SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021
OCTOBER 2021
MONTH
Manitoba’s outstanding entrepreneurs offer expert advice on how small businesses can survive — and thrive — during these challenging times.
Photo by Liz Tran courtesy of Travel Manitoba
Photo by May Contain Studios courtesy of Travel Manitoba
View online at winnipegfreepress.com/publications Inquiries: 204-697-7390
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SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021
Photo by P Media Works Courtesy of Travel Manitoba
Photo by Visual Soul Studios courtesy Travel Manitoba
Photo by JP Media Works Courtesy of Travel Manitoba
Entrepreneurs abound across the province, including those showcasing their wares at St. Norbert Farmers’ Market. Tourist attractions exist across the province, including VB’s Entertainment Center in Winkler and Thermëa in Winnipeg, as well as (on the cover from left to right) The Burger Boat in Pinawa, Wishme in Selkirk, Buskers in Gimli, Falcon Trails Resort, and A Maze in Corn in St. Adolphe.
All photos courtesy Travel Manitoba
The importance of tourism to Manitoba’s small businesses
Photo courtesy of Travel Manitoba Colin Ferguson, president and CEO of Travel Manitoba
Photo courtesy of Manitoba Chamber of Commerce
Chuck Davidson, CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce
BY TODD LEWYS Generally, we tend to overlook the importance of something we can’t see or touch. Case in point is Manitoba’s tourism industry.
P rior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the province’s tourism industry was booming, quietly chugging along behind the scenes, as it tends to do. That boom came to an abrupt halt shortly after the coronavirus arrived, says Colin Ferguson, president and CEO of Travel Manitoba. “Pre-COVID, it was a $1.6-billion industry,” he says. “The industry is probably down about 45 per cent after dealing with the impact of COVID over the past year-and- a-half.” Suddenly, about 6,400 tourism- related businesses, which employ in the neighbourhood of 21,000 people, had little to no income stream as no one — whether from neighbouring provinces, the United States or
abroad — was able to visit Manitoba due to restrictive health orders and border closures. That said, the situation could have been much worse. “We’ve actually done better than pretty much every other province,” says Ferguson. “That was due largely to the fact that we rely less on international travel, though tourism destinations like Churchill and lodges were hit hard. Up until COVID, we had enjoyed $100-million annual increases and were on our way to $2 billion by 2022.” As the pandemic stretched on well beyond anyone’s wildest dreams, businesses like hotels and restaurants were in severe financial distress. Somehow, they needed to drum up business; the question was how. After much brainstorming, a possible
solution was conceived, says Chuck Davidson, CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. “We came up with a TRIP, or Tourism Rebate Incentive Program, in March or April along with Travel Manitoba,” he says. “We’d recognized the impact the pandemic was having on hoteliers. No one was staying at hotels, with capacity at maybe five to 10 per cent. We realized that we had to incentivize people to stay in hotels.” The idea behind the program was simple yet brilliant. In short, it encouraged Manitobans to enjoy a getaway somewhere within the province. Anyone who made the effort to go on a staycation could submit qualifying receipts for a $100 rebate (such as a virtual MasterCard) on a one-night stay at an
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SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021
Photo Courtesy of Travel Manitoba
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Photo by Liz Tran courtesy of Travel Manitoba
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Photo by Abby Matheson courtesy of Travel Manitoba
Must-see Manitoba destinations include Paint Lake Lodge near Thompson, Lakeview Hecla Resort and Dan’s Diner in Churchill.
“People typically spent five times more than they put out for staying at the hotel. Not only that, but the program also encouraged people to travel around the province, which was very important to us.” – Colin Ferguson, president and CEO of Travel Manitoba
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eligible accommodation or $150 rebate on a hotel-designed stay-and-play package. It was hoped that the program would provide a much-needed boost for hotels, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses. “Honestly, we didn’t know what to expect,” recalls Davidson. “The first week, 80 people used the program. Then, we did some serious marketing, and it took off. In the first three weeks, close to 12,000 people took advantage of the program.” By the time the groundbreaking program closed on Sept. 12, about 23,000 Manitobans had used it, and $2.3 million in rebates had been doled out. Some hotels got up to 80 per cent capacity, with some selling out all their rooms. “It was a real life-saver,” he adds. “People typically spent five times more than they put out for staying at the hotel. Not only that, but the
program also encouraged people to travel around the province, which was very important to us.” Ferguson says one of the byproducts of the program is that it opened the eyes of many Manitobans. “By staying in Manitoba and exploring the province, they found that there’s a lot to offer in Manitoba — that’s something we’ll continue to remind Manitobans of.” He adds that he’s pleased with the way that Manitoba’s business community responded to help tourism-related businesses in a time of need. “It was very challenging, but I’m proud of the way everyone pivoted in such an imaginative, innovative way. We’ve done everything we can to help,” says Ferguson. “The good news is there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. We’re feeling positive moving forward, and the goal is to make the industry even stronger.”
scu.mb.ca/yourjourney
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SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021
“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
Photo by Darcy Finley
CEO Mariette Mulaire explains how World Trade Centre Winnipeg provides assistance to any company that’s ready to start, grow or expand.
