"Business Beginnings" with the Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan Inc.

Submitted by: Vivian Orr, SCC Communications & Publications Coordinator

I attended “Business Beginnings”, a FREE one-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.