Katie Heath co-founded Crimson Cider in an 1850’s stone farmhouse on a picturesque 24-acre rural lot in Prince Edward County, Ontario, where she planted an apple orchard. It was shortly after the female entrepreneur had finished building a new production facility for her craft cider company that the pandemic struck.

The word pivot has become embedded in the lexicon of most successful entrepreneurs. It means making a decisive turn in direction when faced with temporary or permanent impediments to moving forward towards your goals.

Empty storefronts and boarded up businesses have long been a blight for many rural towns hit by declines in traditional industries and dwindling numbers of young families. Rebuilding and revitalizing Main Streets has been a slow and steady labour in many places, with progress measured in years, as new enterprises take root and people make their way back downtown.

At Topsy Farms, Canada’s top sustainable sheep farm on Amherst Island in Lennox and Addington county, certain things are a given. Sheep are born in the pasture and winter outdoors because happy sheep make better wool. Spraying or fertilizer is strictly forbidden. Land is kept green, a rewilding program proudly exists, and in keeping with the founders’ ethos, a percentage of proceeds keep land open to the public. While core values are being honoured and maintained, business  challenges abound. Even though their 100% sustainable wool blankets are highly popular, they’re not always available. As  Jacob Murray, co-owner of Topsy Farms, recently shared, “We may have 590 mature sheep, but can’t supply enough wool to meet blanket demand.”

Nestled amidst the rolling hills and pristine lakes of Lennox and Addington County, Ontario, the remarkable Birch Babe story continues to unfold. A skincare company born from a family's passion for clean living, it’s blossomed from a local gem into a force for good in the skincare industry. 

When starting out a new business we immediately think of the obvious. We focus on issues such as where we source our product, the cost of acquisition, do we need to rent premises, if we need staff how will we cover payroll and so forth.

Well down on the list, if at all, some thought might be given as to how we can protect ourselves from unforeseen circumstances.

Considering all the things that could harm your ability to manage the business effectively, is referred to as Risk Management.

When your business is in its infancy, you tend to it with great care. You nurture it. You carefully work out your business plan. For as long as you can, you do everything yourself and as long as everything is getting done, this is the most efficient use of your resources. You may be satisfied with the level of income you make as a one-person, home-based business and decide you don't want it to grow beyond that stage - there's nothing wrong with that. If you do hope to expand your income and grow your business, however, you must go beyond start-up and start thinking strategically about how to move your business toward growth and expansion.

Chanakan Kalapukdee started Thairific in 2015 in Guelph Ontario, operating as a festival food vendor, caterer and private home Chef. Thairific also ran at festivals as a tent vendor from London to Port Credit, Orangeville to Parry Sound and in Belleville, from 2015 to 2019.

Discover the impact of the Southern Ontario Fund for Investment in Innovation (SOFII), delivered by Community Futures Eastern Ontario, supported by Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, empowering high-growth, innovative SMEs like TryCycle Data Systems Inc. in both rural and urban communities.

As Community Futures Week 2024 comes to an end across eastern Ontario, we wish to thank all who contributed to the success of this celebration.