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. Global network provides boost for businesses
Photos submitted
Marcel Kringe, founder of Bushel Plus, is involved in World Trade Centre Winnipeg’s Trade Accelerator Program.
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.” “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 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.”
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SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021
GoodLocal a good idea Online platform helping small businesses prosper during pandemic
‹‹ “Winnipeg is very
community-minded. It wants to support the local guy and it wants to support the little guy.” – Obby Khan, Co-founder of GoodLocal.ca
BY JIM TIMLICK T he pandemic has been filled with numerous reports of small businesses struggling to survive, but it has also been a time of entrepreneurial success for some. You can include GoodLocal.ca among the latter. The online shopping platform for local businesses has enjoyed a meteoric rise since it was launched by co-founders Obby Khan and Ali Esmail last November. In just over nine months of operation, GoodLocal has already generated close to $1 million in revenue for its nearly 400 partner businesses and is processing several hundred orders or more in any given week. That’s impressive, especially when you consider the partners’ ambitions for GoodLocal were fairly modest when they first came up with the idea for the platform. “When it started, we thought it might literally be only 20 or 30 orders a week and we would do it in the back of my restaurant,” says Khan, who owns Green Carrot Juice Company and several Shawarma Khan restaurants. “Then it just kind of took off during code red (public health restrictions).” Khan and Esmail are both business owners and have been friends for years. One day last fall, the pair were commiserating about how many small local businesses were struggling due to the pandemic and public health restrictions that were in place at the time. The conversation soon shifted to what could they do to support other local business owners. “At the time, people wanted to shop local, but they didn’t know how to shop local,” explains Khan, the former Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive lineman. “Stores were closed, and a lot of these businesses didn’t have e-commerce set up or they didn’t have delivery infrastructure. We finally said, what if we came up with an online platform for them? That was kind of how GoodLocal was born.” Esmail reached out to several people he knew who were involved in the IT industry and they were able to quickly develop GoodLocal.ca. The website is simple to use. Online shoppers simply click on any of the businesses listed on the site, add the items they wish to purchase to their cart and then pay for their purchases when they’re done shopping. Orders are assembled in a warehouse and delivered straight to the customer’s door later that day or the next. One of the things that makes GoodLocal.ca different from many other online shopping platforms is that customers pay a single, modest delivery fee but can choose products from as many
different vendors as they wish. GoodLocal.ca receives a small commission from vendors on each purchase. A portion of its operating costs are underwritten by sponsorships provided by businesses like the Birchwood Automotive Group. “We work with the vendor to find out what commission works for them,” Khan explains. “We don’t gouge them. If certain margins don’t work for them, we try to find a way to make it work.” Khan says there are two main reasons why GoodLocal. ca has been so successful. First, the platform is designed to be accessible and easy to use. Secondly, the community has been extremely supportive of what it’s trying to achieve. “Winnipeg is very community-minded. It wants to support the local guy and it wants to support the little guy,” says Khan, who praised the provincial government for providing
financial support to help scale up the business. “I don’t think this would have taken off in a place like Toronto or Vancouver or Montreal. It needed a special marketplace like Winnipeg to do it.” GoodLocal.ca has grown from just Khan and Esmail to a staff of nine full-time employees including a chief technical officer and four software programmers. It also has its own fleet of five delivery vans as part of its GoodLocal Express delivery service. Khan and Esmail are looking at ways to continuing growing the business in a steady, measured way. They are hoping to launch GoodLocal Restaurants, an online delivery platform for local restaurants that charges a flat fee rather than a commission, by the end of October. They may also consider expanding GoodLocal.ca to other markets down the road. While the success of the website has been gratifying, Khan says what he and Esmail are most pleased about is the help they’ve been able to provide to other local business owners. “GoodLocal has helped generate close to $1 million in revenue for the businesses it works with. That’s amazing. To generate almost a million dollars for local businesses during the pandemic is a pretty awesome thing that Winnipeggers have helped to achieve.”
