Entrepreneurship

 

 

Doing Small Business In Saskatoon, Canada

by Yank Elliott, MBA & IAHBE
Staff Writer

Saskatoon, the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, is an area particularly
supportive of the entrepreneurial spirit, including small and home-based businesses. Anyone
wanting their own business can easily learn the basics and obtain personal mentoring if they want it. And there seem to be a lot of people in the area interested in all kinds of businesses, including MLM and network marketing.
Those who have been around these businesses for any time at all will recognize
Tom “Big Al” Schreiter, a very capable recruiter and publisher of helpful information for the MLM and home-based business market

“Big Al” told me how he decides where to go for his workshops. His newsletter has 50,000 subscribers around the world and he gets feedback and develops a feeling where many of these entrepreneurs are located. Saskatoon is one such place. You can see his workshop schedule and maybe find something to help you in your own business here. The fact that Tom Schreiter would come all the way up here from Texas means there’s a lot of business enthusiasm around here.
A high-percentage route to business success is to copy the success of others!
Pay attention to the ideas or reasons behind the entrepreneurs we discuss, and this article may give you a successful idea.

Saskatchewan grows half of the entire volume of Canada’s major export crops: wheat, oats, barley, rye, flaxseed and canola. Saskatoon is at the heart of this market, providing a variety of services and products to the farm sector. Mining is also an important part of the economy. The Saskatoon region is the world's largest exporter of uranium, and nearly two-thirds of the world's recoverable potash reserves are located there as well. Value added food processing is one of the fastest growing industries in Saskatoon, which is considered the agriculture biotechnology capital of Canada. Saskatoon was named "one of the best cities in Canada for knowledge based businesses" by the Globe and Mail in 1995 and has continued to develop its expertise.

Data supplied by the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority show Saskatoon economic growth No. 1 among Canadian cities. Because Saskatoon is in the middle of so much agricultural and mining activity, many small businesses are required to provide goods and
services to those working in these industries. As a result, twice as many building
permits have been issued than in the previous year. Business licences increased
almost 13% which included—GET THIS—23% more home-based business
licences. Saskatoon is more friendly to home-based businesses than appears on the surface. When I first read Bylaw No. 8075 I realized it covers EVERYTHING one might do at home including
strictly Internet e-commerce, MLM, and party plans. Then it became apparent
the licence fee is just $95 CAD with renewal usually $70 CAD which are negligible
sums for the privilege of operating a business. Home-based operations must be
profitable or they would not have increased more than 20 % a year! The opportunities
are certainly here.

The government and others provide readily available help for those wanting to start their own
business:

Starting a Home-Based Business

City of Saskatoon, Development Services

Urban Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program

Business Financing for Western Canada

Saskatoon Public Library – Business & Finance

Saskatoon Credit Union – Micro Loans For Small Business

Canadian Rural Information Service – Microcredit Pathfinder

Saskatchewan Advanced Technology Association – Opportunities and Government Procurement

SourceCAN Partnering & business opportunities network

Canada Business – Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan Incorporated

These are sources of business training:

University of Saskatchewan Extension Division

University of Saskatchewan College of Commerce

Saskatoon Business College

Academy of Learning (Business, Computer, and Career Skills)

CDI College in Saskatoon (Business, Technology, Health Care)

Saskatchewan Program (Self-Employment Training)

Here are a few examples of home-based and small businesses in the Saskatoon area:

Usborne Books at Home in Canada

iTracks (Began as home-based business, now much larger)

PrairieWebs.com Home of prairie Websites (Website design services)

Small Biz eWorks (directory of Saskatoon home-based and small businesses)

Isagenix International

Cooper Virtual Office Services

Colony House Bed & Breakfast

Baobab Zulu Crafts

Amway Products Distributor

Complete Custom Computers

Herbalife Products (in Saskatoon)

Shaklee Independent Distributor

The area around Saskatoon obviously has many opportunities for a home-based business. We show
a few of these to illustrate the diverse business ideas abounding in this rural
area. The ones shown all have Websites, but there are numerous kinds of businesses
without a web presence. There are also many professional businesses we have
not shown such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, and psychological services;
these businesses are often operated as a home-based business. With all the ideas
shown—including MLM, arts and crafts, virtual assistants, and book sellers—you
should be able to develop a business idea of your own or expand your existing
home-based business. While researching articles I almost always discover one
or two new concepts to incorporate into one of my Websites. You can do the same.

Keep an open mind and pick one or two ideas to develop. You may find the niche that is right
for you and pave the way to your own financial security.

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Yank Elliott. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Yank is a home-based entrepreneur and freelance business writer living in Hurricane
Alley, North Carolina, USA. His Website is http://www.furriwhalesworld.com.
Contact Yank at globalbiz@furriwhalesworld.com.