Spotlight on Hexa Foods: Changing the Way We Think About Pet Food

What do a finance professional, mechanical engineer and operations and sales guru have in common? An innovative new business, that’s what. Philippe Poirier, Paul Shenouda and Mathieu Poirier started their business, Hexa Foods, a Montreal-based company that develops, manufactures and sells eco-friendly and radically sustainable pet foods made with edible insects. Their first brand, BugBites, is a line of premium dog treats made with cricket protein and natural and recognizable ingredients, without preservatives or artificial flavours.

But why did the three young entrepreneurs decide to create dog treats from edible insects of all things? Firstly, they wanted to bring awareness to the field of entomophagy. “Edible insects open up new possibilities regarding health benefits for dogs, which already eat them naturally,” Phil explained.

Secondly, Phil, Paul and Mat have a common passion in food and are dedicated to helping to reduce the impact of the food system on the environment. After reading a UN study on the prospects of integrating insects into our food system for ourselves and our animals, they saw an opportunity. According to the study this was the best solution to solve global hunger and reduce the environmental footprint of our food production. The three business gurus realized that many people may not be ready to eat insects themselves quite yet, but their pets were already feasting on them in their own backyard, so the idea for BugBites was a no-brainer.

Insects use fewer resources to produce the same amount or protein. “Crickets need 2,000 times less water, ten times less feed, and emit 100 times less greenhouse gas then beef for one pound of meat,” Phil explained. “They are extremely effective in transforming resources into a rich, complete and healthy protein. By using natural and wholesome ingredients in insect farming, we can help reduce the negative impact of the food system on the environment.” Much like humans, many pets have difficulty digesting highly processed foods and a can be allergic or intolerant to traditional proteins and grains.

Going from full-time careers as an investment banking analyst (Phil), mechanical engineer (Paul), and sales and operations professional (Mat), into the risky but exciting world of entrepreneurship, was not easy. But, the partners were driven by a shared desire to do things better and challenge the status quo. “When we believe something needs to be changed, we have a hard time waiting for someone else to do it,” he said. “We like to see five to ten years in the future and try to build that future.” The partners get a thrill out of being part of a small group that tackles big challenges and enjoy having their limits pushed constantly.

One of the biggest challenges for Hexa Foods has so far been changing the mindset of traditional consumers who stick to what they know, and encouraging them to try something new and innovative. On top of introducing an innovative product to the world, they are also trying to be innovative in their distribution, customer acquisition, engagement and product development. “We have had to maintain a delicate balance between bringing radical innovation to this traditional industry and making sure that our clients and partners understand and are comfortable, and somewhat familiar, with our approach,” Phil explained.

Hexa Foods were selected to participate in the Spin Master Innovation Fund, a program run by Spin Master Ltd. and Futurpreneur Canada that gives young entrepreneurs with innovative ideas up to $50K in financing and access to specialized training and resources.

According to Phil, participating in the Spin Master Innovation Fund  had many positive effects on their business. It gave them their first opportunity to pitch their business to others. It also helped increase the level of credibility of the business – giving them a competitive boost in the market. Finally, the financing they received through the program enabled them to move from research and development to production and helped them secure a spot on the shelves of the largest pet supplies chain in Quebec, Mondou.

As Phil, Paul and Mat continue working to change the way people think about the food they feed their pets (and themselves), the trio share this advice with aspiring entrepreneurs:

“Be confident in your ability to learn. Once you are convinced of the relevance of your idea, establish a couple of initial milestones to be achieved, but do not confuse them with having all the answers. You will get more and more confident as you move forward without having all the knowledge you think you need. People will embrace the fact that you want to learn and help you if you are proactive. Don’t wait for every piece of the puzzle to be in place before making the leap. Keep identifying knowledge gaps that you know are necessary for you and actively learn and talk to people that will help you close that gap. Find people that share the same passion and vision as you do, and get them on board. Clarify your strategy as you go, and execute it.”

You can like BugBites on Facebook here, or follow them on Instagram here.  

Written By: Lauren Marinigh, Social Media & Content Creation Coordinator, Futurpreneur Canada

Spotlight on Vitaly: Growing a Business Globally in Four Years

When starting a business, it’s every entrepreneur’s dream to see real growth year over year. Doubling in growth from the year before would make any entrepreneur jump up and down on their bed with excitement, but can you imagine if that growth continued exponentially?  That kind of success would make you feel like you’re on a never-ending sugar high. Vitaly, a lifestyle unisex jewelry, watch and clothing brand based out of Toronto, has been on that continuous growth sugar high since opening in 2012.

With a team that has reached 25 people, products retailing in hundreds of stores across the globe, and a flagship store opening on Queen Street West in Toronto, Vitaly’s business is now a global success. But how did they do it?

In 2011, Shane Vitaly Foran, now Vitaly’s Founder and Designer, found himself in Ubud, on the island of Bali in Indonesia, where he was working with craftspeople and sketched his first piece of jewelry. When he returned home to Toronto, his friends loved the things he brought back, so he decided to merge his business smarts with his newfound passion. Within four years, Vitaly is now found not only in North America, but in over 15 countries, and their line of products has expanded with it.

But how did Vitaly have such tremendous and quick success with growing their business? “Our first few years were focused on driving online sales because it allowed for immediate cash flow,” Shane said. “We made social media our best friend as it was the cheapest way to drive awareness.” Since the beginnings, Vitaly has now grown its fan base on social media to over 300,000 followers.  The key to that online success came from creating great content and being involved in their online community, Shane explained. “Find the people who influence your market and make sure they’re your best friend and have everything they need to tell your story.”

