Small Business Start Up & Development Resources

Business Plan Template & Planning Info & Links
Great Market Research & Statistics Links
Tips on Selling to the Government of Canada
Business Magazines to Subscribe To

Business in China

Some local Vancouver business forums, funding and networking opportunities.
Telus New Ventures Competition Program. Turn your idea into a profitable company by entering the TELUS New Ventures BC competition. A "new venture" is a business idea that is economically viable, but has not yet secured material financing. It must be an innovative product or service involving a new technology. $60,000 in prizes to be won.	VANTEC - VEF Angel Technology Network Objective: To introduce early stage investors and mentors to promising technology (i.e. all advanced technology fields) ventures in British Columbia. Angels: Vantec Angels are accomplished Vancouver area technology entrepreneurs who wish to make early stage investments in, and sometimes provide mentoring or advice to, new companies.
ROB TV back east offers another unique approach to present your business plan with Michael Vaughan host of The Bottom Line Program. Tech Tuesday Watch entrepreneurs race against the clock and pitch their business plans to venture capitalists on The "60-second Pitch." An intense minute followed by a grueling Q&A with our expert panel of VCs. But it is worth it for the entrepreneurs: some have received big financing as a direct result of The Pitch. Plus, Michael Vaughan covers the latest tech stories, from defense surveillance technology to online executive MBAs. And at least once a month, Michael brings you an update on Canada's biotech industry. He travels across the country for major biotech events.	Vancouver Angel Forum The BC Angel Forum each spring and fall since 1997, has been introducing emerging companies to private equity investors. Tech and non-tech pre-screened companies seeking equity financing of $100,000 to $1 million, deliver "live" presentations to pre-screened private & corporate investors. Companies showcase their products & services during networking breaks and closing wine reception.
	The Vancouver Enterprise Forum, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of B.C.'s technology enterprises through its regular monthly presentations and networking opportunities.
Special Loans, Grants and Government Funding. Depending upon what kind of business your in their is various sources, funds and programs available. Check the links below to see if you qualify. (links go dead but you can almost always see the main page in the first part of the URL, then look for the related link.) Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) Financial Services Ministry of Competition, Science and Enterprise - Business Equity Programs Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) Sponsored Loan Programs Overview of Government Financing PDF File 31 pages 128kb VanCity Credit Union has a "Self Reliance Loan Program" based on character and business plan. Up to $35,000 can be obtained there with growth money up to 50k. Visit a local branch for details. Canada Trust also has a small business start up program. Visit your local branch. There are other creative financing groups and companies that may be able to help which you can usually find through a refined Google search. The money is out there so don't give up. In the United States see U.S. Small Business Administration at http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/

Business Planning Info & Links

A sound business plan is essential to starting and growing a business. You need the facts about your business to make sound financial and marketing decisions. You also need good planning tools to extract the information to give you the best picture of your business, its customers and the threats and opportunities facing you. Having skilled planners to guide your process and give you an objective view is often a good investment. Consider a business coach or expert strategist to help you create the best plan possible.

[Free business plan template to download. Microsoft Word Document]

The first place you need to visit is BC's Small Business Service Centre. (see links below)
Visit online or in-person to draw from the huge business resources and friendly helpful staff for support, data, resources, planning, and information for starting and building a successful small business.

Visit http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca and take the business workshops to get the basics on financing, marketing & planning.

Find a Business Service Centre in another Canadian Province.

eBusiness Connection provides your small or medium-sized enterprise with the information required to adopt e-commerce and e-business technologies. Visit the eBusiness Connection, located in the Canada/BC Business Service Centre, at: The Station (lobby level) 601 West Cordova Street, Vancouver, BC
Phone: 604.775.7343 email: info@e-bc.ca
Website: e-bc.ca

More BC's Business Service Centers (Planning/Finances/Resources)

Industry Canada. Canada's business and consumers site.
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/engdoc/main.html

Welcome to Western Economic Diversification Canada.
Better known as just WD, our mandate is to promote the development and diversification of the economy of Western Canada and to advance the interests of the West in national economic policy. WD fulfills its mandate through the following programs and activities:
- Innovation
- Entrepreneurship
- Sustainable Communities
http://www.wd.gc.ca/

