Information on business models in Canada, and some background on considerations when starting a business in Alberta. Focus is on general ideas, but details about one tech comm business addressed specifically in the session.
3. Outline
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Want to run a business? Make the right decisions, as incorrect ones impact
the bottom line.
Where do you turn for advice? When do you NOT follow the expert
opinions?
Explore ideas about business models, staffing, client development, and
administration.
Ask questions and get input on real issues you face when starting and
running a business.
We discuss starting or managing a business and explores the real issues
that are faced every day by business owners.
Develop your (very) small business (one person shop?) into something
bigger.
ID what to think about when going into business or growing a business.
Dive deeper with a discussion around the entrepreneurial spirit and how it
can help you build and grow a business into a steady source of revenue
doing things you love to do (and handing off the "other" stuff to people
more qualified).
4. Housekeeping and note taking
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Not all slides or topics
are equally weighted
Use some, discard
others
Slides speed varies
(reference)
Questions? Ask any
time!
I’d love to claim
errors/typos is on
purpose… they isn’t,
weren’t never, and ain’t;
I’ll fix ‘em as I can…
5. Disclaimer
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In the interest of brevity I will be
making some blanket statements to
keep things simple
Not all that I tell you will be 100%
the truth, but I’ll stay as close as I
can
I will likely get in trouble from
purists
In some cases this is just wrong of them
Of course, they will also make valid
points
6. About your speaker
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Publishing Smarter:
President
Content strategist,
publishing technologies
expert, author, and geek-
enough
Solves communications
problems to help
businesses be efficient
and profitable
Society for Technical
Communication
Past President
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8. Just want to have a brief discussion
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Things to think about at a very high level
Reasons that some business models are better or
worse
Sole proprietorship
Partnership
Incorporation
Co-operative
9. Pro
Usually one owner/decision maker, admin is simpler,
generally easy to register, simpler at tax time
Con
Legally, it’s all you, failure can jeopardize your own
money/finances, less tax flexibility, tougher to raise 3rd party
funds (stock for example), company leadership/growth can
be tough
Sole proprietorship
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10. Partnership
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Pro
The working relationships
Shared skills towards a goal
Shared costs
Support network built right in
Con
Your partners
Shared liabilities
Shared profits
Risk of relationships being lost due to business
11. Incorporated
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Pro
Limited liability
Able to raise funds (stock offerings for example)
More likely to be considered legit
Unless you name your business poorly such as (and these are
real)
Cadabra Inc. (later renamed to Amazon)
http://www.sandmfamilyoutletstx.com/ which is
Other ‘creative’ spellings of common names
Con
Less direct control as shares thin out
More legal structure, more complex tax filings
More paperwork
12. Co-operative
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Usually have very large base of people to draw on
The Global 300 Co-operatives Report analysed co-
operatives by seven sectors — which include
Agriculture/Forestry, Banking/Credit Unions,
Consumer/Retail, Insurance, Workers/Industrial, Health
and Utilities and 'Other' category
http://www.thenews.coop/49090/news/general/view-top-300-co-
operatives-around-world/
I don’t have enough experience to talk about this
United Farmers of Alberta
MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op)
Desjardins Group and the Co-operators (Canada, insurance)
13. What I picked, and why
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Sole proprietorship
Low risk in what I do
Easy to set my own schedule
Pro
I get to decide the direction of the business, make all calls
When it goes well, I don’t have to think about cash in the bank,
etc
Against
Can be tough to get good people to stay (they look for their
opportunities)
If just me, then issues when I’m unable to deliver (sick,
overbooked, specific jobs I don’t have the skills for)
14. Toughest thing so far
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Deciding if I would be valuated and bought by others
So far, not happening…
Deciding if I would stick with the sole-prop model
So far, yup
Having to layoff friends and family
Remember the dot com crash? Me too…
15. Best things so far
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Travel when and where I want
Hawaii
India
Germany
Denmark
Hawaii
Most of the USA
Most of Canada
Calgary
Hawaii
18. Part time
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Pro
Ramp up as needed
No need to put together benefits
Bring in a short term but specific skill
Pay only when you need them (but might pay more per hour)
Con
Training them up to the job
They may look for better/stable options
When people DO get to know them and they leave… then
what?
19. Full time
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Pro
You know your payroll
People have specific functions
Easier to schedule and plan
Con
Meeting payroll
Eventually adding HR or other roles to the team
Costs go up across the board (phones, internet access, etc)
20. Contractors
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Pro
Very similar to the part time and full time
Less of a legal issue (paperwork goes away)
Con
Similar to part time and full time
Legal issues (if you contract them for TOO many hours, they
might actually be employees)
Less of a connection to full time/part time staff
21. What I picked, and why
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At one point, full time
Easy to budget time/money
People were vested in the job, put in extra time (often for
pizza/beer)
Now, contractors and, I suppose, part time
Contractors for specific skills (IA, Editor, Writer, Developer)
Part time for things I know I need (accounting for example)
22. Toughest thing so far
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Again, having to lay off the family and friends
Seeing people I contract with move to other jobs
No longer available to work with me
Sometimes even competing for the same business!