One of the biggest challenges that Shane identified with fashion brands is how long the cash flow cycle takes when it comes to wholesale. Once Vitaly had consistent cash flow from their online business, they eventually started working with countless major chains and big box retailers. “Cash flow is always the biggest challenge when it comes to a rapidly growing inventory-based company,” he said. “We have had to be very methodical with how we spend our money, through constant cash flow updates, applying for more credit, etc.”

The growth of Vitaly has even spiraled out into two other ventures that Shane and his business partner, Jason Readman have founded. Clocks and Colours, described as a wild and untamed collection of accessories for men, and a boutique consultancy, JRSV Consulting, which helps entrepreneurs open their first fashion and retail boutiques.

Futurpreneur Canada is excited to continue to watch this company grow and expand, and for words of advice for other entrepreneurs looking to grow their business, Shane said: “Focus on solving one problem at a time, but if there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, move on. This will likely be the most difficult journey of your life, so be ready to give it absolutely everything you have and be ready to make sacrifices. But most importantly, be ready to face the possibility that your first path or maybe several paths may lead to dead ends. If that’s the case, pick yourself back up, find a problem that someone wants solved, and solve it for them.”

You can follow Vitaly on Instagram, and Facebook, and find their products in these locations or online.  

Written By: Lauren Marinigh, Social Media & Content Creation Coordinator, Futurpreneur Canada

Spotlight on Happy Homebrewer: How to Keep Your Cool (and Your Clients) in a Crisis

Want to make your own wine, beer or cider? The Happy Homebrewer is the place to go in Victoria, British Columbia. The Happy Homebrewer allows customers to make batches from scratch, and even create custom beverages made from their own picked fruit. “A good year for apples is a good year for cider,” Duncan and Laura Blackman, the Owners behind Happy Homebrewer explains.

Duncan Blackman, the operations and client relationship manager at Happy Homebrewer is able to completely customize customer’s batches, allowing everyone to leave with something completely unique to them and their taste. The Happy Homebrewer also offers a full range of equipment and supplies for those customers that want to brew their own batches at home.

The Happy Homebrewer is run by Laura and Duncan Blackman. Duncan started in the fermentation hobby by making mead (honey-based alcoholic beverages) and experimenting with different compositions and flavours. Beer and wine soon followed, and shortly after, Laura and Duncan’s little family moved to a space large enough to support expansion of Duncan’s home equipment. With Duncan’s passion, and Laura’s business degree and entrepreneurship specialization, the pair built a business plan, raised the purchase capital, and took ownership of the Happy Homebrewer, a business that was up for sale in the area in 2012.

But on June 4^th, 2015, the business partners never anticipated what was coming next. After closing the store that night, they got a call only an hour later from their security company alerting them about a fire alarm at the store. Within ten minutes, Duncan was back at the store to find the fire department putting out a fire, and smoke pouring out of the building—a nightmare for anyone, but especially two entrepreneurs that had just pursued their dream, and put in hard work to purchase and grow their own business.

The cause of the fire was determined to be faulty wiring in a stereo that was part of the equipment included when they purchased the business. “This electrical failure took out the device itself, as well as all the supplies and stock around it,” they explained. Thankfully, Duncan had closed the doors to the production room containing the stereo before locking up, so the fire wasn’t able to spread, but the flames from the fire broiled the contents of the room at about 425°C. “This evaporated batches in production, released toxic smoke throughout the store and compromised the entirety of our stock, as well as a good portion of the internal structures and fixtures,” Laura described.

No business owner wants to ever be faced with such a devastating catastrophe, and the incident was a complete and unexpected learning curve. “It was a total shift in gears and perspective to have the business literally go up in smoke,” they said. “There is a complete loss of control; you go from making all the decisions—big or little, good or bad—about how the business operates, to making virtually none.” Laura explained that once the insurance claim was opened, their influence was minimal and the only choice they had was how to react to the tiny pieces of information that were made available to them. They were left trying to figure out how to use the tools they had left, which was mainly their network, client lists, industry contacts, records, and research. On top of that, the uncertainty as to how much time they had without a store or income was stressful. “We still feel a bit like we’re on the outside of our own operations, waiting for someone else to tell us what the plan is and when we can reach the next milestone,” Laura said.

Almost a year after the fire, Duncan and Laura have learned some valuable business lessons that can help you keep your cool – and your clients – in a crisis:

1) Stay in touch with your client base as much as possible
Being transparent about what you are going through and communicate as soon as you know anything about the progress or timelines to keep everyone in the loop on your story. This will hopefully leave your clients feel like they are still top of mind, even in a crisis.

2) Be realistic about the return to operations
Even if you have experts telling you otherwise, take the worst case scenario and add 25% to time and cost. Be prepared for a process that might take longer than anticipated. For example, when applying for insurance, you will need to find every clause that is helpful for your situation and apply for each section in your policy.

3) Be optimistic
As long as your insurance is adequate, you will make it back eventually. In the meantime, reach out to your community. Draw on that energy and momentum to stay focused on the positive aspects of rebuilding and providing service to the community again.

4) Remember, not having a store doesn’t mean not having a business
Keep up to date on trends in the industry, and look for opportunities to improve your operations when it’s all coming back together again. It’s a total reset, so you can consider all the things you didn’t have the time or capacity to build into your business before.

Through this long and hard process, Laura and Duncan never lost sight of their customers. One of the big things they did from the start was create a customer survey to check in on how their customers thought they were doing, and to give them insights on improving their communications and offerings. The pair also started posting regular updates on reconstruction progress, and made additional effort to be transparent, while reassuring everyone who lost batches that their product would be replaced. “Duncan has stayed active on social media throughout the store closure, providing advice and support to the brewing and vinting communities, even while unable to provide materials,” Laura explained.

