Women helping women

Women entrepreneurs in Fernie are getting help creating business success—and similar programs may be offered across the region

(Back L to R) Mentor Lila Tomlinson, Stacey Goldade, Rebecca Edwards, (front L to R) Lesley Blunt and Kathy Stead are some of the Fernie Women in Business group. —

photo courtesy the Women's Enterprise Centre

Fernie Women in Business was set up in March 2011 by the Women’s Enterprise Centre (WEC), which has also run group and one-to-one mentoring programs in other Kootenay communities. Additional Kootenay programs may be organized in the future if there is enough interest.

Under the program, new entrepreneurs meet regularly over several months with an experienced business owner, or mentor—either in groups or on a one-to-one basis—and these entrepreneurs, or mentees, have the chance to share business problems and solutions, and hear a variety of speakers.

Women can also access teleconference presentations by mentors on a specific subject, such as communication.

Laurel Douglas, the chief executive officer for WEC, said the mentoring program began in 2007 after research indicated there was not enough free support and information available to new business owners in B.C.

“Statistics show that only 35 per cent of businesses will survive their first five years of business," said Douglas. "After three years, only 60 per cent are still in operation. We wanted to correct that.”

Identifying the impacts

In the last four years, 343 women across B.C. participated in peer mentoring groups and 108 women participated in one-to-one mentoring relationships. Douglas said the top four positive impacts on the business owners were: focus and goal setting, easing the feeling of isolation, an increase in confidence, and emotional support and stability.

“We surveyed all the mentees that took part in the last four years and discovered that 95 per cent of them are still in operation since completing the program," said Douglas, "so it has really increased their chances of success."

Douglas said that prior to the start of each program, each mentee is asked to rate her confidence level—something women struggle with the most when starting a business—on a scale of one to four.

“The confidence levels more than doubled from the time they started to the time they completed the program," she said. "More than 80 per cent reported their mentor assisted them in problem solving and challenges with their business.”

Mentoring comes to Fernie

The Fernie group is led by Lila Tomlinson, owner of Fernie Cardlock. Tomlinson, who set up her fuel business in 2000, said she received mentoring from the WEC through her membership in the Kootenay Aboriginal Business Advocates Society (now known as the Kootenay Aboriginal Business Development Agency), and she was happy to volunteer as a mentor to other female entrepreneurs.

“After I signed up as a mentor, I went to Vancouver for training on how to lead a discussion and how to make sure everyone’s issues are addressed," said Tomlinson. "Women sometimes focus on everyone else’s problems so much that they don’t concentrate on themselves.”

The opening meeting of Fernie Women in Business featured a presentation on using social networking as a marketing tool; digital strategist Aerin Guy of marketing company SpaceRace was the presenter. Other presentation topics include making the most of newspaper and radio advertising, good accountancy and bookkeeping practices, and time management.

Sharing and inspiring

Lesley Blunt is one of the members of the Fernie group. Her co-owned catering company Complete Cuisine produces freezer meals "to go" for busy families and visitors who don’t want to spend time cooking, and she said the group has already inspired her to expand the company’s online presence.

Member Kathleen Stead of Kathy Stead’s Fine Art Studio said the group has helped her set goals for her business; she is planning to offer art classes and workshops through her studio as well as selling her own work.

“It has been useful to have other women to talk to about the challenges we are all facing with our business," said Stead, "and getting ideas from each other.”

Stacey Goldade, co-owner of Sparrow for Hair salon, is another member of the Fernie group.

“I found out about the group from my accountant," said Goldade. "I think she was hoping I would learn more about running a business, because I hadn’t done any training before we started up. But the other thing that appealed to me about it was having the chance to share experiences with other women in town and working through things together.”

Also in the Fernie group are Chantal Belanger of Trillium Day Spa and Carmen Troxel of Green Petal floral design and gifts.

The WEC hopes to organize more mentoring programs in the Kootenays, although the future of funding through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Agreement program is currently being negotiated. Any women business owners who are interested in future programs can call 1-800-643-7014.

Interesting facts:

• Women own 34 per cent of small businesses in B.C.

• 2011 is the Year of the Entrepreneur in Canada

• B.C. women are starting businesses at a rate 30 per cent faster than men.

• Since 1995, the Women's Enterprise Centre has responded to more than 72,000 requests for business information; trained more than 16,000 women in over 1,280 seminars and workshops to improve their business skills; generated almost $1 billion in economic activity in B.C. and more than 1,340 jobs through the loans program, by providing over $33 million in direct and leveraged financing.

About the Women’s Enterprise Centre (WEC)

The Women’s Enterprise Centre was founded by the federal government in 1995 after research showed that women faced specific challenges when they started a business.

“These challenges are around accessing financing and the fact that women often have a lower level of business training and management experience than their male counterparts do when they start a business,” said Laurel Douglas, CEO of the WEC in B.C.

With offices in Kelowna, Vancouver and Victoria, the centre offers training, advice and financing to women who are setting up, buying or expanding a business in B.C.

In 2010, female entrepreneurs received loans totalling almost $2 million. Each business can apply for up to $150,000 and the average loan is $50,000.

Asked why women’s experiences of starting a business would be any different from those of men, Douglas said women’s reasons for going into business often create more obstacles.

“Women tend to have more issues that they are trying to address by going into business," said Douglas, "such as juggling work and child care, or getting a better work-life balance. It is about more than just making money.”

Douglas added that the centre focuses on filling gaps in services, so that it does not duplicate work done by other groups like the Columbia Basin Trust, Community Futures and Kootenay Aboriginal Business Development Agency.

For more information on the Women’s Enterprise Centre, call 1-800-643-7014.

Women’s Enterprise Centre mentors in the Kootenay region

Lila Tomlinson – Fernie (currently a peer mentor)

In 2000, Lila Tomlinson opened the first manufacturing plant for biodiesel in Western Canada with Agri-Green Biodiesel in Sparwood. Today she is owner of Fernie Cardlock and is the peer mentor for the Fernie Women in Business group.

Denise Pallesen – Cranbrook (currently a one-to-one mentor, past peer mentor)

Denise Pallesen is the owner of Nutter's Bulk & Natural Foods, a franchise with 30 stores across Canada, which began in her hometown of Cranbrook. She is a Women’s Enterprise Centre volunteer mentor and is now on the board of the non-profit organization.

Julie Breton – Nelson (currently a one-to-one mentor, past peer mentor (2009/2010)

Breton’s first business was Trillium—a candle and toiletrie business that quickly grew to sell to more than 150 clients across North America. She sold her business in 2007 and moved to Nelson, B.C., where she has started her latest venture, Julie Breton Small Business Consulting.

Brandy Dyer - Creston (currently a one-to-one mentor)

Dyer runs Imagine Ink, a printing and design company.