SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2022
OCTOBER 2022
MONTH
Manitoba’s outstanding entrepreneurs offer expert advice on how small businesses can survive — and thrive — during these challenging times.
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SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2022
Photo by Darcy Finley
Pasquale’s owner Joe Loshavio says the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to change the way his business operates including offering customers an opportunity to take and bake meals at home.
Pandemic prompted many local restaurants to rethink how they do business Food for Thought
BY TODD LEWYS When COVID-19 hit Winnipeg in March 2020, nearly everyone was taken by surprise.
what they were going to do on a daily basis,” Jeffrey says. “In the past, they could plan. Now, everything was uncertain. It’s hard to run a business around that.” However, there were some restaurants that managed to survive – and even thrive – as the pandemic persisted. “The successful businesses were the ones who thought outside the box and used all business models,” he says. “They provided restaurant quality food, found creative ways to get their name out, used social media and instituted limited menus.”
and downsized the days we were open,” he recalls. “We were open four days a week on different days with take-out and delivery available to our customers. Second, I still had staff come into work on a limited basis.” The limited work hours served a distinct purpose, he adds. “Our employees were able to work 20 hours and still get government benefits. Doing that also helped us control costs and didn’t burn out staff. We typically stayed open from 4:00 to 8:30. That way, our staff didn’t get take-out fatigue.” Recognizing times were tough, Loshavio also took a personal interest in the welfare of his staff, many of whom had been with the restaurant for many years. “We gave them money when they needed it, got them support when we could, and even gave them food out of our freezer,” he says. “No one knew how long the pandemic would last.” While enduring the challenge- fraught pandemic was tough, Loshavio adds it ultimately made his business stronger and more efficient.
“Even with business back to normal, we still close the restaurant on Sundays and Mondays, though that’s partly due to staffing issues,” he says. “Now, we work hard for five days, then take two days off to rest and be with our families.” It’s a strategy that’s paying off, he adds. “As it turned out, less is more. We work with what we’ve got and realize we don’t have to fill all the seats to do well. Stress levels are down. That’s what happens when you stop to smell the roses.” With a more efficient business with limited days and hours, take and bake home meal replacements and a strong pick-up and delivery client base, Pasquale’s is thriving in the
Still, no one was overly concerned at the time. The assumption was that the coronavirus would wreak havoc for a month or two, and then gradually fade away. Business and life would eventually resume, and the pesky virus would become a distant memory. How wrong we were. As it turned out, the virus hung around much longer than expected and proved to be much more infectious and deadly than first anticipated. Public health orders were imposed by the province to limit the spread of the virus, forcing people to stay home and businesses to close. Among the businesses hit hardest by the closures were local restaurants, who depend on a steady stream of loyal customers to support their business. “In all, there were four rounds of closures during the pandemic,” says Shaun Jeffrey, executive director and
CEO of the Manitoba Restaurant & Foodservices Association. “With all the closing and re-opening, restaurants had to change their business model to try and survive.” Suddenly, smaller, local restaurants were forced to rely on pick-up and delivery to make ends meet while closed to the public. Jeffrey says many restaurants struggled to make the sudden transition. “A lot of restaurants simply didn’t have pick-up and delivery services in place. Many also weren’t on a delivery platform where they could be found,” he says. “As a result, people didn’t think about them. The result is that local restaurants had only some or no success at all.” At the same time, other challenges came up to further complicate matters. “With everything in turmoil, restaurant owners didn’t really know
One of those restaurants was Pasquale’s on Marion Street.
Longtime owner Joe Loshavio says he used the first closure to take stock of the rather dire situation. “I looked at it as a chance to absorb what was going on, and to come up with some tactics to deal with the challenge we were faced with,” he recalls. Once he had his head wrapped around the new COVID reality, he instituted several strategies. “First, I downsized the operation
post-pandemic world. “I would like to thank
Winnipeggers for their amazing support,” Loshavio says. “People were so generous during the pandemic and really picked us up. Everyone has been phenomenal, and we’re going to continue to be here for our customers, because people are counting on us.”
Supporting Manitoba's small business community.
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SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2022
Photos by Darcy Finley Good Neighbours Brewing founders Amber Saraillon and Morgan Weilgosz say there's no greater feeling that seeing people enjoy the beer they brew.
