Every startup, every business, every entrepreneur everywhere has one goal: growth. Growing your business, your revenue, your reach, your customer base—whatever the specific objectives, the desired outcome is the same: always be growing.
But how?
Be innovative! Be unique! Be creative, collaborative, cutting-edge!
Yes, yes. But how?
That’s the ever-present, all-consuming question occupying every business person’s mind.
Enter Enterprise Edmonton.
We can help with that fundamental need for growth. We are here to provide the practical support you need to grow your business. A division of Edmonton Economic Development (EEDC), our team works to create significant economic impact for our city. We do so by providing the guidance, expertise, data, programs, and connections essential to success.
Helping local companies thrive is our primary purpose and assisting them as they explore new and global markets beyond our municipal borders is paramount to that goal. We may not always realize it, but there is significant global interest in what we create. Edmonton, Alberta, and Canada all have great reputations for how we do business, the products we make and the safety of them. It’s time to capitalize on that and be more boastful and assertive. There’s a misconception that because you have a Canadian product you might not be wanted around the world—but it’s the exact opposite. There are certain markets where Canada is seen as exotic.
Take the Leap from Local to Global
Why go global? Because companies who export increase their resiliency, enhance the life cycle of their product, and increase their customer base – substantially so. Through Canada’s many trade agreements, our businesses have access to over 1.5 billion potential global customers. Companies looking to maximize their growth potential need to take advantage of the massive trade opportunities available to them to avoid unnecessary stagnation.
If you have never thought about expanding into foreign markets before, that can sound like a daunting and complicated endeavour. Actually acting, taking those first baby steps towards implementation, is monumental.
There is unfamiliarity inherent to almost every aspect of international business: new regulations, legal requirements, shipping costs and logistics issues, not to mention unfamiliar cultures, languages, customs, customer expectations, and much more. That is a lot of uncertainty, and uncertainty breeds inaction.
Maybe you can recognize the opportunity in export but have decided you’re just not yet ready, or there is too much of a risk, or you don’t even know where to begin. You may be right. We can help you figure that process out. More often than not we find that companies that embrace an attitude of export are more successful than those that do not. Enterprise Edmonton’s services and programs are here to support you through it all.
TAP Into Export
One of the most important, immersive ways that we provide that support for exporters, beginning or experienced, is through the Trade Accelerator Program (TAP). A series of four workshop days over the course of six weeks, TAP provides participants unparalleled access to the export authorities, experts, and resources—all in one place—needed to successfully develop and execute entry into a new market. Companies receive one-to-one level coaching with our experts as they coach them through any questions they have from legal to sales, to marketing to logistics. At the end of the program, each company graduates with an actionable market entry plan that has been vetted and developed through one-to-one consultations with our experienced export mentors and industry experts.
A national program started in Toronto and now running in major cities all over Canada, TAP Edmonton is run by Enterprise Edmonton in conjunction with the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce. It has been a fast-growing success. Since 2018 we have facilitated four cohort sessions for 44 ambitious companies, enabling them to accelerate their export journeys and access their full growth potential.
Shape Your Future
If you are not yet ready to go global, that is ok! No matter your key growth stage, we can provide support to you. Our team is constantly working in the community, whether by hosting events and networking opportunities to foster connections among companies, stakeholders and other relevant contacts, or by profiling and sharing local success stories on our digital platform. Additionally, if you are looking to make more informed business decisions, our market intelligence team will provide you with the data and knowledge you need.
Doing it on your own is a difficult, unnecessary thing. We are here to share our expertise and where we can’t help, we’ll find someone who can. Along with our divisional partners, we work alongside numerous other partners in the region who are also keen to ensure success for businesses in Edmonton, and we can provide the introductions necessary for what you need.
Growth requires being proactive in everything you do. Challenge yourself and your company to step outside of your normal routine, to embrace risk, to encourage a global growth mindset, or to ask for help. That is going to be tricky, but you don’t have to go it alone. The CEO of Token Naturals, Keenan Pascal, can attest to that: “It was a pleasure working with EEDC and their Enterprise Edmonton team. As a new company, the support and mentorship that was provided through various programs was critical to pushing our team outside our comfort zones and challenging us to do more.”
Get In Touch
Reach out to our team. We’d love to discuss how we can help you succeed because the world needs more Edmonton. The world needs you.