23. Best thing so far
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Developing friendships with people that last years
Getting new insights and ideas from others
Having someone with a shared interest to talk to
24. Who you need to work with
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Administration
25. Legal
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They help with stuff that sucks
Contracts to ID issues before they become problems
Business organization (helping to incorporate, sole prop,
partnership)
Real estate (review all the documents before you sign)
Taxes and licenses (yes, an accountant is needed too)
Intellectual property (media/design/creative, help with
protection)
Finding a lawyer
Start with finances, what can you afford?
Should be well connected (ideally recommended)
Lots of experience
Similar clients
26. Bankers
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Get to know the banker NOW, not when you start a
biz
Build credit NOW, not when you start a biz
Show collateral and a solid grasp of finance basics
They can review a business plan and provide
guidance
Often do this for “free” as you are a bank client
At some point you likely want to borrow money
27. Accountants
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Focus on your finances
Help take a chunk of work that you may hate (I do)
Billing, banking, taxes, that crap with QuickBooks, Sage, or
whatever
Open scary envelopes from Revenue Canada (taxes you owe
mostly)
Sounds impressive (I love telling clients that my
accountant will prep the invoice)
Review your business plan with another perspective
They understand taxes and how to pay them
28. What I picked, and why
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Legal
Few and far between
Most contracts are *mostly* easy to read
My standard agreements include:
Non-compete
Non-disclosure
Contract terms
Banking
I’m with RBC, easy, local, ALL my accounts, they listen (or I
walk)
Accounting
Found an accountant recommended by a friend
29. Ideas that may be helpful (or not)
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Developing relationships,
clients
30. Ongoing clients
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Pro
Steady income
Reliable work
Good relationships to keep
Con
If you have fewer, and one or two leave, it impacts your bottom
line
You may get “out of practice” of building new client
leads/relations
Things could become routine, and that can be boring
31. Clients that turn over
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Pro
You get to do new and interesting things
Makes it easier to get broad referral (if you do well, people
may move to other companies and come back to you)
Con
Keep trying to get new clients
Projects may be shorter term
More paperwork
32. Sell a product
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Pro
Many products have return customers
Good products can ‘sell themselves’
Easy to develop customer loyalty
Repeatable products are easy to make in bulk
Think Coke, Netflix, Ford
Con
You need to make it (so you need people, or machines)
You need to ship it (costs, pass them to the consumer?)
You need to keep protecting it (legal)
You need to manage costs (competition)
33. Sell a service
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Pro
People often return year after year
Good services build up a good reputation
Easy to develop customer loyalty
Repeatable process is easy to sell in bulk
Think Netflix, legal, accounting
Con
You need to keep people (or movies, shows, etc)
You need to deliver it (online, in person)
You need to keep protecting it (legal)
You need to manage costs (competition)
34. What I picked, and why
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Largely, sell a service to changing client base
Deliver what is needed, move on
Repeatable processes, easier to get into a ‘sell’ pattern for
discussion
Ongoing challenge is actually fun for me
A few products (books for example)
38. Resources
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http://www.canadabusiness.ca/
Wide range of information on government services, programs
and regulations
There is a centre in each province and territory
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/business/grants.h
tml
Information on grants, loans, private and public sector
financing and leveraging personal assets
39. Alberta resources
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http://businesslink.ca/
Business Link is Alberta's entrepreneurial hub
A non-profit organization that helps entrepreneurs start a
businesses since 1996
http://www.smallbusiness.alberta.ca/
Alberta Small Business Resources is a directory of business
resources for new and established entrepreneurs
http://www.nadc.gov.ab.ca/toolkit/business_develop
ment/checklist_alberta.htm
Checklist for Starting a Business in Northern Alberta
40. Non-Canadian (but useful) resources
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https://www.score.org/browse-library
SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small
businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals
through education and mentorship
Work is supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration
(SBA)
https://www.sba.gov/
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in
1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to
aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business
concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to
maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation
The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses
41. Consider joining STC
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www.stc.org
Members span the field of the technical communication
profession
Members represent every industry segment and many countries
Award-winning publications, Intercom and Technical
Communication
Offers Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC)
program; validates knowledge, competency and currency in the
field through professional certification
Produces many educational events throughout the year
designed to advance the knowledge of members and promote
technical communication education, managerial techniques and
tool skills
Career advancement is also supported by the STC through an
annual salary survey, job board, mentoring and networking
42. Other materials to read
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www.writingassist.com/resources/articles/starting-a-