The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is an independent corporation established by the Government of Canada in 1997, with a goal to strengthen the capability of Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and other not-for-profit institutions to carry out world-class research and technology development. http://www.innovation.ca/

The Science Council is a publicly funded, not for profit provincial Crown agency. Its mission is to promote economic development - which in turn enhances the quality of life for our residents - across British Columbia, through innovative applications of science and technology. http://www.scbc.org/home.html

Science Council of
British Columbia

IRAP's mandate is to stimulate wealth-creation for Canada through technological innovation. www.nrc.ca/irap/home.html

We want to increase the innovation capabilities of Canadian SMEs, and to do so we are committed to: 1. Provide excellent knowledge-based innovation assistance services to SMEs. 2. Provide access to relevant resources to support client innovation activities.

The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is Canada's small business bank. BDC plays a leadership role in delivering timely and relevant financial and management services, with a particular focus on the emerging and exporting sectors of the economy.

The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is Canada's small business bank. http://www.bdc.ca/

The B.C. Chamber is registered under the Society Act (B.C.) as a volunteer not for profit associations. As "The Voice of B.C. Business", The B.C. Chamber, through our local member chambers and corporate members, represents over 25,000 businesses throughout British Columbia. http://www.bcchamber.org

For more than 100 years, The Vancouver Board of Trade has helped businesses of all sizes to grow and prosper. Our mission is to work in the interest of our members to promote, enhance and facilitate the development of the region as a Pacific centre for trade, commerce and travel. The Board strives to enable and empower its members to succeed, grow and prosper in the global economy. http://vancouver.boardoftrade.com

The website for Canadian entrepreneurs and businesses. SOHO is focused on the success and growth of small office home office and SME (small and medium size enterprises). http://www.soho.ca/

Business Research & Statistics Links

Finding the facts and figures about your business and industry can be a challenge. When researching on the Internet be sure to gather data from reliable sources that you can verify. Below are a list of credible resources to gather data from.

Search Engine Tips: All search engines work a little different and have features and functions most people are not aware of. The best thing you can do is take 5-10 minutes to read the search engine manual to know how to best use that engine. Example; if you search in quotations - - - "goal setting"- - - you will get more targeted results.

How to learn about an industry: visit http://www.virtualpet.com/industry/howto/search.htm
Locating company information: visit http://www.llrx.com/features/company.htm

Canadian Government Statistics
[Statistics Canada - http://www.statcan.ca]
[Industry Canada - http://www.strategis.gc.ca]
[Government of Canada - http://canada.gc.ca/main_e.html]
[Health Canada - http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/]
[

Located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, BC Stats is the central statistical agency of the Province of British Columbia. http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/

USA Government Statistics
[US Census Bureau - http://www.census.gov]
[US Census Bureau Economic Programs - http://www.census.gov/econ/www/index.html]
[State & County QuickFacts - http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd]
[

