more about Indigenous businesses in Canada, do not forget to subscribe to our monthly CanadianSME Small Business Magazine.
Indigenous Business Development Services The Indigenous Business Development Services
was established in 2017 to expand resources for indigenous business groups in British Columbia.
IBDS works directly with BC-based organizations, operating in or near aboriginal communities. It
hosts business development programs within its
communities. Indigenous people in BC won’t have to pay for these online workshops.
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5 THINGS TO CONSIDER
before starting your own business
Starting a small business isn’t easy. Here are five things you should consider before taking the plunge and starting your own company in Canada. Small-scale businesses are the backbone of the
Canadian economy. As per the official website of the Government of Canada, “As of December 2019, the Canadian economy totaled 1.23 million employer
businesses. Of these, 1.2 million (97.9 percent) were
small businesses, 22,905 (1.9 percent) were mediumsized businesses and 2,978 (0.2 percent) were large businesses.”
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Bringing aboard quite sustainable, ingenious, and creative concepts,
small-scale businesses have taken the Canadian market by storm. However,
there is a reason behind the immense
success and widespread market share of the small-scale industries – proper
planning and execution. Without this, it
is impossible to survive in an uncertain economy and amidst tough times. Therefore, before starting a small
business in Canada, here is a list of
five things that you must absolutely consider.
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Determine Your Budget
There Will Be Legal Responsibilities
To build something from the scratch not just takes time
A business comes with its own set of
can spend, however, as an entrepreneur it is important
amongst the most important. You have to
but also money. While there is no limit to how much one to determine your budget before starting a business.
Because you will require to spend a number of things,
without strategically planning this aspect, all your effort will be wasted. You will have to accept that it may take years before you become profitable and you receive
your first paycheck. So you will have to cut down on all
unnecessary expenses. Ask yourself – are you ready for this? Look, research, find an answer, and then proceed.
responsibilities and the legal ones are ensure that you are not violating any laws put down in place for your
municipality, state, city, and country. Projectmanager.com rightly explains
“you’ll want to seek counsel to make sure you’re not opening yourself up for a lawsuit. There are different ways to
approach the legal issues of a new
business depending on whether you’re a large corporation or a small business, a
Understand the Basics of Funding
non-profit or working with the government.”
Business and its various aspects is an expensive task
and it’s natural that everyone does not have that kind of comes in. As jumpstart puts it, “Start with your personal
Get Proper Support From a Mentor or an Expert
may help you secure loans at a lower rate and allow
Naturally, you may be setting foot in the
money. What to do then? Well, that’s where funding
finances. Know your credit score because good credit you to get small business loans if needed. Have a budget for your personal finances.
Next, consider your business finances. Prepare a budget and financial projections to help avoid financial pitfalls
and to determine the scale of your initial offerings. Then decide how you’ll fund your business.”
completely unknown territory while
starting a new business. In such a space, support from a mentor or an expert can help you choose the right path. It is a good thing to admit that there is a
problem where you need help and seek guidance from the right sources. So,
when you feel like your progress has plateaued, trust in that an expert or
The Power of a Powerful Marketing Strategy So you have a plan ready, the funding is done and
you’re about to start. But have you wondered how will people get to know about your business? Well, that is where the importance of marketing comes in.
Additionally, it’s not the local market where you have to spread the word. Be ambitious and target a global
audience which can only be done when you have an
online presence. To excel in the snickets and ginnels of
the world wide web, you will need to consider a properly placed marketing strategy around your business.
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mentor to provide an outside viewpoint to help surmount the problem.