technical-writing-business-from-scratch
Ruth Nickolich the founder and president of Precisely Write, Inc., a
technical communications company
http://summit.stc.org/responsive/summit2014.htm#!Docu
ments/essentialsforlaunchingyourowntechnicalcommunic
ationbusiness.htm
By Ann Marie Queeney of A.M. Queeney, LLC which specializes in
controlled documentation for the healthcare industry
http://thewritelife.com/how-to-become-a-technical-writer/
Rob Shimonski is an entrepreneur and technical writer. Since 1998
he has successfully created and distributed well over 100 books for
major publishers worldwide
44. Yes, even MORE to read
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http://www.forbes.com/sites/yec/2013/06/11/five-things-
you-should-know-before-starting-a-
business/#1c15e1636bd0
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/1484-starting-a-
business.html
https://www.quora.com/What-are-five-essential-things-
you-need-to-start-a-small-business
http://www.smarta.com/advice/starting-up/starting-your-
own-business/21-things-to-research-before-starting-a-
business/
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/start-own-
business-50-things-30077.html
45. Once you read a LOT of stuff, it’s biz plan
time
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http://www.canadabusiness.ca/business-
planning/sample-business-plans-and-templates/
http://www.canadabusiness.ca/business-
planning/writing-your-business-plan/
https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/entrepreneur-
toolkit/templates-business-guides/pages/business-
plan-template.aspx
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/lifeevents/busin
ess.shtml
46. Planning Your Business
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The business plan is the most important document you
need
It helps you to think through your business idea before
you start
Once running, it helps you evaluate your progress
against your business goals
When/if it’s time to obtain additional financing, it shows
your banker how you will be able to pay back the loan
A business plan is a living document
Review it yearly to ensure it reflects your current
situation and your goals
47. Key section in a business plan
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1. Introduction
2. The Team
3. Business Environment
4. Marketing Plan
5. Operations
6. Finance
7. Risks and Conclusions
48. Ideas on building connections
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Get the word out
49. Tell people what you do
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Not “I write manuals” but remember STAR
Situation: A recent challenge you were in (or a client was in)
Task: What you had to achieve
Action: What you did
Results: What the actions resulted in
That reminds me… A client needed an event speaker, I
wanted to help (for a fee), created slides, developed content
for training, did hands-on workshop, and now I do regular work
for them… STAR
Tell a lot of people
Join your local BBB, STC, Toastmasters
Join a chamber of commerce
50. Show people what you do
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Keep a current portfolio to bring with you
Relate it to whoever you show it to
If they are going online, show online
If they are going to print, bring print copies
If you aren’t sure, bring both
If you don’t have a portfolio
Create one
Volunteer and create content
Ensure that a part of your deal is “I get a copy to show others”
51. Have people buy into what you do
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Don’t volunteer
At least, not if it is not helping your business
Find GOOD places to volunteer, ones that match your passion
When you do, take credit for it
Trade shows and conferences
Find ones that are relevant
Offer to speak, or pay to exhibit
Get yourself in to learn, network, and market
52. How I got in, got going, and got ‘here’
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Bringing it all together
53. Entrepreneurship
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I wanted my own business forever
Employed by over 50 companies by the time I was
22
Many for no more than a week or two, some for as long as 3
or 4 years (part time)
Started a business right after that
Second-hand bookstore
Worked part time delivering Chinese food
Worked part time delivering computer training
I was a contractor working in computer training
54. Timing is everything
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Got into software training as the PC took off in
companies
Lots of money to be made
Learned FrameMaker, writing training manuals
Got to be a FrameMaker sales lead at a training
company
However, like all good things…
The business I worked for (a partnership) fractured
People went their own ways
So I hired them and started a training business
55. Business changes
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Our training business had about a dozen employees
(FT), plus a few PT, and at least a dozen contract
trainers
We did work all over the planet
Drug submission, airplane manuals, government, private
business, casinos, automakers, software and hardware
However, like all good things…
The industry I was most dependent on (software/hardware)
went up in a dot com bomb
I had to lay off friends and family (in that order)
So we scaled back, regrouped, and came at it fresh
56. People wanted content
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So we added services to help people write
We decided to teach people how to do all things docs
The business grew, but a well founded partnership led
to an amicable split of the business
Got into the doc side of things, became very STC
active
Built up a reputation with clients
57. Learn from the best
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High school
Entrepreneurship class, day 1, teacher intro, challenge
First day, 40 students, end of it about 24
Business competition (USA)
Most people made products, some sold services, myself and
another student brought it together with the least effort, most
profit
Lessons learned
Second best lesson ever learned
Best lesson ever learned
58. What I really love to do
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Resolve challenges
Deal with issues before they become problems
Use clear communication and creativity to solve
things
Over, under, around, or through it
See things from a fresh angle, talk to people, interact
with those who are “going somewhere” not those
who “grumble and complain”