Submitted by: Vivian Orr, SCC Communications & Publications Coordinator
I attended “Business Beginnings”, a FREEone-hour session that introduced me to Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WES) and their services. WES is a non-profit membership organization which works with women who are considering starting a business, purchasing a business, or operating an existing business.
Programs and services offered by Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WES) include business advisory and support services, start-up and expansion lending, networking and mentoring opportunities, and business development seminars which focus on entrepreneurial skill development.
I left “Business Beginnings” with quite a few interesting resources which I want to share:
· 24 page Start-Up Guide that includes:
o Step-by-step guide to starting a business
o Entrepreneurial self-assessment
o 10 Essentials of a business plan
o 7 Point checklist for your business plan
o Forms of business organizations
o and – the part that I really want to mention – three pages of contact information ranging from federal, provincial and municipal government contacts to Canada-Saskatchewan Business Service Centre, BizPal (licenses and permits), BizLaunch (free webinars for small business) to Western Economic Diversification Canada.
· WES hosts a Lunch Hour Series which includes topics such as:
o Selling & Buying Business
o Is Your Website Mobile Ready? and
o Image Matters! You can attend in either Regina or Saskatoon.
· WES also has interesting webinars both live and previously recorded ones:
o In the Green (How to ‘Green’ Your Business)
o Keep Calm & Lead On and
o To Incorporate or Not to Incorporate?
· WES has educational seminars:
o Business Planning Seminar, useful for those who are at the very beginning stages. Lending institutions want to see a business plan as part of their lending process.
o Financial Series
o Marketing Series
o Human Resources Series
· WES highly recommends the On-line Business Plan Development Seminar for those who cannot attend their seminars in person. It consists of 4 modules and is presented by the WECM Entrepreneurship Centre of Excellence.
· Another on-line seminar they mentioned is 100 Essential Small Business Skills presented by the GoForth Institute
· One more tidbit: Information Services Corporation (ISC) and the Government of Saskatchewan have partnered together to provide a website to complete the business registration process in Saskatchewan on-line.
WES staff were helpful, friendly and informative. If you are looking for education, support, advice, mentorship or a clear-eyed assessment of your business, consider contacting Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan Inc.