Photo submitted
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SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021
New course offers support to small businesses
Submitted photos
The Drake Centre is home to University of Manitoba’s I.H. Asper School of Business.
Asper School of Business comes to the aid of small businesses with Applied Small Business Consulting course
have the opportunity to do some introspection to see how they can adapt and learn from the pandemic.” Dr. Nathan Greidanus, an associate professor of business administration at the Asper School of Business, says it’s touch-and-go for many small businesses. “Many of the businesses that struggled to survive to this point don’t have a lot of reserves left,” he says. “Some will find it hard to survive if the fourth wave is severe. They will need more government support if that happens.” At the same time, many would-be small business owners are holding off on launching their business, he adds. “Right now, less people are inclined to start a business. It’s harder to find employees, and with all the uncertainty, the likelihood is that some businesses will be put on hold,” says Greidanus, who specializes in entrepreneurship. “That could lead to a reduction in the number of new business start-ups.” As turbulent as the past 18 months has been, there’s been one bright spot: the Asper School of Business’s Applied Small Business Consulting course. Started in September 2020, the new undergraduate course was designed to give back to the Manitoba business community. Students were given the opportunity to work with small businesses in the pursuit of finding creative ways to meet the pandemic-imposed challenges they faced in starting, growing and sustaining their business. “We saw our local business community struggling and felt we
had to do something to help,” says Sivaramakrishnan. “Our students in the course, guided by professors, ended up helping 12 local businesses. Essentially, they provided pro-bono business consulting for organizations that couldn’t otherwise afford it.” As time went on, it became apparent that the course benefitted everyone involved. “It was a win-win-win. The students got experiential learning while working on the projects, while the businesses — some of them not-for- Students were given the opportunity to work with small businesses in the pursuit of finding creative ways to meet the challenges they faced in starting, growing and sustaining their business. profits or mom-and-pop setups — really benefitted from the advice they got,” he says. “And the Asper School also won because it was able to give back to the community.” Sivaramakrishnan outlined some of the ways the students helped the 12 local businesses. “For example, the students taught business owners how to think laterally and utilize online channels that they hadn’t previously considered or had felt was not viable for their business.
An increasingly online mode of communicating and doing business is the way the world is going today. As such, you have to adapt to what the market demands.” In turn, creative thinking was used to find ways to meet those demands and generate much-needed revenue. Students helped Aunt Monica’s Attic, a toy and craft store, move to selling gift baskets and craft kits online to make up for a loss of in-person business. They also advised Lasertopia to start catering to adults with company and team parties after their kids’ market — i.e., birthday parties — had dried up due to health restrictions. “Doing that increased the customer
base of both businesses and showed them they couldn’t go back to the old ways of doing things,” he says. “You must adapt your business model to current and future conditions. The pandemic has taught all of us that you can’t put all your eggs in one basket.” The success of the first edition of the Applied Small Business Consulting course has prompted the school to reprise it in the new year, adds Sivaramakrishnan. “We’re going to do it again this January. We foresee a number of businesses participating and have had lots of inquiries. We’re grateful for the opportunity to give back and are looking forward to helping more small businesses as much as we can.”
BY TODD LEWYS It’s been a tough year-and-a-half for
small businesses across Manitoba. L ike pretty much everyone, small business owners were largely unprepared for the myriad of challenges posed by the arrival of the coronavirus in spring 2020. As the pandemic has swirled around the globe, Canada and the province, it has challenged the survival of many businesses. “Our small business community has been affected quite a bit by the pandemic,” says Dr. Subbu Sivaramakrishnan, associate dean of undergraduate and international programs at the U of M’s Asper School of Business. “Some businesses have flourished, while those needing customers physically present have struggled. Right now, there’s considerable uncertainty. People are
wondering, ‘what’s next?’” That angst is fully justified.
As the fourth wave of the pandemic rages in Alberta and Saskatchewan, businesses can’t help but be concerned how the Delta variant of coronavirus — which is driving a surge of cases out west — will affect Manitoba. “At this point, businesses can either wait and watch, or can look at it as an impetus for change.” says Sivaramakrishnan. “Businesses
Dr. Subbu Sivaramakrishnan, associate dean of undergraduate and international programs at the Asper School of Business
Dr. Nathan Greidanus, associate professor of business administration at the Asper School of Business
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SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021
Free Press Advertising has made an investment to significantly expand our service offerings to better support the local business ecosystem of Manitoba.
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