Small Business Week 2015

The theme for Small Business Week 2015 is “Knock Down Barriers. Dare to Grow”

Nathan Troxel and Lee Tengum own and operate a small business in Cranbrook, B.C. — Kirsten Armleder photo

The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has scheduled its 36th annual Small Business Week (SBW) for October 18 to 24 this year. This is an opportunity to celebrate the power of small businesses in Canada and to support their continued success with education, new opportunities and new contacts.

Education, support and challenge are elements of the strategy behind BDC’s SBW, and the week’s theme is “Knock Down Barriers. Dare to Grow.”  To support this year’s SBW theme, the Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce will showcase local small businesses with a “Bring your business to the table” trade fair at its monthly membership luncheon on October 21.

BDC will host the Cranbrook chamber’s October luncheon with a talk by internationally acclaimed speaker Peter Legge, chairman and CEO of Canada Wide Media Ltd. and entrepreneur extraordinaire. The luncheon and trade fair will take place at the Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort.

On October 22 from 1 to 2 p.m. EDT, BDC is planning a live, real-time Twitter discussion regarding SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) challenges and strategies. Questions tweeted in will be addressed by a panel of experts offering a wealth of experience, understanding and potential solutions.

Plan your questions in advance, as they will need to be concise, in keeping with Twitter’s 140-character format. The panel's answers will also be necessarily brief.

Should you have occasion to be in Calgary or Montreal between October 20 and October 24, you may have the opportunity to attend a presentation by BDC’s chief economist, Pierre Clèroux. He will speak in Calgary on October 20 and in Montreal on October 23, on the topic of the fundamentals of successful business management. Check the BDC website for details.