Growing your business is the natural next step once your business is stable and strong. Before investing more money on expanding services, creating/introducing new products or reaching out to new markets it is always helpful to take these steps:
- Find out if you are ready to manage a growing business
- Learn how to manage your business growth visit
- Conduct a new market research. Also, check this article to avoid common mistakes
- It is time to update your Business Plan or to write a new one if you never had the opportunity to create one. To write a Business plan.
You can use templates to write your Business plan, here are few to refer to:
- BDC Business plan template
- RBC Business Plan builder
- TD Business Plan Template – To download template
- Scotia Bank Business Plan Writer
- FuturePreneure Business Plan Writer
Connect to a business Counseller today. Business counselling is a free service offered to ISANS clients with a CLB 5 or higher. You will receive one-on-one support before, during, and after you open your business.
Have an ISANS business counsellor contact you by emailing business@isans.ca or click the link below.
Buying, Selling, and Closing a Business
Closing your Business
The business owner may choose to close their business at any point; however, they must inform the Registry of Joint Stock Companies in advance. Find out more at this site.
https://beta.novascotia.ca/end-your-business-or-business-name-operating-name-forms
Selling Your Business
A business owner may consider selling their business for a variety of reasons; the most common include retirement, changes in interest, and moving. The following resources will assist you in the process.
- https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/changes-your-business/selling-a-business.html
- https://www.businessatlantic.ca/en/business/list
- https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/entrepreneur-toolkit/guides/selling-your-business
Listing your business for sale https://www.businessatlantic.ca/en/business/list
Financing
Under review:
- CEED - Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development
- Canada Digital Adoption Program
- Innovation Canada - Funding search tool-Business Benefit Finder
- Halifax Partnership Why Halifax incentives
- NSBI - Funding Search Tool
- MSVU – Mount Saint Vincent University - Funding programs
- BBI - Black Business Initiative
- CBDC
- Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage
- ARTS Nova Scotia
- Visual Arts Nova Scotia
Under review:
- CEED - Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development
- Canada Digital Adoption Program
- Innovation Canada - Funding search tool-Business Benefit Finder
- Halifax Partnership Why Halifax incentives
- NSBI - Funding Search Tool
- MSVU – Mount Saint Vincent University - Funding programs
- BBI - Black Business Initiative
- CBDC
- Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage
- ARTS Nova Scotia
- Visual Arts Nova Scotia
Training
Growing your Business training
ISANS business training workshops and seminars help newcomers start and grow a successful business.
Our training sessions are usually 2 hours long, and can be on any of the following topics:
Financial and Risk Management for Businesses
In this session, you will learn:
- Cash flow planning
- Health insurance and health care spending accounts
- Investing as a business owner
- Corporate and personal life insurance
- Disability insurance
- Critical illness insurance
Professional Selling Skills
In this session, you will learn:
- Understand why and how a customer decides to buy
- Follow a structured sales process for enhanced business results
- Learn effective, objective handling and closing techniques
- Recognize the difference between transactional and relational selling
- Communicate better to gain, build, and manage relationships with customers
Social Media Strategy for Small Businesses
In this session, you will learn:
What drives major platforms
- The four pillars of a social media strategy
- How you can turn strategy into action
- How to audit social media and analyze your competitor’s strategy
- Tips to get going and connect through social media
Accounting for Business
In this session, you will learn:
- The basic accounting requirement for self-employed businesses and corporations
- The business owner's basic obligations on accounting reporting
- How to report your business income tax
- GST/HST reporting
- Payroll reporting
The Employer Value Proposition: Building a Culture of Retention
In this session, you will learn:
- The common, mistaken beliefs about EVP
- The challenges of not keeping the promises of EVP
- What you need to ask your employees, and what you need to know about them, to offer a relevant and compelling EVP, and to keep your employees engaged and motivated
- Branding opportunities that come naturally from EVP
Growth series:
Every series consists of a minimum of five sessions, which can take place in person or online and last for two hours.
- Digital Marketing Strategies for Businesses
- Business Taxation and Accounting Series
To join this program, you must:
- Be a recent citizen, permanent resident or approved to immigrate
- Be a registered ISANS Business client
- Have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark of 5 (CLB 5)
If you are a newcomer entrepreneur and have already started your business, we want to help you to grow it.
Check out these resources to help guide you.