Four 4 Friday: Small Business Week, Facebook Outage, Burn out and Catapult is Open!
I have to start with a weather report, because I’m part farmer. It was a gorgeous week and the leaves are out in full show. Heading into Thanksgiving, I’m super grateful to be planted back in this region and for the people I get to work with on a daily basis.
If you’re travelling this weekend (and over the next few) please be patient and give space to farm equipment on the roads. The days to get the crops off have been few and far between, farmers don’t want to be on the road any more than you do and combines, tractors and trucks can’t stop on a dime. Let’s keep everyone safe and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
1.Grey Bruce Small Business Week - October 18 - 22, 2021
We’ve teamed up with our friends at Business to Bruce (an Economic Development program operated by Bruce County) , Grey County Business Enterprise Centre, The Hub Huron Kinloss, Futurpreneur, BDC and Bruce Community Futures Development Corporation to bring you a great week of workshops, inspiring speakers and panel presentations.
Topics range from Pitching to Investors to Workplace Inclusion, Talent and Retention, and more. Each session is themed to either Business Fundamentals, Scaling and Growth, or Workforce.
We’re delighted to be hosting the closing panel on Friday, October 22, 2021 with Bruce Community Futures Development Corporation, BDC and the Bluewater Angel Investors Group to talk about some of the capital options available to scaling entrepreneurs. This will be an interactive discussion and is for any entrepreneur who has established their market, is being held back by cash and exhausted personal financing options.
Register and see the full schedule and description of all sessions HERE.
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
2. How Much is Your Business Dependant on Facebook (or Instagram)?
Some are saying this was the worst week in history for Facebook. The 5-hour outage of Facebook, Instagram and messaging app, WhatsApp, not only highlighted how integral these apps are in our lives, it was also a stark reminder that while you can build a business on these platforms, there are risks in doing so. If you haven’t already done so, this is a good time to figure out how and invest in building your audience off social media. If we can build an email list for a restaurant, there are certainly ways you can do it for your business.
Furthermore, I feel there is also a larger, ethical question around using these platforms entrepreneurs might want to consider. The Social Dilemma made it clear that social media is fuelling polarization and this week’s whistleblower testimony verified that Facebook was knowingly allowing harm to women and children on their platforms.
“There was a time we thought you had to be on social media, because that is where your customers are, but what if social media is harming your customers? ”
If you are a socially-driven entrepreneur, this may be a good time to reconsider how or if these platforms fit into your strategy.
3. Non-profit Culture is Burnout Culture… and Startup Culture, Farmer Culture, etc.
This article on nonprofit culture and burnout has been resonating with many people in my network this week, and not just those in the non-profit sector. Agriculture is notorious for glorifying “working hard” and as I become more familiar with the startup community, I am realizing it’s not so different. We hear stories of people who have achieved great success by “hustling” or not sleeping. I think there’s a place for “hustling smarter” not harder because otherwise we are just promoting working all the time. The reality is for most people this is unhealthy and doesn’t set them up to be their most productive and creative selves.
We have also experienced nearly two years of a global pandemic and as Courtney Denard, our chairperson, penned in her column this week, “none of us are getting out of this unscathed.”
What can you do if you’re feeling burned out? Take a break. Chances are whatever you’re working on, it can wait a day. Maybe it’s time for a proper vacation. The pandemic has made it easy to work all the time and is weighing on all of us. Check out this tip sheet for some additional ways to reduce stress and anxiety right now.
4. Catapult Space is Now Open but We Need a Name!
Finally, to end on a positive note, I’m excited to share that our Catapult space is now open and available to entrepreneurs to check out this fall at no charge. We will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM - 4 PM as a trial. Along with the basics you’d expect in a co-working space, we have a great Brainstorm Station, Free Little Business Library and locally, roasted coffee!
What we don’t have is a name! We are stuck on two options, so for the month of October, we will be asking our community to help us pick a name by voting for your favourite! The options are:
The Crashpad
The Collision Classroom
We look forward to hopefully also using this space for some future Lunch & Learns, Open Office Hours, entrepreneur meetups and more. We hope to see you soon!