BY PAT REDIGER When Amber Saraillon and Morgan Weilgosz met while working at the Amsterdam Brewery in Toronto, their immediate connection led to a new business partnership. Sharing the dream of opening their own brewery, the two set about making it a reality. T hey decided to take a leap of faith by selling their homes and investing in themselves and their new venture. With door. Having recently purchased the building, plans for a standalone brewery of their own have been set in motion. Good Neighbours Brewing living up to its name
that, Good Neighbours Brewing Company was born. As the first all-female and 2LGBTQS+ owned and operated brewery in Manitoba, and one of few in Canada, the duo is making history. After the initial move back to Saraillon’s hometown of Winnipeg, the pair joined the Trans Canada Brewing Company team while working on plans of their own. With Weilgosz’s extensive background in brew mastery and Saraillon’s marketing skills, they had all the ingredients for the perfect brew – quite literally. After much planning and deliberation, they met with Sean Shoyoqubov at Oxus Brewing Company to discuss a contract to brew and distribute their beer recipes at his facility. “It was a nice way to balance launching a brand, allowing us to get our feet on the ground, and see if people were interested in drinking our beer before diving right in,” Weilgosz says. In the spring of 2021, they used a C-can (a metal shipping container) to hold their first pop-up taproom featuring a Hazy Pale Ale and a Milkshake Kettle Sour beer, which are now a few of many unique options they now offer. Having 15 years as a brew master under her belt, Weilgosz has created numerous recipes and built a robust portfolio that she continues to expand. Inspired by the successful trial, they started working towards operating independently. “When looking into moving operations into our own facility, we really wanted to get into a neighbourhood rather than an industrial area. We wanted to be somewhere that people can walk and bike to that has a welcoming environment,” Saraillon says. They decided on a spot on Sherbrooke Street, where they opened a taproom. One Sixteen offers all the Good Neighbour’s brews on tap, with seating for up to 40 people and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Now, they have their eyes on the property next
“People will be able to come in for a tasting or brewery tour in the intimate atmosphere it will offer, as well as the retail experience of buying beer to go,” Weilgosz explained. As business continues to grow, so do Saraillon and Weisgolsz’ charitable interests. “Giving back to our community is a big part of what we do,” Saraillon says. Over the course of the last year, Good Neighbours has come up with creative ways to help others through their brand. The Our Community tap at One Sixteen features a new local group each month with one dollar from each beer sold is donated to that group. As part of a global collaboration initiative, they also led the Brave Noise brew this past March with women from all over the Winnipeg brewing community. The intent was to raise awareness for inclusivity and equity in the beer industry, with all proceeds from beverages sold (close to $4,000) going to the Winnipeg West Central Women’s Resource Centre. With the holiday season fast approaching the business partners are launching a new initiative: the “Pay What You Can” Thanksgiving Dinner will be hosted at the One Sixteen taproom, where anyone is welcome to enjoy a warm meal free of judgement and free of charge. Saraillon and Weilgosz says these initiatives are a reflection of the company and its values. Considering the business’ prosperity, Saraillon’s advice to other young entrepreneurs is to take a chance. “Go after your dreams, be vulnerable, ask questions and really put the work in,” she says. For Good Neighbours Brewing Co., success is measured through customer experiences. “There’s a lot of pride when we do see our product out in the wild,” Weilgosz says. “To see people enjoying our beer, there’s no greater feeling.”
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SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2022
Starting your own small business requires planning, patience and plenty of homework Cleared for Launch
Photos by Darcy Finley Aurora Farm started as a part-time business for owner Louise May 18 years ago but has since grown into a full-time enterprise.
BY PAT REDIGER When Louise May decided she wanted to set up Aurora Farm as a unique, sustainable farm operation near St. Norbert, she knew that she had her work cut out for her.
May’s dream included selling goat milk soaps, deodorants, creams, offering farm tours, and even goat yoga. To reduce the risk in setting up her own small business, May decided to keep her day job and work evenings and weekends until the farm became established. “I designed it and started running it while I was working another full-time job and it slowly became a business over time,” May recalls. “Every route to becoming a business is different and there’s no right set of conditions or background or even skill sets that are going to assure you success.” For May, that process began about 18 years ago and she began working part-time at the farm about 11 years ago, before finally becoming full-time six years ago. She says it was the best approach for her as she juggled finances, the challenges of being a single parent, and various health issues. In the end, she says it was worth the effort – which is something that beginning entrepreneurs need to consider before they begin. “It’s really about cross examining yourself really hard,” she says. “You need to ask yourself: Is this truly what I feel is the best thing for me to be doing with my life? And, if the answer is yes, then you can proceed to the next stage. You have to do a lot of soul searching before you can answer that question.” Chuck Davidson, president and CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, recommends that first and foremost,
those who are considering setting up a small business should do their homework and develop a business plan before opening the doors. “The plan should outline what it is that you are looking to provide, whether there is a need for it, what your market looks like, what your workforce looks like, and so on. There’s a whole bunch of things that you want to take into consideration early because the majority of start- up businesses tend to fail during the first year. It’s not easy,” he says. Fortunately, Davidson says there are plenty of supports available for these early steps. The World Trade Centre Winnipeg provides hands-on, in-depth advice and guidance while the Women’s Enterprise Centre is a resource for women looking to start of expand their businesses. He says they are just a small sampling of the business organizations that can point potential entrepreneurs in the right direction. Davidson adds that potential business owners need to become extremely detailed in their planning since some have good ideas but they are not properly vetted before they begin. It’s important to consult with business experts and discuss ideas as consultants will have the experience and connections to help identify and solve problems before they arise. “You have do conduct your due diligence so you know what your markets are going to be, what you are going to need for capital, what your potential workforce looks like – and that’s another challenge right now since there’s so much competition in the workforce right now,” he says. Technology is another consideration since the pandemic demonstrated that having an online presence with the ability to fill orders is a crucial element for many businesses. Davidson says technology should be incorporated into your business plan and it will be beneficial over the longer term, even if it is not immediately required. He added that joining organizations such as a local chamber of commerce also offers networking
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SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2022
Photos by Darcy Finley Aurora Farm owner Louise May (bottom left photo) says starting a small business can be challenging and says people need to ask themselves some tough questions before launching such an enterprise.
