It is March and spring is just a few days away!!
A few things to remembers as we head into longer days and warmer temperatures.
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Take care of yourself…..
We know that our businesses in the Shuswap are still having some challenges and there is still some uncertainty ahead. We see business owners working long hours, having challenges with staffing, and there is a lot of extra work just maintaining your business with the new COVID guidelines. So how can business owners protect their mental health in a crisis and maintain, or restore, a sense of personal balance? Here is an article for you with six easy tips to maintain your mental health. Also reach out for help if you need it – talk to a friend, a co-worker, or if you need to reach out to a professional call CMHA – Shuswap/Revelstoke. And remember you are not alone in any of this, we are all feeling the effects of COVID-19.
And… it is Income Tax filing time!
Income Tax filing deadlines are April 30, 2021 for your personal tax filing and June 15, 2021 if you or your spouse/partner are self-employed. Here are a few resources for you.
- Government of Canada – Business or Professional Income – Information here
- What you need to know about Small Business Tax Filing – read here
- 2021 Tax Filing deadlines and what you need to know – read here
Stay safe everyone!
Thank you to the Salmon Arm Observer for doing this interview and thank you Ellen Gonella for giving the Tsuts’weye BRE program such a great review!
As Ellen Gonella prepares a large arrangement of roses, traffic in her store begins to pick up again.
Moments later, Salmon Arm’s Wildwood Flower Emporium is abuzz with the coming and going of customers. Before she has to join her staff in providing assistance, Gonella takes a moment to champion a local program she’s been a part of that gives owners of established businesses an opportunity to assess what they do and how that might grow and improve.
“I think for me, it gave me a lot more confidence in my perception of myself as a real businessperson,” said Gonella of the Business Recovery and Expansion Program, an intense six-month program offered through the Tsuts’weye Women’s Entrepreneur Network.
To read the entire interview go to this link.
International Women’s Day – March 8, 2021
#ChooseToChallenge #IWD2021
A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge
comes change.
So let’s all choose to challenge.
How will you help forge a gender equal world?
Celebrate women’s achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality.
International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people.
For more information on International Women’s Day go to this website.
Agriculture Producers & Artisan Business Support Program
A six week program has been developed to help women-led seasonal agriculture producers and artisans understand and develop the strategies required to grow sustainable businesses.
The curriculum will focus on:
- Business and product development to launch or expand
- Coaching and mentorship through in-person or online group meetings and weekly one to one coaching.
- Connecting with markets, retail stores, online, and e-commerce platforms
This program begins Wednesday, March 17 from 9 – 11 AM. For more information and to apply for this program go here.
Tsuts’weye Women’s Entrepreneur Network is announcing the launch of a third intake of a business recovery and expansion program to assist mature businesses that are led by women.
It is expected that the businesses registering for this program will have an established revenue stream and need assistance to position their business for growth and a healthy future with a planned exit strategy.
The program begins begins Monday, April 12 – 1pm to 4pm and is every Monday for 6 months, excluding holidays. For more information and to apply for this program go here.
HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS THAT IS READY TO GO DIGITAL?
Get started with a no-cost, no-obligation business assessment.
Small and Mainstreet businesses are seeking new ways to connect with their customers and adapt to an increasingly digital world. To support this digital transformation, Accelerate Okanagan has recently launched DER3. A program designed to support businesses looking to expand online by leveraging local expertise and digital service providers.
It all starts with a no-cost, no-obligation assessment to understand how you are currently utilizing technology in your business, and identifying where you can make improvements that will make the biggest impact. More information here.
NEW NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY!
Tuesday, March 9th – 12 Noon – 1 PM
The Tsuts’weye Lunchtime Connections is an opportunity to meet with other Tsuts’weye Network members to learn and share in an informal online environment This happens on the second and fourth Tuesday every month from 12:00 – 1:00 pm. The topic that we will be discussing for February, March, and April is “The value of Diversity and Inclusion in our community and in our businesses”.
Registration:
Send a message to [email protected] and you will be sent a unique zoom link to join the session.
Brandi Butts, the owner of Granting Wishes, and Carmen Massey, Tsuts’weye Project Manager, will co-facilitate the Tsuts’weye Lunchtime Connections series.
For more information on this program visit Tsuts’weye Connections on the Tsuts’weye website.
TSUTS’WEYE WORKSHOPS
We have new workshops and connections that we hope that you will attend and share. A few of the highlights are:
- Lead Yourself And Others – Thursday, March 11 – 10:00 – 11:00 AM – In this session, attendees will hone their leader mindset by leveraging the three Cs of confident leadership: clarity, conviction, and courage.
We will be taking a break later in March . Check back with us at the end of March for our spring workshops!
