The Road to Good Advice

Consider making these stops part of your journey

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

They love you and want the best for you. When you're starting to look for advice, reach out first to the people you can trust most.

SMALL BUSINESS BC

Need help with the basics? This governmentbacked agency offers affordable seminars and consultations to help you make a business plan, register your company and research your potential market.

YOUR PROFESSIONAL NETWORK

Get to know experts and mentors in your field by connecting with industry associations, entrepreneur meet-ups and business networking groups. The more smart people you know, the better the advice you'll get.

ACCELERATORS, INCUBATORS AND OTHER SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS

Business accelerators and incubators are greenhouses for seedling startups, and B.C. is home to a growing number of them. Many are sector-specific; some are not. All surround budding entrepreneurs with mentorship and peer support.

PAID HELP: consultants and other professional service providers

You may be an expert at what you do, but consultants are experts at offering business advice. Ask people in your network to point you to pros who gave them help they valued.

Choose advisers who have demonstrated expertise solving the exact problems your business is facing–and know the potential pitfalls you may not see. Do you run a manufacturer looking to streamline its supply chain? An IT firm that needs counsel on acquiring a rival? Find an adviser who has done just that for a similar company.