Laura and Duncan have been through a lot with their business, but their passion and community support have gotten them through it. The pair had a soft reopening on March 1^st, 2016, and a formal ribbon cutting ceremony on April 2^nd, 2016. Although the business owners are feeling the exhaustion of starting a business all over again (even after four years into successful operation), they didn’t want their customers to wait any longer. “We wouldn’t be here without our customers, friends, family and community. We owe a lot to them and want to make sure our business sticks around for a long time to help invest in our community the same way they have invested in us.”

You can follow the journey of Happy Homebrewer on Facebook and Twitter.

Written By: Lauren Marinigh, Social Media & Content Creation Coordinator, Futurpreneur Canada 

Spotlight on Sunberry Fitness: Bringing Bunnies to the Yoga Mat For a Good Cause

After finishing her Master’s Degree in Finance at the University of British Columbia, Nancy Lin teamed up with her friend, Julia Zu, who was working in the financial industry to start Sunberry Fitness in Richmond, British Columbia. Sunberry Fitness is a women-only fitness centre specializing in fun fitness classes in a safe and supportive environment.

In January 2016, Nancy and Julia received an unexpected burst of media attention from places like CBC, Buzzfeed, Yoga Australia, Huffington Post, and were talked about widely across social media around the world. So what was it that caught the media’s attention? A charity event for Bandaids for Bunnies, which consisted of a yoga class featuring an unusual guest, bunnies!

Bunny yoga is a flow/yin yoga class where ten bunnies roam freely around the room. Flow and yin yoga are gentler yoga styles that involve slower movements which prevents the bunnies from getting scared or stepped on by the yogis. The classes were put together to support Bandaids for Bunnies, a local organization that helps former pet rabbits that were abandoned by their owners.

The idea for the unique fundraiser came from one of Sunberry Fitness’s customers who posted a message on their Facebook wall about  a similar class that the Vancouver Small Animal Rescue held earlier in 2015. “She meant it as a joke, but we thought it was a fabulous idea,” Nancy shared. “The customer’s sister volunteers at Bandaids for Bunnies, so she put us in touch.”

Although bunny yoga isn’t something you will find anywhere, Nancy and Julia never expected to receive so much attention and buzz around the initiative. “We were expecting some media attention, but never to this extent,” Nancy explained. The pair thought that maybe some of the local press would pick up the story but were thrilled that with the international coverage it received, the event ended up creating so much awareness and media coverage for Bandaid for Bunnies. “They [Bandaids for Bunnies] have told us that other rabbit shelters across Canada have also expressed interest in hosting bunny yoga fundraisers in the future.”

Through this experience with partnering with a local charity, the pair learned that it’s important to make sure that the charity you are looking to work with is open to customizing the event so both your business and the charity is showcased together, in a way that meets both your goals.

The success of this local initiative brought Nancy and Julia to the finals of the Small Business BC Awards in the Best Online Marketing award category earlier this year where five finalists were invited to present to a panel of judges who are experts in the online marketing industry. “We were really surprised to make it to the finals, because there were many online marketing companies that entered the competition,” Nancy explained. “In fact, we got selected over eight online marketing companies to be in the finals.” Although Sunberry Fitness didn’t bring home the award, they describe the competition process a very good learning experience. “We learned about the different metrics that you can use to track marketing success and we had the opportunity to really develop our presentation techniques,” Nancy explained.

Due to the success of these events, Nancy & Julia have decided to try and host classes every couple of months in support of Bandaids for Bunnies, you can stay tuned for events and future classes at Sunberry Fitness here.

Written By: Lauren Marinigh, Social Media & Content Creation Coordinator, Futurpreneur Canada 

Spotlight on George Christakos of ACE Burger Co.: From Pop-Up to Permanent

Since 1956, the Christakos family has been involved in the restaurant business, and when George Christakos started working in the family business at a young age, he would daydream about the businesses he would open when he was older.

Fast forward to when George was 23 and his father took notice to his work ethic, and suggested that the two of them put that effort into their own venture.  From there, Brooklyn Warehouse opened in 2007, followed by Ace Burger Co. in 2012, and a recent venture, Battery Park Beer Bar & Eatery in December 2015. It’s evident that George was bitten by the serial entrepreneur bug.

After the success of their first food establishment, Brooklyn Warehouse, and the trickle down of the 2007/2008 financial crisis which caused many closures of fine dining restaurants, the food industry started to see a trend in top chefs that were laid off, popping up again in less traditional establishments like food trucks, and even illegal restaurants run out of their homes. “The bursting of the sub-prime housing bubble sent the food culture pendulum back towards affordable, yet indulgent, comfort food and simplistic service,” George explained. “We wanted to be part of this, but we didn’t want to be tied to a brick and mortar business to do it. We wanted our new business to be simple, affordable and not conventional.”

George and his father started looking at many locations to make their next food project a reality, and that’s when they found an underutilized kitchen in a long-standing pub in the heart of the North End of Halifax—Gus’ Pub. George explained that their ACE Burger pop-up was an experiment to see if the location was viable for a long-term business. “We picked a one day local shopping event called Open City, where businesses were asked to put on an open house of their wares, and the public was asked to take it all in,” George described. “The pop-up was a tremendous success, with line-ups around the corner and a sold out menu.”

It was evident that the whole gourmet burger thing was trending across Canada and the father-son duo, knew that there would be players in their market soon—so they were going to have to jump into the market first before competitors did. After testing out ACE Burger as a pop-up shop, George and his father felt confident in investing in the equipment and renovations needed to turn the pop-up into a permanent fixture at Gus’ Pub.

