Small Business Month

I was inspired to start Pure Colour Baby in 2012, after sewing some gifts for my niece at my kitchen table. I opened up a shop on Etsy and began making baby accessories, like bibs and blankets, from home in my spare time. When my son was born later that year, I realized that most of the clothes we purchased ...didn't fit well over his cloth diapers, so I began making comfortable, stretchy pants that had long cuffs for extended wear. After selling a few pairs at a local craft fair and talking to other moms, I realized there was a need for these kinds of pants and I began adding clothing to our accessories collection.

Finding time to work on Pure Colour Baby outside of my full-time career proved challenging, but I loved my small business. In 2016 I participated in the One Of A Kind Show & Sale in Toronto for the first time and it was a huge moment for me as an entrepreneur. I finally felt that my business was 'real' and that maybe it could become my full-time career. I worked a lot of late evenings and weekends in my home studio, hired part-time help and kept designing new clothing collections.

In April 2019, I left my job and leased a small space for Pure Colour Baby. We renovated and turned it into a beautiful and bright studio with a little boutique in the front. I absolutely love welcoming our customers into our boutique. Since the pandemic, our studio faced a new challenge with the shift to e-commerce. Many customers are not happy about being forced to shop online, but if you can be supportive in answering questions and sharing information to make the transition easier for them, they will remember you.

For another story about a small clothing manufacturer, learn about what inspired the Creative Director of mycoatisblue.

Small business is immensely rewarding, but can be incredibly challenging no matter the business you are in. The most rewarding part for our team is the relationships we have formed with the people in the communities we serve. The best advice that I can give, no matter if you are a start-up or a small business ...with a deep history in your community, is to remember it is always about people! Fundy Veterinarians Ltd. has been providing service in Nova Scotia for nearly 50 years and our backbone, and source of inspiration, is the relationships we have with people and their animals.

There is an adage that “the early bird gets the worm.” Our business is built around providing the best care we can in the timeliest fashion. At times, this means some days start at dawn and may not finish until after sunset, but we believe people appreciate the extra effort.

We strive to be the best we can be at communication, and we believe this is critical to our current success and future growth. As a veterinary practice, it is likely that sharing knowledge with our clients is the most important thing we do. Sharing important knowledge, and having in-depth conversations, builds trust that endures on the toughest days.

If you are having doubts, or challenges, remember to believe in yourself and build those relationships that endure. As a small business owner, you’ll have to lead your team from the frontlines and support them when needed, and that is never more important than during the tough times.

Read about Wildberry Studio, another small business that finds purpose and inspiration in building relationships between people.

Although the road has had many bumps and turns, hard work, perseverance and an undying belief in our mission to create better foods at an affordable price, have taken our family business from a farmers’ market mom and pop operation to an internationally recognized organic foods manufacturer. Founded in 1989, shortly ...after we immigrated to Canada from Germany, we were inspired to build a quality lifestyle and a small business that could sustain our growing family. Crofters Food Ltd has grown to become the leading manufacturer of organic jams, jellies and fruit spreads in North America.

After converting an old laundromat to a start-up manufacturing facility, we began producing organic certified products and selling them at local farmers’ markets and independent grocers. From convincing farms to convert to early, grassroot organic standards to working long hard hours in the manufacturing plant, there were plenty of challenges for us to face. But through steadfast dedication and belief in our mission, the company continued to grow. Never in our wildest dreams could we have imagined the levels to which the business would grow. Today, Crofters Food Ltd employs nearly 70 full-time staff and remains completely family owned and operated. All three of our children now actively manage the bustling business. One of our favorite sayings, “on the other side of fear is success”, is truly a defining attitude of the Crofters family.

Read the story behind Nieboer Farm Supplies, another intergenerational business that maintains its family business feel.

Having long arms made buying garments with sleeves a challenge. I was inspired to begin my business after being forced to make a spring jacket for myself with long sleeves! I realized I had an eye for outerwear and began making custom pieces for clients. I focused on a ...collection in 2016, making classic pieces that transcend seasons.

My inspiration came from a few sources, all of them are close to me. My late uncle was a tailor in New York City for Lord & Taylor. He was a perfectionist in his craft and he, along with my aunt (who is also a seamstress), helped me fall in love with sewing and clothing design. I later did a high school work study placement with Izzy Camilleri (a prominent Canadian Designer) who would make me take out my seams if they weren’t straight enough. I learned from her the perfection and pride I needed to have in my work. My father (who became my first investor), bought me an industrial machine to work on and it’s the one I still use.

My good friend and former host of a popular Canadian reality show used to say “feel the fear, and do it anyway”. That quote has really stuck with me. As a Canadian small business, it’s important to know that many parts of the entrepreneurship journey are uncertain and can make you fearful, but to sustain your business and to keep going is the ultimate goal. Tenacity is what separates entrepreneurs from everyone else. We keep going.

For another story about a small business that aims to make life more convenient for its customers, read about Wantboard, a Canadian importer.