Other Valuable Research Data Bases, Sites & Companies

Canadian
[The Fraser Institute. As an independent public policy organization, The Fraser Institute focuses on the role competitive markets play in providing for the economic and social well-being of all Canadians.]
[International Publishing & Development (IPD) is a privately owned and operated business
which helps provide Canadian companies with the opportunity to expand their business beyond
Canada's borders. http://www.worldexport.com]
[Frasers Canadian Trade Directory - Primarily to locate sources for products, manufacturers and distributors. http://www.frasers.com]
[Industry Canada to find information on a specific company or to locate supplies or generate leads. Also ot identify exporters by product and regions. http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_coinf/ccc/engdoc/homepage.html]
[Canadian Tourism. Information and analysis on the Canadian tourism industry.
[Canadian Trade Index. The Canadian Trade Index is used extensively throughout Canada and worldwide, and has grown to an easy to read Print Edition, a comprehensive CD ROM and an easily navigable Web Site. The CTI contains detailed information on over 29,000 Canadian companies, featuring over 94,000 product listings under 25,000 headings. http://www.ctidirectory.com/index.htm]
[http://www.researchinfo.com/ Information on the market research industry.]
[http://www.canada.com/businesscentre]
[http://www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/VPL/databases.html Vancouver Public Library has huge databases of information on any subject]
[http://www.retailcouncil.org/ Retail Council of Canada (RCC) has been the voice of retail in Canada since 1963. We speak for an industry that touches the daily lives of Canadians in every corner of the country.
[http://www.rmabc.org/ Retail Merchants' Association of British Columbia]
[
United States
[Thomas Food & Beverage Market Place. Using this comprehensive Online Database you can access information on over 40,000 Food and Beverage companies, products, key executives, corporate, facility information, and more. http://www.tfir.com/thomasfood/index.asp
[Thomas Register of European Manufacturers. On TREMnet.com, you can search for over 207,000 industrial suppliers, organised by 10,500 industrial product classifications, in 6 languages, and from 17 European countries. http://www.tremnet.com]
[Zdnet for computer software and hardware prices, special reports, reviews and data. ZDNET provides an invaluable perspective and resources so that users can get the most out of their investments in technology http://www.zdnet.com/Very valuable research site]
[http://www.mindbranch.com/ MindBranch provides a single objective source for market research
across multiple industries and publishers.]
[http://www.bizminer.com/ Industry analysis and trends]
[http://www.decisionanalyst.com/ Decision Analyst, Inc. is a leading international marketing research
and marketing consulting firm]
[Find an Association - http://www.marketingsource.com/associations/]
[
World
[World Chambers Network. Now, through your local Chamber of Commerce, your business will find new trade opportunities and partners worldwide ! WCN is your key to being a successful business in the 21st century. Our global network of Chambers of Commerce helps companies of all sizes expand their national and worldwide markets through secured, electronic commerce. http://www.worldchambers.com/]
[The Trade Show Central Broadcast Center is the multimedia channel for the Trade Show Industry. The goal is to connect the people who organize and support trade shows with those who attend and exhibit at them using leading edge Internet broadcasting technologies. http://www.broadcast.com/business/tscentral/main.html ]
[www.infoplease.com is a great source of World Almanac's, Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and Atlas's.]
[Find an Association - http://www.marketingsource.com/associations/]
[

Magazines
[Time Online]
[Business Week Online]
[Life]
[McLean's Online]
[BC Business]
[Business in Vancouver]

[Harvard Business Review]
[Fortune]
[Scientific America]
[Small Business Success Magazine]
[Entrepreneur Magazine]
[The Economist]

Local Business Training Programs
[Beyourownboss.org] (lists 8 SE programs & lots of small business links and resources) HRDC Supported

Another excellent source for research data is from trade associations. For almost every industry there are non-profit associations that support that industry and usually have an excellent website of data, links and resources you can benefit from. [simply search for "association of ........."] or visit http://www.marketingsource.com/associations/

Also be sure to visit in person the local business service centre and tap into the dozens of licensed data bases on their public access terminals and their library of trade & industry magazines and journals for the latest trends in your business. In BC the centre is located below. [elsewhere in Canada go to www.cbsc.org]

Selling To The Government of Canada

The Government of Canada buys approximately $14 billion worth of goods and services every year from thousands of suppliers. There are over 100 departments, agencies, Crown Corporations and Special Operating Agencies. Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) is the government's largest purchasing organization, averaging 50,000 contracts totalling eight billion dollars annually. While PWGSC buys goods for most departments of the federal government, the departments buy most services themselves.

The basics on selling to the Government of Canada. [click here - http://contractscanada.gc.ca/en/how-e.htm]

MERX is Canada's official, public-sector electronic tendering service. MERX has leveled the playing field so that businesses of any size can have easy, affordable access to billions of dollars in contracting opportunities with the federal government and participating provincial and municipal governments. http://www.merx.bmo.com/

Contracts Canada is an inter-departmental initiative to improve supplier and buyer awareness and simplify access to federal government purchasing information. You can register in the Supplier Registration Information (SRI) system as a potential supplier to the Government of Canada.

Welcome to BC Bid. Every day, new bid opportunities are posted to BC Bid® by the B.C. Public Sector. There is no charge to view or download bid documents. [http://www.bcbid.ca/]