But starting a pop-up shop didn’t come easy, George explained that great businesses come from chiseling away at problems and inefficiencies over time where a pop-up, by its nature, doesn’t have that timeline. “Doing a pop-up without knowing the volume of sales you are going to have, or not knowing about that thing (whatever that thing may be) you need to get the job done is a challenge,” George said. “Take the time to do a mock service of your pop-up with friends and family so you can see any potential pitfalls or tools you may need to execute properly on opening day.”

When I asked George what his biggest tips were for entrepreneurs wanting to open a pop-up shop, he mentioned three key things:

1) Doing the due diligence

Do the due diligence to make sure that the operators (pop-up shop operator, and the landlord or business owner of the space of your pop-up) share common values and are clear with who the target markets area. “One of the hurdles a pop-up shop operator could face is working within another business’ space and culture,” George advised.  “You have to make sure that the business within a business is the right fit or someone may not be happy.”

2) Marketing is huge

You can’t just open your doors and think people are going to come in because you feel you have a cool space and a good idea. George explains that you have to create awareness and do it frequently. “Anywhere you spread the word is good—print, online, in person. Let people know what you are doing, and let them know the benefits of coming to visit your business.”

3) Numbers are important

“Nobody is going to give you a medal at the end of the day for how many hours you put in,” George explained. “If you aren’t making your rations then in a way, it’s all for nothing.” Getting comfortable with numbers and the math you’ll need to run your business will help save you the stress and money later on.

With the popularity of ACE Burger leading to another food venture for George and his father, Battery Park Beer Bar & Eatery, we can’t help but wonder what’s next on these entrepreneurs food journey.

For more information about ACE Burger Co., click here.

Written By: Lauren Marinigh, Social Media & Content Creation Coordinator, Futurpreneur Canada

A Conversation on Business Expansion with AJ Khan of IICIE

As an entrepreneur, you probably naturally dream about growing your business—whether regionally, nationally or internationally—but expanding isn’t an easy move to make, and entrepreneurs often face many challenges along the way, especially if they’re not properly prepared or ready to grow.

We chatted with AJ Khan, CEO of the International Institute of Certified Innovators & Entrepreneurs (IICIE), a global organization for innovation and global start-up entrepreneurship. IICIE offers programs to help unique and innovative startups expand internationally, and to enhance the small business and corporate innovation ecosystem. AJ offered some insight for small businesses wanting to expand, from what they should consider before deciding to grow your business. .

AJ explained that entrepreneurs need to ask themselves why they want to expand before they decide to make the move, and they also need to be ready for expansion. By expanding your business you’ll potentially increase sales and gain global brand recognition, which can be incredibly beneficial for your business, but only  if you’re  prepared to keep up with this growth.

But how do you know you’re ready to expand your business? AJ Khan recommends asking yourself these five questions to find out:

1) Are you successful in your home market?

It’s not just a simple yes or no. Answering yes doesn’t mean success in a new market will be guaranteed, and answering no could actually mean your business will benefit from reaching new customers. This question is more about understanding why you are (or aren’t) successful in your home market, and whether expanding outside your market would or would not increase your sales.

2) Is the majority or a big part of your profit coming from outside your local market?

When you analyze how sales are going in your home market, you might find that your business is thriving but that the bulk of your customer base is actually located somewhere else. This would make a good case for expansion right away, as it’s really about increasing your current customers’ access to your product or service, and reaching new customers with similar buying needs through proximity.

3) Do you see organic growth (leads, sales, etc.) from outside your local market?

You might notice that sales are thriving in your local market, but, increasingly, you’re seeing growth coming from outside that market. This is a good indicator that expanding to that new market could be a lucrative move for your business. You would benefit from exploring it further through market research.

4) Do your highest value customers come from outside your current local market?

Similarly, you might be doing well at home, but customers coming from outside your local market have an even greater need for your product or service. Maybe they’re in a location where your product or service more of a novelty, with fewer competitors offering similar options. If you see this kind of trend, it’s worth diving deeper to try to understand what’s motivating these customers.

5) Are you getting demo requests and/or referrals from outside your current market?

If you’re noticing that you’re starting to get interest from a new market, this could indicate a potentially valuable space in which to expand. You should explore new markets where you’re getting referrals and get an idea of the potential that might lie in this new opportunity.

If you answered yes to the above questions, expanding your business into new markets could be a great next step. But there are many other things to consider before moving forward. Interest from customers in a new market is a good start, but you’ll need to research a host of other things—potential competitors, culture, government regulations and logistical practicalities to name a few—before you can truly know whether to start up business in a new market.

Stay tuned for the next segment of this series, where AJ Khan will share his advice on how to overcome the biggest challenges to expansion and position your business for success.

Written By: Lauren Marinigh, Social Media & Content Creation Coordinator, Futurpreneur Canada 

Spotlight on Jenise Lee of CertClean: Turning Loss Into Motivation to Solve a Problem

As a solopreneur, Jenise Lee had to learn quickly how to balance the demands of starting her own business. For many entrepreneurs, other aspects of their life get put on the side burner while they navigate the start-up world, but for Jenise, not only was she starting her business, CertClean, but she was also caring for, and later grieving for her brother who had stage four brain cancer.

Jenise explained that the challenges of regaining her work rhythm after her devastating loss, or even just getting out of bed to push her business forward was overwhelming. “Yet, during my own introspection, I realized that during the best of times, I loved working on CertClean, and during the darkest moment, I learned that there was no other problem I wanted to solve other than getting rid of potentially cancer causing chemicals in the world,” Jenise explained.

CertClean is North America’s certification for safer skincare and the first certification of its kind. CertClean focuses on vetting cosmetics and personal care products which are formulated without ingredients that may post risk to human health. So for beauty brands making safer or clean products, the certification is a way to give these products authentic distinction in the marketplace so consumers feel safe buying them.

