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Launch of Immigrant Entrepreneurship Program

In most other countries, you start a business and wait for customers to come with little regulations, if at all any. In Canada, you have to go wheel in the customers into your business, while staying in line with all regulations and licenses. This requires some guidance.

That is where Business Link comes in as today, August 22, 2018, Edmonton witnessed the Launch of new Edmonton Entrepreneurship Program with a focus on women, and rural immigrants by the Hon. Deron Bilous, Alberta Minister of Economic Development and Trade, MLA David Shepherd, Business Link Executive Director, Gord Sawatzky, and Diversity Magazine’s Frankline Agbor.

The launch ended with a panel discussion on starting, running, managing and growing a business in Canada, drawing expertise and experiences from Diversity Magazine’s Frankline Agbor and Lowe Anta from SUNU Accounting, facilitated by Business Link’s fantastic Business Advisor Jean-Jacques Mitakaro.

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Thank you Edmonton Journal for sharing: Frankline Agbor, originally from Cameroon, said some of the hurdles he faced when he started the Diversity Magazine included figuring out where to register his business and how to market it. “You’re coming to a brand new country,” he said. “Where do you jump in?”

Agbor worked with Business Link to start the magazine, which focuses on stories about immigrant communities.

Business Link, a non-profit organization that helps aspiring entrepreneurs, will roll out the government program. Staff for one-on-one support will be available in September and materials will be available online in late fall.

Global Edmonton: New program aims to help Alberta’s immigrant small business owners. “As an entrepreneur who ran a business in my native Cameroon and always wanted to do the same in Canada, it was a very different pathway to starting a business in Edmonton,” Diversity Centre founder Frankline Agbor said. “I have been fortunate to get the much needed continuous support from Business Link, and Microbusiness Training Centre Small Business Training Programs.”

photo collage by ‏ @canada150in150

Communications Director, Economic Development and Trade: “…Program delivery will include:

One-on-one support for immigrant clients and delivery of training tailored specifically for new Albertans.
Immigrant business guidebooks and resources distributed by service providers across Alberta – including translated materials in multiple languages.
Specific outreach that focuses on small business service providers and organizations in rural locations across the province…”.