We have rebooked this workshop again. We have worked with the Quaaout Lodge to ensure that we will be able to physically distance so that we can ensure the safety of our participants and our staff. For more information please go to the Tsuts’weye website.
UPCOMING WEBINARS
VANCOUVER BOARD OF TRADE
The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade is one of Canada’s busiest and most sought-after events platforms, with more than 100 events annually. Build connections at our free networking receptions or learn from business and thought leaders at our speaker events. Our reputation attracts top-notch speakers and leading authorities — from Prime Ministers and Presidents, to industry magnates and global influencers.
For more information on their workshops go here.
SMALL BUSINESS BC/h4>
Small Business BC provides practical business seminars and online education to develop your business skills and strategy to run a successful business. Whether you need help starting your business, hiring employees, managing operations, or anything else, Small Business BC has a business education seminar for you.
For more information on March workshops and to register go here!
WOMENS ENTERPRISE CENTRE
The Women’s Enterprise Centre provides resources and support for women entrepreneurs. They have a long list of webinars that they provide but they also have other resources available, as well. For more information go to their website.
Find more information on their webinars and to register here.
TOTA – BC TOURISM RESILIENCY PROGRAM
The Tourism Resiliency Program (TRP), launched in 2020, continues into 2021 and if you have been part of the program we hope that you will continue to watch for new webinars, take advantage of the training opportunities, and the one-on-one meetings with TOTA’s advisors. If you have not worked with our TRP advisors in the past year and feel you could benefit from speaking with one of them please connect with us by emailing [email protected].
The new Launch Online Grant program
The B.C. government is investing $12 million to help businesses launch or upgrade an online store that will provide the platform they need to increase their sales revenues, become more competitive and grow. Up to 25% of the program funds will be reserved for regional and Indigenous businesses.
Learn More:
For more information on the Launch Online Grant program, including the application process and eligibility, visit: www.launchonline.ca.
Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery Grant
How the program works
Grants of $10,000 to $30,000 are available to small and medium sized B.C. businesses impacted by COVID-19. An additional $5,000 to $15,000 grant is available to eligible tourism-related businesses.
The program runs until March 31, 2021 or until the funds are fully allocated, whichever comes first.
INDIGENOUS TOURISM BC TO DISTRIBUTE $5 MILLION BC INDIGENOUS TOURISM RECOVERY FUND
Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC), in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, is distributing $5 million to local Indigenous tourism businesses through the BC Indigenous Tourism Recovery Fund. The fund offers grants of up to $45,000 to support businesses navigate the ongoing economic impacts of COVID-19.
Business Resources for All Women Entrepreneurs
Access other Business Resources on the Tsuts’weye website. and is located the top right hand corner of the website.
Let us know if these resources are helpful and if there is anything else that you would like to see listed in the Business Resource section of the website. Email us at [email protected].
Tsuts’weye Entrepreneur In Residence Services
To access these services, complete the Client Intake form on our website and you will be contacted by one of our Entrepreneurs In Residence.
For more information about the EIR program go to the Tsuts’weye website.
Three Ways to Connect through Tsuts’weye!
Join the Tsuts’weye Network Business Directory and share your business. To get your business profile on this page, simply fill out our Business Profile Form and email it to us! Check out the current listings on the Tsuts’weye website.
Join the Tsuts’weye Network Facebook Group. Keep up to date on workshops, podcasts, events, resources, and much more!
Attend a workshop, course, or the new Lunchtime Connections sessions. More information on the Tsuts’weye event calendar.
Welcome to Tsuts’weye!
(Pronounced “Soots-way-e”, means butterfly, in Secwepemc)
Tsuts’weye is a federally-funded project through Western Economic Development Canada, to support women entrepreneurs in the Shuswap through building skills, knowledge and networks.
We embrace an inclusive community of female entrepreneurs who recognize we are all enriched by our diversity. We are committed to fostering an environment that advocates for respect, acceptance of others, and inclusion. All women are welcome here.
MEET OUR TEAM:
- Carmen Massey – Project Manager
- Carolyn Grover – Entrepreneur in Residence
- Corryn Grayston – Entrepreneur in Residence
- Andrew Klingel – Entrepreneur In Residence
- Kari Wilkinson – Toliver Design – Website and Marketing
- Jenna Robins – Trilogy Solutions – Digital Marketing and Analytics
- Robyn Cyr – Brabyn Business Solutions – Communications
Please visit Tsutsweye.ca to learn more about the project and the team.
CONTACT US:
Online at Tsutsweye.ca
Please call ahead to make an appointment.
For future contributions to this newsletter or for more information on the Tsuts’weye project, contact us at [email protected].