In Canada, the terms “natural” and “organic” are not governed in the beauty sector, and depend solely on marketing regulations. Jenise explained that as long as one ingredient is natural, the entire product can be labelled as being natural, and the same goes for organic. “We have big brands using all the right buzzwords while the smaller brands, which manufacture products free from harmful ingredients, and typically all-natural ingredients are going unnoticed,” Jenise described.

It is clear in today’s society that consumers prefer and demand healthier products but it’s difficult for them to confidently determine what’s safe and what isn’t. This is why Jenise launched CertClean, not necessarily because she wanted to be an entrepreneur, but because the irony of us beautifying our bodies with products that may be intoxifying our bodies had to be addressed.

CertClean is currently only for Canadian companies, but Jenise will be expanding the United States later this year, and they already have a waiting list of American brands. In order for Jenise to grow and continue to grow her business, she applied to and was a recipient of the Spin Master Innovation Fund this past year. The program provided her with financing, mentorship, and exclusive opportunities to network and meet industry leaders to help launch and grow her business. Jenise explains that this program couldn’t have come at a better time as she was building a team to continue growing her company, and was juggling the loss of her brother.

On top of mourning the loss of her brother, Jenise had some other hurdles she had to overcome as a new business owner. “There were many moments throughout the entrepreneurship journey where I suffered analysis paralysis—over-thinking or over-analyzing, resulting in no actions taken,” Jenise explained. “However, I have learned to embrace that I will never have enough information, nothing will be perfectly planned or executed, and I will never obtain experience through endless thinking and planning.”

Jenise wanted to leave aspiring entrepreneurs with one piece of advice: “Don’t fall in love with your business idea, fall in love with solving the problem. The passion for solving the problem will fuel you to create the best solution—one that your prospective clients would be happy to pay for.”

To learn more about the Spin Master Innovation Fund and how it can help you start or grow your business, click here.

Written By: Lauren Marinigh, Social Media & Content Creation Coordinator, Futurpreneur Canada

Celebrating International Women’s Day with Futurpreneur Entrepreneurs

At Futurpreneur Canada, we get to work with so many inspiring female entrepreneurs. To celebrate International Women’s Day today, we wanted to chat with some of these fearless leaders on why they feel women should consider entrepreneurship as a viable career option, what and who inspires them, and the words they live by.

Emma Harding – Rockit Vocal Studios (Calgary, Alberta)

Why do you feel women should pursue a career in entrepreneurship?

I believe anyone who feels they have the entrepreneurial spirit should follow their dreams, male or female. But believing that as a woman you can do it as well as our male counterparts is incredibly important. In turn, we also get to be role models for future female entrepreneurs.

Do you have a female inspiration or mentor that inspires you?

My female mentors and inspirations were all rock stars! They worked hard to be heard and respected in the music industry, and in turn I use that as inspiration to drive myself, in certain areas where women are not always given the support or respect they deserve. You also have to know your business and industry inside and out, and be the best at what you do. There’s a big difference between a one hit wonder and a legend. This applies in business too.

What are your words to live by?

If it’s not fun, don’t do it. For an entrepreneur this is key. You are about to invest the majority of your life in to your business. If you don’t enjoy it, it won’t work, and you will be miserable.

April Link – Outer Coast Outfitters (Prince Rupert, British Columbia)

Why do you feel women should pursue a career in entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship requires a huge variety of skills and tasks, which is, I think, a really common demand of women’s personal, home lives as well. So, that part transfers over. Starting and running your own business puts all of the power to succeed in your own hands; not to say you cannot fail, but if you do, or if you only go so far, it is not because of a male-dominated corporate structure, glass ceiling or old boys club mentality. And by the same token, you have room to grow, be creative and succeed if the rest of the components are in place.

Do you have a female inspiration or mentor that inspires you?

I have three inspirations:

• My Baba seemed to me, as a child to be the ultimately capable woman; I never knew her to have a job out of the home, but she ran the household, grew a massive garden to feed everyone, always engaged us kids and kept her social life active.
• My friend, Pizarczyk struck me as super-powerful from our first meeting. I remember her telling me once when we had a VIP come visit the college that she introduced herself because that VIP needed to know who she was. That comment really taught me to share my value with other people and not let myself be overlooked.
• My canoe and kayak Instructor, Laurel Archer seemed to me to be living the dream, paddling and writing for a living. Although my dream is a bit different now, she made such a thing seem possible when I had never known a woman who did that before her.

And one inspiring mentor:

• Kristi Farrell, Owner of Opa Sushi and Cow Bay Cafe in Prince Rupert. She finds a way to run two busy restaurants, be a student, a mom and have a relationship with her husband, not to mention mentor me! I’m so glad to have someone who manages so much available to help and support me through my start-up.

What are your words to live by?

I’m not just building my business, I’m building my life the way I want it to be.

Anita Cheung – Social Yoga (Vancouver, British Columbia)

Why do you women in particularly should pursue a career in entrepreneurship?

I can’t speak for all females, but I find that a career in entrepreneurship allows me a sense of freedom- in time, creativity, and decision making, that I really appreciate.

Do you have a female inspiration or mentor that inspires you?

So many, but to list a few…

My official mentor, Lauren Armstrong of Party Skirts for her creativity, poise, and resilience.

Other notable mentions are Sonia Chhinji of Woodlot for her business prowess (while staying humble), Keighty Gallagher of Tight Club & Alex Mazerolle of Girlvana/ Distrikt Movement for paving the way and shaking up the world of fitness and yoga.

Not mentioned: all the incredible women I follow on Instagram both within Vancouver & around the world who are up to some great things.

What are your words to live by?

It’s either a good time or a good story.

