Smart start

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STORY BY TARA LEVICK ILLUSTRATIONS BY LIA GOLEMBA

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Airdrie’s award-winning SMARTstart program has been pairing entrepreneurs with business mentors since 2014.

More than 100 people have completed the program. Entrepreneurs have opened businesses, grown their businesses and improved their business practices. Some participants also determine that their idea is not viable or that they don’t have what it takes to be an entrepreneur. SMARTstart also considers this a success. SMARTstart is all about helping entrepreneurs realize their potential. Meet six of the program’s current entrepreneurs and their mentors.

SMARTstart also has three mentors at large. They are not paired with an entrepreneur this year; instead they work with any and all as needed!

2020 Name: Elissa Breakenridge Business: As I have been working with children and families in Airdrie for more than 16 years, I have enjoyed watching this community grow. My education and experience in early childhood development has given me a passion and understanding of the impact the first five years of a child’s life has on their overMENTORS AT LARGE all health, resilience, happiness and later success in school. My experience working with parents, as well as WHAT IS THE NO. 1 QUALITY AN ENTREPRENEUR my own parenting journey, has helped me realize firsthand that the parenting adventure is both rewarding NEEDS TO HAVE IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL?and challenging and those challenges are a lot more Andrew Bennett (The I.T. Company): Persistence/ tenaciousness about achieving their objectives. manageable when a parent has supportive relationships and is equipped with valuable tools and information. I envision our business, Ready Set Soar!, to be a Joan Traub (retired, former owner of Airdrie Yoga Studio): welcoming place in Airdrie where parents and children Passion. They need to believe in their product or service and their ability to outshine their competition. can connect, learn and grow together while engaging in a variety of high-quality, interactive, evidence-based Early Childhood programs and workshops. Jo-Anne Yau (Masuch Law): An entrepreneur must be able to read the market – know where consumer demand My biggest challenge: Currently, my biggest challenge is balancing a full-time job while trying to start a business. is, where it’s going, and how to fit into the market. I want to be an entrepreneur because: I love the idea of creating something that is my own, in an industry I’m passionate about, while having a positive impact on the young families living in my community.

Name: Jennifer Berg

Business: Having lived in Airdrie for over 20 years, I have seen the city grow in so many ways. Young families make up a large portion of Airdrie and as such, the demand for more quality infant and preschool-aged programming has grown. Being a parent of three kids and having worked in early childhood development and parent education for the past 16 years, I know how exciting, and deflating, and frustrating, and challenging, and rewarding, and proud being a parent can make us feel. Ready Set Soar! will offer high-quality, evidence-based interactive classes that can help ensure that Airdrie’s parents can build strong, meaningful relationships with their children while benefitting from positive social interactions, valuable developmental information and confidence-building strategies. The little ones will learn social skills, build their brains and bodies, and have a fun adventure in every class. Parents with young children can partake in educational classes, one-on-one support sessions, as well as participate in social activities designed for the ongoing development of their children and relationships. My biggest challenge: I sometimes tend to get in my own way. I want to know everything about a process and then can get swamped down by the details. I am confident in my business partner and this business idea and need to be OK with taking some steps forward without being sure of the outcome. I want to be an entrepreneur because: It is important to me that my kids know that at no point is it too late to make a change and take a chance. We are not tied down to a job just because we have put so much time into it or went to school for it. I will follow my passion and find ways to create success – and I get to decide what that looks like for me.

The SMARTstart program, running since 2014, has assisted more than 120 entrepreneurs with the skills to set their business up for success.

The initiative is designed with entrepreneurs in mind to provide them with real-world business skills and access to tailor-made advice. The goal of the program is to increase the chance of new businesses surviving those first crucial years.

SMARTstart is delivered over eight months and connects the participants with online learning, workshops and mentorship. Each entrepreneur walks away with a completed plan – either feasibility, business or strategic – and connections to the Airdrie business community.

This issue, we continue our feature on smart entrepreneurs.

Name: Natashia Tiel

Business: Tiel Virtual Solutions is a freelance business that provides coaches, course creators and entrepreneurs with tech-savvy support for their online marketing and online course/virtual event needs. I love to help coaches and course creators reclaim their time by providing online marketing support that removes the overwhelm of needing to learn “all the tech.” In five years, I hope to have built a team of virtual assistants that will allow me to expand on the services offered as well as increase the available roster of clients. I want to help more entrepreneurs thrive with their online courses and marketing! My biggest challenge is: Time! Prioritizing the importance of working on my business, and not just in my business, and blocking out the time to market and grow so I am not merely surviving but setting up to grow and thrive. I hope SMARTstart, and my mentor, will provide the accountability and advice needed to create a strong foundation to grow. I want to be an entrepreneur because: I love the freedom that owning my own business provides my family and I – the freedom to be a stay-at-home-mom (or work-at-home mom). I enjoy providing stability for my family, as well as supporting my clients in their businesses by removing the feelings of overwhelm and helping them to spend more time doing what they love to do. Starting in the mid $400’s

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Name: Katie Downie

Business: Tartan’ Sweet is a business idea based on making fun with kids easier. When I was a full-time working mom I wanted to do fun things and create memories with my kids but rarely had the time or energy to make it happen. I want to make fun easy for busy parents by providing themed and seasonal survival kits containing everything parents need to create these memories, as well as customizable gift solutions to make every celebration easier. Through SMARTstart I am hoping to learn the basics of running a business that can easily adapt to the ever-changing environment. My biggest challenge: Myself; I need to gain focus and build confidence to put myself out there as an entrepreneur and business owner.

I want to be an entrepreneur because:

It’s always been my dream to own a business and work for myself, to have a true passion for what I do every day and show my kids that anything is possible if you work hard for it.

Name: Liz Holman

Business: As a new mom I spent hours trying to get my little one to sleep; I survived in a constant fog of sleeplessness. Little Sleep Coach was born from the idea of helping other moms who are also struggling during these trying years. I am here to support families in creating a healthy, well rested and loving family. I help babies and toddlers get the sleep they need not just to grow and develop but to thrive. My goal for SMARTstart is to create a foundation and framework to grow my business over the next five years. My biggest challenge: Educating families on the many different methods of sleep training and finding a method that works best for their parenting style. It is never too late to improve sleep and never too early to start. I want to be an entrepreneur because: I was where my clients are; the struggles, and isolation and sometimes shame that can come with wanting more sleep. I want to share my knowledge with parents and let them know that it is possible to have good sleep for everyone in the home.