Small Business Month

C M Y K S M A L L B U S I N E S S M O N T H - S U P P L E M E N T T O T H E W I N N I P E G F R E E P R E S S - S A T U R D A Y , O C T O B E R 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 4 Helping to build Manitoba from the ground up. Apartments and condos to industrial, when it comes to commercial real estate investment, we understand what local developers want and need. Our experienced team knows the market and is here to support you and help you grow. Commercial mortgages, construction financing, term loans, lines of credit, and the advice and guidance you're looking for. Finance with ACU and build success. Visit or talk to an ACU Business Account Manager today. 204.258.3385 ACUforbusiness.ca T hroughout it all, World Trade Centre Winnipeg has continued to help business owners make the leap to the next level. "There's been lots of restart, pivot, questioning and side gigs becoming businesses," says Mariette Mulaire, the organization's CEO. "The World Trade Centre Winnipeg serves all companies at different stages from all of Manitoba and across all sectors." As a member of the World Trade Centers Association, the Winnipeg hub is connected to hundreds of trade and business organizations that operate in nearly 100 countries around the world. Through this global network, local businesses can connect with more than a million companies internationally. "The value of this network is huge. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and bigger businesses all have to start somewhere," Mulaire says. "We provide assistance to any company that's ready to either start, grow or expand into other markets. The more companies are growing, the more our economy is growing. We're part of the solution for economic recovery." To start, World Trade Centre Winnipeg's small business centre can help transform business ideas into reality. "A lot of side hustles came through during the pandemic. We couldn't believe the amount of interest from people wanting to start a business," Mulaire says. "We look at how feasible the idea is, check what programs are out there, what banks are looking for, what the tax structure is — and much more." World Trade Centre Winnipeg also offers business-planning courses for established companies looking for a boost. "They work on identifying their clients and product line, how much they're going to sell their product for, how they're going to get their product to the client," Mulaire says. "Sometimes it's nice to have somebody ask you the right questions, and that's the role we play with the business plan." Help is also available for companies that want to grow their product lines or expand to other regions in Canada or beyond. "We provide advice and tools for that growth, including market research, webinars and one- on-one consultations. The best tool is that we're part of a family of more than 300 World Trade Centers," Mulaire says. "Last year, we did 70 podcasts with businesses to show people who's out there and to encourage them to think about supporting local. A lot of Manitoba businesses are on bigger platforms like Amazon, so it's great to support them whichever way you can." During the pandemic, World Trade Centre Winnipeg also provided a series of workshops about e-commerce. "It makes such a big difference to have an e-commerce store, and people are going to continue with the habit of buying online. What a great feeling when you know you're supporting your neighbour," Mulaire says. "It's important because the same people might make a donation to the Winnipeg Foundation or the United Way if they're making money, so the ripple effect is huge." Success stories continue to crop up, including the upward momentum of Brandon-based business Bushel Plus. Marcel Kringe, originally from Germany, launched his business after creating a new product to help farmers safely and accurately measure grain loss. Using a remote control, farmers can drop a pan onto the ground to catch lost grain during harvest. Based on calculations provided through an app, farmers can tweak their combine's settings to minimize loss for each specific crop. "It all started with an idea," says Kringe, who is currently involved in three other agriculture- related companies. "In the last two years, we grew from being in a handful of countries to dealing with 27 countries." To ease this growth transition, Bushel Plus joined World Trade Centre Winnipeg's Trade Accelerator Program, which helps local companies to expand worldwide. "Companies apply to be part of it and then you go through coaching sessions. You can get in touch with key contacts to try to export your product and bring it to market," Kringe says. "We're already quite advanced in the trade channels, but we have some great new ideas. We're learning how to inspire other people about our company vision." When he's not busy with Bushel Plus and his other business endeavours, Kringe shares his knowledge through a young entrepreneurs group in Brandon. "I love helping other entrepreneurs. We try to meet a couple times a month to chat. We discuss and support each other around all aspects of running a business; for example, building apps and marketing," Kringe says. "It can be really tough to be an entrepreneur sometimes because you have to grind hard. But when you have customers who come back and say that your product changed their life, it's a great feeling. It's nice to know you're making a difference." BY JENNIFER MCFEE The pandemic has propelled Manitoba's companies into a state of flux — and, in some cases, new ideas have even blossomed into booming businesses. Marcel Kringe, founder of Bushel Plus, is involved in World Trade Centre Winnipeg's Trade Accelerator Program. Global network provides boost for businesses CEO Mariette Mulaire explains how World Trade Centre Winnipeg provides assistance to any company that's ready to start, grow or expand. Photo by Darcy Finley Photos submitted "The World Trade Centre Winnipeg serves all companies at different stages from all of Manitoba and across all sectors." – Mariette Mulaire CEO, World Trade Centre Winnipeg "In the last two years, we grew from being in a handful of countries to dealing with 27 countries." – Marcel Kringe, founder of Bushel Plus

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