In one of my last blog posts, I discussed starting a side hustle business and the advantages of doing this in Prince George. As the business I started matures, I am slowly feeling more connected to the entrepreneurial community the city has to offer.
As a small business, one of the best ways to position yourself for growth is by aligning yourself with, connecting to, and leveraging your local community. When you are able to do this, you may gain new opportunities to work with other local entrepreneurs to achieve a common goal – finding success in your business.
-
Photo Credit: Giles Palmer
How to check off your to-do list as a start-up business in Prince George
I wanted to do a follow-up to emphasize all the great resources available in this city to grow, flourish and succeed as an entrepreneur. There are lots of amazing professional services in Prince George that provide resources, and the ones I highlight below are ones I have personally used or am familiar with in my entrepreneurial journey.
The Want: Local Resources to Help your Business Succeed
Organizations like Community Futures Fraser Fort George, SupportPG and Futurpreneur Canada are ones that I have used during my business tenure. These organizations provide financing options, mentorship, business coaching and other development services for entrepreneurs. They’re great options for seed phase companies through to mature companies ready to sell their business.
In the recent months, I have also connected with groups in Prince George that offer networking opportunities, mentoring and advice, particularly the LEAP for Women and the Business Leaders of Northern BC LinkedIn Group (founded by our very own local business visionary Doug Bell). I work primarily from home and while I love the commute, it gets very boring when the only personality I interact with face-to-face is my dog . These networks provide a space to experience a different person’s perspective on things and a sounding board for your ideas.
Both Leap and Business Leaders of Northern BC are local and people in these groups understand the realities of owning a business in Prince George. Networking groups are also a great place to learn new stuff. Whether it’s how to use social media to your advantage or information on upcoming networking events, these groups offer terrific value for the time and effort spent.
The Want: Advertising Photography and Headshots
I have been working on building a brand strategy for my business over the last few months and I had the pleasure of working with a local media professional, Giles Palmer, to complete some headshots and advertising photography. Giles, like many entrepreneurs in Prince George including myself, told me about the need for quality services like his. We had a great time not only chatting about the work he is doing, but also about the nuances of working in a niche market in our community. It was such a great experience and I was happy to connect with another local entrepreneur. Not to mention, the quality of his photos was incredible! He was nice enough to show me a few sneak peeks of his photography.
-
Giles Palmer
The Want: Branding Strategy, Website Design and Marketing
As part of my branding strategy, I also was looking to refresh our company’s website. I had some great feedback from my local mentors who told me that while my work was unique and valuable, my website was technical and dull. I was looking for a local company to design a website to help me showcase my business and came across Splash Media Group. Based in Prince George, Splash provides brand strategies, develops marketing solutions, and executes everything through a wide variety of production services. They did everything they could to understand my business and its needs, while being friendly and personable. I am so excited to unveil the new website in 2022 when it’s ready.
I know of some other really great website and media professionals in Prince George who impress me with their work: Busy Boss Communications Co. and Grace by Design.
Navigating a business can be hard, but in my experiences there are professional accounting firms, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, web developers, photographers, business coaches and everyone it between in Prince George to make sure your business succeeds.
If you have a favourite resource or business in Prince George that elevated your entrepreneurial journey, please feel free to comment and share your story.