Krystal Hobbs – Reflective Marketing (St. John’s, Newfoundland)

Why do you feel women should pursue a career in entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship is the greatest journey in self-discovery. While it’s not the reason I set out to start my own business, my personal growth has been the most surprising benefit of starting my own business. There is nothing more empowering than creating something. If you want to see how far you can go when the only person you have to depend on is yourself, start a business. Don’t wait until you feel ‘ready’ (spoiler alert: you’ll never feel ready)! Once you’ve experienced all the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, nothing will scare you.

Do you have a female inspiration or mentor that inspires you?

There are so many incredible female entrepreneurs out there. One inspirational entrepreneur that I’ve been following recently is Kimra Luna. She is a personal branding and online business strategist who built her business from nothing to nearly 1 million dollars in a year. What I love most about her is that she is unapologetically authentic; she follows her vision and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. She’s a great example of how to harness your personality to grow your business.

What are your words to live by?

I have two main mantras that help me get through the majority of the challenges that face my business. First is simply “say yes.” When faced with a new problem or an uncertain opportunity, it’s easy to be intimidated and not want to take a risk. I remind myself not to let my fear take over, to just say yes and figure out the details later. My second mantra is “do the right thing.” As long as I continue to do the right thing, I can sleep at night.

Elisa John – Enigma Hair Inc. (Oakville, Ontario)

Why do you feel women should pursue a career in entrepreneurship?

I feel women should pursue entrepreneurship because we have so much to offer the business world. More specifically, women are great at strategizing, multi-tasking and are highly creative; which can ultimately lead to great success as an entrepreneur.

Do you have a female inspiration or mentor that inspires you?

Devon Brooks is my mentor. Devon and I were connected through Futurpreneur Canada and I cannot begin to express how grateful I am and how blessed I feel to have Devon as my mentor. Devon’s industry know-how, her unapologetic and fearless outlook on entrepreneurship, and her mentorship style inspires me and have been instrumental in taking the Evr Hair brand to the next level. Through Devon’s mentorship I have taken risks that I would not normally have taken; through her coaching I have grown both as an entrepreneur and as a business woman. Devon is a natural born leader, motivator and creative mind who is committed to and invested in the success of every person she works with.

What are your words to live by?

There is a quote by Confucius that reads:

“Choose a job that you love and you will never work a day in your life.”

Through my pursuit of entrepreneurship I am beginning to see this saying come to life and it is exciting!

Ariane Truong – Midi Marketplace (Montreal, Quebec)

Why do you feel women should pursue a career in entrepreneurship?

Women definitely bring a different approach. Right now, the start-up world is very homogenized, but it’s clear organizations only benefit from diverse thinking. There are some interesting studies from places like Forbes that show women are changing corporate culture for the better – we’re considered calculated risk takers oriented towards sustainable growth – plus we’re more ambitious! Bottom line: it’s always stronger to have varied points of view and approaches to issues – and it’s definitely better for the economy.

Do you have a female inspiration or mentor that inspires you? 

I’m very inspired by women that had had tremendous success and are relatable – like Jocelyn Leavitt from Hopscotch. She created this amazing site to make coding accessible, but like me she started out from a totally different place, career-wise. I began my working life as an architect, she started out in real estate and education – and now she’s enjoyed huge success in the tech industry with Hopscotch. Maybe I’m projecting, but she seems down to earth and like overall nice person, and she created something hugely successful. It’s encouraging to look up to relatable women like her.

What are your words to live by?

One more step forward.

It’s sometimes so overwhelming in the startup world. You’re constantly compared to other organizations, there are highs, lows and super lows.  And there are definitely days where you want to throw in the towel and walk away. I just constantly remind myself to keep moving forward, no matter how small of a step it seems. And when that’s not enough to get me going, I remember my favourite Orson Wells quote: Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.

Gwen Richards of Fable Naturals (Vancouver, British Columbia)

Why do you feel women should pursue a career in entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship is about being free to choose your own path. Too often in the corporate world women have to face the gender gap both in pay and in career growth. When you create your own business you become the biggest factor in your successes and your failures.

Do you have a female inspiration or mentor that inspires you? 

I have always admired the Harriet Lamb, former CEO of Fairtrade International. Over a 10+ year period she transformed the face of fair trade in the UK and Europe and made a significant impact to so many people’s lives. As a campaigner for fair trade and poverty alleviation she is never afraid to get fully involved, visiting farmers in developing countries and taking a hands on approach to spreading her message. To make a difference like that you have be serious and driven about your work, yet Harriet always manages to create a fun atomopshere around her. She has an amazing wit and just lights up a room when she enters.

What are your words to live by?

Just go for it. If you wait for everything to fall into place perfectly, you’ll never make the leap.

Spotlight on Strawberry Blonde Bakery: Making Sweet Treats Available to Everyone

High-quality baked goods for people who suffer from food allergies or have alternative diets are hard to come by in Ottawa, Ontario, and that’s why vegan bakers, Claire Tomchishen and Jacqui Okum saw the opportunity to fill the gap with Strawberry Blonde Bakery.

Claire developed an interest in baking while watching her father knead bread and bake delicate pastries growing up, and after turning vegan, Claire was disappointed in the lack of quality options available for her, and slowly began altering family recipes. With a vision to eventually open her own bakery, Claire sought out additional education at Algonquin College in their Baking and Pastry Arts program which gave her the background she needed to turn her passion into a business.

Jacqui became vegan in 2008 and like Claire, noticed a lack of options available to her in the form of sweet treats. Determined to change this problem, Jacquie enrolled in the Baking and Pastry Arts Management program at George Brown College. After two years of mastering the art and skill of baking, both Claire and Jacqui were ready to create a bakery that catered to this market—and Strawberry Blonde Bakery was born, a bakery whose mission is to provide high-quality baked goods for people who suffer from food allergies or have alternative diets. The bakery produces products that are free from gluten, nuts and animal ingredients, plus soy-free options.