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SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2022
Photo by Darcy Finley
Priscila Calderon (left) and Lisa Forbes of SEED Winnipeg both say more needs to be done to help aspiring female entrepreneurs.
Program helping plant SEED for budding entrepreneurs
BY WENDY KING It’s no surprise statistics show women are significantly less likely to be self-employed or be majority owners of small-to-medium enterprises. The situation is even more pronounced among Indigenous and newcomer women. S EED Winnipeg Inc. (Supporting Employment and Economic Development), a non-profit agency, is helping to mitigate this imbalance with two don’t know where to look for a place to live,” she says. Both groups face similar problems of getting established, she says, as life in the city is functionally – and culturally – different.
Women Exploring Business programs. Each stream, one for Indigenous women and another for newcomer women, aims to give individuals the tools needed to start a small business. “Society is not oriented toward thinking of women as business owners, so young women are not on paths in school that lead them to developing those skills,” says Lisa Forbes, manager of business and enterprise support training (BEST) at SEED. “I’ve seen a local high school textbook on small business where they present examples like Coca Cola and McDonalds and talk about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.” One of the things that makes the two SEED business programs unique is the fact the agency develops its own course materials. “Our materials include examples of local entrepreneurs, local businesses that are grassroots-based. You can see yourself in that,” Forbes says. SEED’s programs are structured to reduce barriers by providing childminders or subsidizing childcare costs, bus tickets, healthy snacks, and training times that begin after school drop-off or in the evenings. Women must come into the program with a business idea as a “vehicle of exploration.” Core training includes: personal money management, small business development, writing a feasibility study, and one-to-one business consulting before and after a business launch. Guest speakers are often either Indigenous or newcomers. While each group of women share common experiences amongst themselves, Forbes, who is a member of Peguis First Nation, says some are shared by both immigrants and people from First Nations, Métis or Inuit communities coming into the city. “Systems are different in the city, it’s a different place. You don’t know any of the resources. You don’t know who could support you when you’re taking your training program. Who’s going to help you find a job when you get here? You
Priscila Calderon, who is originally from Ecuador, participated in SEED’s newcomer business program in 2018. She entered the program with the business idea of a photo rental booth (which she has since sold). Today, she runs Umina Flooring Solutions and is a director-at-large with Manitoba Women in Construction. A year ago, she was hired as a business consultant with SEED. “I had just arrived to Canada and this program helped me in three important ways. First, understanding how the market and business works here in Canada,” Calderon says. “Second, it gave me a perspective on how to start a business and the entrepreneurial path in Canada – how to get information about regulations and understanding Canadian culture and networking. And the third and most important, a good understanding of how taxes work here so you can make your estimates and see if you can make it work to open your business.” An important part of the two SEED program is the fact they are attentive to the needs of those not yet fluent in English. “SEED helped a lot because my English at that moment was not as good as it is now,” Calderon says. She says the program ensures all participants understand the material with simple vocabulary, and repetition and demonstration of concepts in different ways. The Canadian Women’s Foundation says 97 per cent of women in SEED’s and similar programs go on to apply the employment and communications skills they gain or go on to further education or training. More than 20 businesses have started through SEED, from smaller cottage-based or weekend market sellers to an esthetics salon and other self-employment. Forbes says SEED can accommodate 22 women per session. The next one is the Indigenous cohort in spring of 2023, she adds. For more details on the programs and entry requirements, visit seedwinnipeg.ca
On a low income and want to start a business? Or, looking for financial support to have your credentials recognized? Check out our BEST and Recognition Counts programs bestinfo@seedwinnipeg.ca
SEED Winnipeg Inc. 80 Salter Street Winnipeg, MB R2W 4J6 Phone: 204-927-9944 www.seedwinnipeg.ca
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SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2022
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