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VICTORIA – Women who want to start their own business will benefit from a new publication “Starting Your Business: a Guide to Resources for B.C. Women,” said minister of state for Women’s and Seniors’ Services Ida Chong and Minister of Small Business and Economic Development John Les.
Chong and Les unveiled the publication at the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce luncheon marking the start of Small Business Month. Women in B.C. own and operate about 36 per cent of small businesses in B.C., the highest rate in Canada.
The guide will encourage even more women to take advantage of the province’s growing economy by starting a business. It features useful advice on issues like working from home, marketing, work/life balance and building a support network. It also provides inspirational profiles of eight women who have built successful businesses.
“The women who shared their stories in the guide are wonderful examples of how women can achieve business success while meeting some of the unique challenges they face,” said Chong. “Whether women are returning to the work force after years in the home raising children, applying for financing for the first time, or considering how to achieve a work/life balance, this guide will help them. When women in business succeed, we all benefit from a stronger, more diverse economy.”
“In 2003, 98 per cent of all businesses in
B.C. were small businesses,” said Les.
Western Economic Diversification Canada, Small Business BC and Women’s Enterprise Society of B.C. (WESBC) partnered with the provincial government to produce the guide.
“The guide is a must read for any woman entrepreneur that is serious about succeeding,” said Erin Hanson, acting executive director of WESBC. “The Prime Minister's Task Force Report identified that women entrepreneurs want a coordinated and integrated approach to sources of information and assistance for starting a business. This business guide is exactly that and more – it combines practical resources with pertinent information about what should be considered before you start and how to go about your planning.”
WESBC worked with women in business to get their input, to ensure the guide would be a practical, useful tool. Small Business Week will be held in British Columbia from Oct. 17 to 23, 2004.
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To download Starting Your Business – a Guide to Resources for B.C. Women, visit www.gov.bc.ca/mcaws online.
Download sound clips of minister of state Chong describing the program at: http://www.mediaroom.gov.bc.ca/events/October4_04e1/ online.
Download a high-resolution photo of minister of state Chong at: http://mla2.governmentcaucus.bc.ca/media/Chong_600.jpg online.
Download a high-resolution photo of Minister Les at: http://mla2.governmentcaucus.bc.ca/media/Les_600.jpg online.
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