The dynamic baking duo took the leap into business together because they both had a dream of opening a bakery in this market, and loved each other’s baking, so instead of becoming competitors, they became partners. With similar ethics, and shared interests, Claire and Jacqui knew that they were setting themselves up for a successful partnership. The pair explains that the number one tip they have for a healthy and functional business partnership is honesty. “We’ve found that not voicing our concerns only causes resentment to fester,” they explained.

Being entrepreneurs, it was natural for there to be many learning curves when opening their own business. “The biggest lesson we’ve learned is the importance of keeping staff happy and morale high in the bakery to boost productivity,” the pair says. Jacqui and Claire explained that they regularly have staff meeting and make sure staff know there is an open communication channel between all levels of employees so everyone feels their voices are heard. Of course, being a business that makes delicious treats, Jacqui and Claire said they were huge fans of providing lattes and treats for their staff to show how appreciative they are of their hard work. “There can never be too much praise!”

Jacqui and Claire wanted to leave aspiring entrepreneurs with this one last piece of advice: “There are no shortcuts and owning a business requires an ample amount of patience and dedication. Though you’ll have to kiss goodbye to your social life for a bit, it’s totally worth it.”

Written By: Lauren Marinigh, Social Media & Content Creation Coordinator, Futurpreneur Canada

Spotlight on GAB: The Coffee Shop for Workers that is Shaking up the Idea of Collaborative Spaces

By 2020, it is estimated that more than 60% of professionals will be able to work remotely, a trend which will increase the demand in work spaces, such as coffee shops and collaborative spaces. Yet independent coffee shops have such thin profit margins, it will be increasingly difficult for them to survive if the self-employed work from there more and more, consuming little while taking up seating space. For their part, co-working spaces, while convenient, offer less flexibility. We see a market quickly being created, but with no solution in sight. Phil Héroux and Gab Dancause believe they have found the perfect solution with GAB, the first coffee shop for workers in Canada.

As a graphic designer and programmer, respectively, Phil and Gab have also been working as freelancers for many years. Being self-employed gave them the freedom to work while they travelled across the globe, whether it be on a train, a ferry, a plane, sailboat, in hotel lobbies, coffee shops and co-working spaces, or, simply, at home. A situation many would envy them for.

Yet, they admit it’s not always ideal. “I don’t know if you’ve seen Jerry Maguire, but many people dream of leaving their job like a rockstar to become self-employed,” Phil tells us. “The movie scene is cool, but afterwards, the reality of it isn’t quite ‘living the dream’.” The daily routine of working from home soon became redundant for them, and its loneliness was demotivating. In places where they could work, they just weren’t finding what they were looking for: “If you work in coffee shops, soon enough you’ll see the staff grumble when they see you arrive with your computer, cables, paperwork and business meetings, spending $5.00 in four hours. In co-working spaces, the spot can be so similar to your old job you begin to wonder why you quit in the first place.” One evening, over a couple of beers, the idea of a space with the atmosphere of a coffee shop combined with the functionality of a co-working space sprung to them. Thinking they could not be the only ones seeking that kind of working environment, GAB was born.

Described as a 50% co-working space, 50% coffee shop, GAB provides a compromise, adapting to the reality of the self-employed, as well as students. People pay hourly to sit and work, contrary to the monthly fees they would need to pay in co-working spaces.  For those looking for a more long term arrangement, GAB also offers weekly and monthly fee options. All the good sides of a co-working space are there, such as printers, a wireless network which, according to Phil and Gab, “defies the laws of Physics”, electrical outlets all across the walls, as well as meeting spaces. You can also book your spot and even bring your own meals.  Naturally, coffee is also served, and is, so they say, “without pretense, one of the best in town.”  More flexible and dynamic than a co-working space, more practical and professional than a coffee shop, GAB is one of a kind.

Since the launch six months ago, Phil and Gab had to modify their initial concept, as it is the case for many entrepreneurs. “An idea can be great on paper, but when someone physically enters your space, asks about your concept and then leaves, it can lead you to doubt yourself.” They’ve had to change prices, hammer home GAB’s business differentiation and improve the space, also converting a small space to allow people to enjoy a coffee without paying to stay on-site. To give potential clients a chance to discover and appreciate the concept at GAB’s, the first two hours are free of charge to all new workers or students who walk through the door.

If they had any advice to give, it would be the importance of passion when starting a business. They state that passion must come before profit interests, since issues, doubts, and hours of work necessary for the business to succeed will often not justify the financial return, especially the first year. “If your customer sees your passion as stronger than your thirst for making money, the relationship will be healthier and you’ll have a higher chance of succeeding.”

You can find the Café GAB at 4815 – A St-Laurent Blvd in Montreal.  For more information, check out GAB’s website, or its Facebook and Twitter pages.

Written By: Véronic Tremblay, Bi-Lingual Marketing Specialist, Futurpreneur Canada

Spotlight on Steam Whistle Brewing: Brewing Up a Successful Beer Business

Greg Taylor, Co-Founder of Steam Whistle Brewing, got an early start at being an entrepreneur after his father encouraged him to run a painting business when he was just in high school. Since then, Greg has run a number of enterprises and built an award-winning craft brewery that is a household name for many Canadians.  Hard work, patience, strong customer referrals and a stubborn refusal to leave behind an industry he loved, all contributed to Greg’s success with Steam Whistle.

From the late 1980s and 90s, Greg, had been working at a premier microbrewery along with Greg Cromwell and his now partner, Cam Heaps. The microbrewery had been bought out by a national brewer that was going to amalgamate production into their large facility. Because of this, the three friends lost the jobs that they loved. It was in 1998 when the threesome were on a canoe trip, talking about how they missed the brewery business that they decided to get back into the industry. Three Fired Guys was born, which later became Steam Whistle Brewing.