Seventy-two years ago, one of my grandfather’s dreams came true and Nieboer Farm Supplies opened its doors for the first time. What started off as a general store selling hardware, appliances and pots and pans has seen some big changes over the years. We have carried many different equipment lines as we have ...evolved, many of which are no longer in existence — names like Minneapolis Moline, Oliver and International. We were also one of the first Versatile dealers, a line that we still carry today.

As we continued to grow and equipment got bigger, we outgrew our downtown Nobleford location and, in August 2012, we moved into a new building a mile west of Nobleford. Being a part of the third generation involved in the company, I am proud to say that I am inspired to maintain our family business feel, and I believe that is what has made us successful.

It’s great to be a part of a family business, but your family members might not be old enough to lend a hand. Read about Wearable Clay to learn about raising a family while building a business.

Wantboard helps Canadians get items that aren't available in Canada. Our mission is to make it easy for anyone to get anything from anywhere.

I was inspired to start my business because I was often disappointed that ...new consumer brands and products either weren’t available in Canada, or were being sold in Canada for a much higher price compared to the US. I had the idea for my business eight years before I started working on it full-time. During that time, I made many failed attempts to get it off the ground, and I kept waiting for the perfect time to make a smooth transition from my corporate job to working on the business full-time. I finally realized that the perfect time would never come, and putting all my energy into it now would be much better than continuing to wait.

The best moments of running a business are when I hear about the positive impact that we’ve had on our customers, and when we're able to turn a potentially poor experience into a positive one. Running a business can be a bit of rollercoaster, so knowing that we’re helping make our customers’ lives better gives us encouragement to get through difficult times and pushes us to continually make the business better.

Be sure to read about Fundy Veterinarians, another small business that treasures customer relationships.

From the beginning of our journey in 2017, our passion at Wildberry Studio has always been to create products that would strengthen the connections between people, and people and theirselves. We started off with greeting cards, and soon branched off into art prints, mini notebooks, memo pads and more. We ...worked from home for a year but our product line quickly grew, so we found a studio space that allowed us to work more creatively and efficiently. Because of that, we were able to create a wholesale catalog that we sent across Canada to over 225 stores. We are so proud to work with such a wide range of Canadian shops that are incredibly supportive of small businesses like ours, and we are so grateful for all the wonderful connections we have made along the way.

We have always dreamt of working on Wildberry Studio together, and though some days are harder than others, we have never allowed ourselves to give up. The ultimate goal has always been to work on it full-time, and in March of this year, it finally happened! Of course, with the pandemic it has been a bit unpredictable, but we are finding ways to adapt every day, and it’s all a part of the learning curve.

We hope to inspire other creatives to take the leap and bring their vision or idea to life! If we were to give any piece of advice to other entrepreneurs, it would be to persevere and never stop believing in yourself. The path to success, whatever that looks like for you, is not meant to be easy, but as long as you keep going, you will get to where you’re meant to be.

Read about the inspirational story behind Crofters Food, another Canadian family business.

As a small business owner for over 20 years, I continue to learn everyday. The successes I’ve experienced are due to a bit of luck, a lot of hard work and an openness to adapt.

First, recognize that the challenges of raising a family while starting a new business venture are very ...real. One critical lesson I learned early on was the importance of separating work and family life both mentally and physically. The two worlds require very different things. A dedicated work space allows you to focus completely on work, without interruptions. My partner and I created a little studio in our backyard from an old shed. Find your space, no matter how small. This is also quite relevant to many who now struggle to sustain their mental health while working from home due to COVID-19. The juggling of life and business can be difficult, but it is entirely possible with a bit of organization. You can indeed be great at both building a business and being a parent. Once I managed to separate the two, my productivity dramatically increased.

Secondly, I would suggest new entrepreneurs listen to your customers and be open to change. When Wearable Clay was in its infancy, I marketed my miniatures as tiny pieces of wearable art. I loved creating pottery and only viewed them as art. Several years later, an aromatherapy shop discovered my miniatures and how effective they were as necklace diffusers. I wasn’t familiar with essential oils, so the idea of using them this way was quite foreign to me. Today, a majority of my sales are to shops who sell essential oils, a success that was only possible by listening to my customers for inspiration. My profits tripled once I redirected my market.

Most importantly, enjoy what you do.

Read about Pure Colour Baby, and learn how they also took the steps to go from passion project to small business.

Vita Animal Nutrition is a family business that was born out of a shared passion for dogs and cats and their health. After several years of doing our own research and talking to professionals in the field, we have developed recipes tailored to our dogs. Our passion has led us to ...become leaders in our sector, and that’s how Vita Nutrition was born.

We have been greatly inspired by Ontario’s Big Country Raw. We like their philosophy which fits with ours, and our animals love their products. The company has developed a large network in the field of natural animal feed and is recognized throughout the country. We are now working with them to distribute our products and we are proud to be part of their team!

Owning a business is not always easy, but when you see how positive it can be, you remember what inspired you at the start. To overcome the obstacles, which will be numerous, but also to fully appreciate the successes, we must never forget our primary mission.

Read about what inspires the team at Fundy Veterinarians Ltd. for another story about a small business that focuses on the well-being of our four-legged friends.