Category Archives: Small Business

3 Lessons from my Second Year in Business

I have time. I have time to sit and think about how the previous year worked from a business perspective. I don’t need to fall into the trap of plowing through tasks from one year to the next without pausing to evaluate what worked well and what didn’t. I have time to celebrate the winsContinue reading “3 Lessons from my Second Year in Business”

Business Plan Element: The SWOT Analysis

The tree above is being weakened from the outside by a polypore, sometimes called a bracket or a shelf fungus. As a small business owner you may find yourself like the tree, losing business to competitors but without a good handle on why that is happening. Or perhaps you find yourself thriving but looking to branch intoContinue reading “Business Plan Element: The SWOT Analysis”

2015 Lessons Learned

As most of you know, I’m a Finance person by training so it seems natural that I first evaluate my year by the numbers. The next step was a little more challenging. How did I feel about how the year went? When I look back at all that I accomplished and didn’t accomplish in 2015,Continue reading “2015 Lessons Learned”

Business Plan Element: The Mission Statement

In a previous post we discussed the top five reasons outdoor businesses should strategically plan. We will examine major elements of the business plan over the course of the next several small business posts. First up – the mission statement. Think of it as your headlamp: illuminating the big picture purpose of your organization, shining a light onContinue reading “Business Plan Element: The Mission Statement”

Top 5 Reasons to Strategically Plan for Your Outdoors Business

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. ~Benjamin Franklin Five white water rafting companies sit within about a 25-kilometre radius of one another – as the crow flies – on the banks of the Ottawa River. As someone who found herself somewhere between Pembroke and Foresters Falls for the better part of 18Continue reading “Top 5 Reasons to Strategically Plan for Your Outdoors Business”