Since that life-changing day on a canoe trip, the brewery has far exceeded their expectations. “We had a five-year business plan when we opened and we had a vision of establishing ourselves as a significant player in the craft brewery industry,” Greg explained. “We never imagined that 15 years later, we’d be the largest independent craft brewer in the country.”

Like most craft brewers, Steam Whistle began being sold in their own backyard and didn’t begin expanding outside of their city, region and then province for several years. Greg explained that one of the issues with expanding is that Steam Whistle is a natural product, so they have to safeguard the shelf life to preserve quality. “We didn’t want to expand too quickly or without proper support for new markets or else our beer might languish on shelves and give consumers a bad first impression,” Greg said. Greg and Cam decided they would only move their product into other provinces when they had the resources to properly support it, and staff members willing to travel or move and establish the market for them.

The first province Steam Whistle expanded to was Alberta, and to do so they used an outside agent to represent them and their brand. They started off working with an agent that represented multiple brands, but soon decided that the best way to represent their brand in new markets was by hiring their own staff. “In the short-term this was a more costly proposition, but in the long-term it was the right decision,” Greg explained. “Your own people have true pride and passion for the brand and company which propels you to success.”

On top of building such a well-known beer brand, Steam Whistle Brewing has won countless awards for their work environment, such as being one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies seven years in a row, having one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures and being one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People. It’s evident that creating good beer isn’t the only priority for Steam Whistle, but also creating a workplace that employees love.  “On a Sunday night, we don’t want our employees dreading coming to work in the morning, we want them to be excited to be coming to the brewery, to participate with their ideas, to make our beer better each day and share in the success of the business,” Greg explained. “Without happiness you can’t have passion, and without passion you can’t achieve quality.”

Greg couldn’t emphasize enough the importance of tuning into your hiring and HR policies to support the culture of your business. “The most qualified person in the world won’t help your business if they don’t fit into the team already there,” Greg said. “When the culture of your organization is aligned with your vision and goals for the business, success is a sure thing.”

You can connect with OR you can hear more from Greg at Futurpreneur Canada’s Action Entrepreneurship Summit in May 2016. Stay tuned for more information and registration here.

Written By: Lauren Marinigh, Social Media & Content Creation Coordinator, Futurpreneur Canada

Spotlight on Work Here: Building a Community-Oriented Workspace

As Alex Wells and Arianne Pothecary jumped on the work-from-home bandwagon in 2012, it took a few years until it started getting old. Even though the pair worked from home together, they felt isolated—this was the birthing place for Work Here, a co-working space for suburban business professionals in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.

After months of research and networking with the members of the Maple Ridge community, Work Here evolved into what it is today—a co-working space that helps professionals build successful businesses through social networking, collaboration, business tools and workspace freedom. Alex explained that as entrepreneurs, they believe in adjusting their business tactics by listening to consumer input and taking action, meaning that they aren’t going to settle for what works, but evolve to what best suit their consumers.

In the initial stages of their business, Alex and Arianne went strong on the social media front before opening their doors to help develop a following. “Having a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram account with engaging content was a huge help with getting people’s attention,” Arianne explained. “I posted lots of images during the construction phase, giving followers a sense of involvement before even knowing us.” On top of social media, Alex played the role of networking guru and met lots of people within the city, including the mayor who has been one of Work Here’s biggest advocates. “We then hosted a big open house—we had a free raffle, tons of door prizes, and great local food,” Arianne explained. “The turnout was small but we had high enrolment, so quality over quantity was there.”

Learning what their real demographic was for Work Here was one of the hurdles they had to overcome. The pair explained that it’s easy to look at census and other data when starting your business proposal but in reality, you have to be willing to adjust your business model with the people in your community. “Listen to every customer, client, member and passerby to decipher where your focus must be,” Arianne advised. “Then adjust, and if your business gets stale again, repeat.”

Outside of finding members to join Work Here, bookkeeping and paperwork was a big challenge for Alex and Arianne. “For months we tried to save buck and do our own bookkeeping, but as creative types our numerical and organizational skills were lacking,” Arianne explained. “We strongly recommend getting a great bookkeeper that you can communicate with and trust.” Often time’s entrepreneurs have to realize that it’s impossible to be an expert in everything, and it’s okay to look for additional help and resources like Alex and Arianne did.

Alex and Arianne also had two pieces of advice for prospective or current entrepreneurs:

1) Be careful of “nice” people

“The type that say your place looks amazing and that they’ll sign up the next time they’re in and you never see them again. This created a sense of false security and inflated egos. Welcome, and actively seek out, constructive criticism from your peers. The best decision we made was to bring in a local business owner with great sales and business knowledge—with one look around, we had a laundry list of things to change, and since implementing those changes, we have seen memberships double and grown in professionalism and confidence.”

2) View your competition as a wealth of active field experience, not as competition

“Being in the co-working community, everyone is thrilled to share and collaborate, this has created great partnerships and trusts. This should be possible with other business models as well. Contact businesses outside of your immediate area and be honest about who you are and why you are contacting them. Ask them about their struggles and successes, tell them about your business and ask them for constructive input. Next time you’re out of town, drop into a similar business and introduce yourself. Build a community.”

Being passionate about sharing their knowledge and experience to help others and seeing people surrounding them succeed in making their goals and dreams a reality, are the most rewarding things for Arianne and Alex as business owners.

To learn more about Work Here, you can follow them on Twitter, and Facebook.

Written By: Lauren Marinigh, Social Media & Content Creation Coordinator, Futurpreneur Canada