Jason de Rijk_

It’s probably safe to say that if you had asked Jason de Rijk 10 years ago what he thought he would be doing for work in 2016, he wouldn’t have said he would be the owner of a clothing/sign-making business. De Rijk studied environmental science in Lethbridge and upon graduation came to the Kootenays for the active outdoor lifestyle that is available here.

Five years ago de Rijk had the opportunity to buy the equipment for Sidekick Stickers. He thought it would be a part-time venture that would give him a lot of spare time for the outdoor adventures he thrived on. It turned out to be the business that thrived. De Rijk invested in more equipment and is still expanding.

Although he is still trying to find time for his outdoor activities, he did have the time to answer a few questions about himself.

How did you come to choose this line of work?

I moved to Cranbrook  10 years ago after studying environmental science in Lethbridge. I did a number of environmentally related jobs here with a few different companies but just didn't get into it as much as I wanted to for a career. The opportunity came up to purchase some equipment to get started in the custom clothing/sign-making business, and I saw it as a great possibility to start my own business and make something for myself.

What is it about your work that has you excited to get out of bed in the morning?

Every day there is something new. The really great part about my job is that there are a number of different items that we produce and everything is custom. I thrive when there are different things to do that keep my brain going. Then there are the jobs of paying the bills/ordering/advertising. Within all those tasks there is something different and I love that.

What’s your focus for 2016?

This year will bring the fifth year that we have been in business. The first while brought about many new pieces of equipment which provided us the possibility to create many items from signs to clothing. We have perfected the production and are on a roll. 2016 will be a year of streamlining how we complete orders as well as investing in a bigger shop to house more machines to create even more!
Why did you decide to become an entrepreneur in the Kootenays?

I chose to move to the Kootenays for the outdoor lifestyle and to have more opportunity for outdoor activities. The equipment became available to purchase and to start something new. At first I was just doing it part time and exploring the potential. It soon became apparent to me that I could make it a full-time gig and work for myself. Part of the idea that I had was that I would have more time to do outdoor activities but I have not had the chance for that yet as Sidekick continues to grow and get busier. What started out as a part-time exploratory job quickly became a full-time career with a full-time employee. We have excelled at producing all that we do and have had great feedback from the community. There is a good future for Sidekick.