Resources and Supports Available for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses

Please find a list of resources, funding opportunities and supports available for BC entrepreneurs and small businesses below, sorted by:

• Resources available to all BC entrepreneurs and business owners
• Resources available to Women entrepreneurs and business owners
• Resources available to Indigenous entrepreneurs and business owners
• Resources available to Youth entrepreneurs and business owners

Resources available to all BC entrepreneurs and business owners

• Your local Community and Regional Destination Management Organization (DMO) work in cooperation with neighbouring communities, local businesses and tourism partners to manage and promote your destination, and often provide a number of tools and resources available to support small business owners as you start or grow your business venture in the community, including resources funding, education and research.

They can also assist by providing insight to the local visitor economy and provide support to navigate municipal departments and processes. We encourage you to reach out to your Regional DMO to learn more, or email [email protected] for more information.

• Innovate BC helps foster innovation in BC by offering cost-effective, ​high-impact programs ​to address the biggest pain points of BC businesses. Learn more.

• The Province of British Columbia also offers multiple funding opportunities & grants. Use the grant search tool to locate funding through existing provincial and other (non-governmental, regional, federal) programs and initiatives (Tip: Use the filter to search “Small business”, “Tourism” or “Entrepreneur”)

• The Government of Canada offers multiple funding opportunities and programs for small business owners and entrepreneurs like you. Learn more (Tip: Use the filter or keywords to search among the hundreds of opportunities available).

• Canada Digital Adoption Program’s Grow Your Business Online Grant is a micro-grant of up to $2,400 to setup e-commerce and provides access to a network of more than 11,000 e-commerce advisors. Learn more.

• Community Futures British Columbia provides:
  • • Business services and loans to new and experienced entrepreneurs in rural and remote communities, Learn more.
    • Multiple programs for entrepreneurs including, among others, the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program which provides support for Persons with Disabilities, who are interested in being self-employed or already operate a business, including skills development trainin and business coaching. Learn more.

• Regional economic development trusts also provide funding and supports to entrepreneurs and small businesses, which you can access based on where you are based in the province:
  • • Economic Trust of the Southern Interior
    • Northern Development Initiative
    • Island Coastal Economic Trust
    • Columbia Basin Trust’s:
      • Basin Business Advisors Program provides access to confidential, one-to-one counselling and assessment services free of charge to commercialized businesses and agriculture producers and processors operating throughout the Columbia Basin. Learn more.
      • Basin RevUp is a six-to-twelve-month program designed to be fully customized to your business needs. Executives-in-Residence will help you grow your business with customized action plans, mentorship and coaching, skill development, peer-to-peer engagement and implementation support. Learn more.
      • Sponsorship of a community event, celebration, festival or fair of between $250 – $1,500 per event. Learn more.

• The BC Tourism Climate Resiliency Initiative (BCTCRI) is a provincial project that focuses on supporting a resilient tourism sector that is prepared to adapt to climate change, offering planning assistance and micro-grants of up to $15,000 to BC-based tourism businesses and non-profit organizations to implement a sustainability or climate adaptation project or obtain sustainability certification. Applicants must have already completed planning and be ready to obtain sustainability certification or upgrade or implement systems associated with:
  • • renewable energy sources,
    • sustainable transportation methods,
    • water or waste reduction,
    • decreased energy usage,
    • nature-based solutions, or
    • climate adaptation.

The fall intake is currently open – Learn more.

• La Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique (SDÉCB) provides comprehensive support to help you build a solid foundation for creating or growing your business. Their services include: Personalized support, Individual mentoring, Group mentoring for women, training and networking activities. Learn more.

• Destination BC’s Learning Centre is open 24/7, and provides you with access to free resources and tools, featured articles, guides, templates, and videos in a number of subject areas including Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing Travel Trade and Media, and more!

• The Tourism Digital Academy is a free, 8-week digital marketing program for BC tourism businesses who are interested in building their knowledge and skills in digital marketing to an intermediate level. This program is designed for business owners or their marketing team members, this comprehensive program is focused on providing practical, actionable guidance to complete your digital marketing plan. From setting your goals, to building a better understanding of SEO, website usability, content, email marketing, analytics and more – you’ll leave the program with the confidence and knowledge to put that plan into action. Learn more.

A Self-guided, condensed version of the in-class Tourism Digital Academy is also available for those of you who prefer the freedom of working at their own pace. Learn more.

• When you begin posting to social media about your new tourism experience, we encourage you to ensure you’re adding #exploreBC to anything you’re to surface your content to DBC’s marketing teams and to all the folks following the hashtag.

Take a peek: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/explorebc/ – Pics or videos from your experience would really stand out on the feed!

Be sure also to include hashtags or handles for other DMOs/communities (e.g., Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association or Kootenay Rockies Tourism) you hope to connect with, as well as all of us (@indigenoustourismbc, @HelloBC and @tourisminnovationcanada). We are always looking for juicy stories to share and re-share!

• Destination BC’s consumer website HelloBC.com –  features business listings for close to 5,000 tourism businesses in BC, with more being added regularly. Since 2018, Destination BC has been working in partnership with Tripadvisor which allows BC-based Tripadvisor listings to be pulled in from that site onto HelloBC.com. Business listings may also appear on Destination BC’s network of regional, community, and sector tourism sites. The partnership provides a fantastic opportunity for BC tourism businesses to increase their online exposure at no cost and easily manage multiple listings in one place. Learn more.

Resources available to Women entrepreneurs and business owners

• WeBC (formerly Women’s Enterprise Centre) provides loans to women entrepreneurs bundled with free, ongoing, professional business advice, business skills training, and access to mentors. Learn more.

• The Forum offers programs designed to help all Canadian women entrepreneurs build resilient businesses — regardless of their industry, team size, or experience level, including for example:
  • • The Forum Mentor Program thoughtfully pairs entrepreneurs in all stages of business with experienced mentors who can offer practical guidance & support on the individual challenges & opportunities your business is facing. Learn more.
    • Business Finance Essentials: Designed with an understanding of the systemic barriers that can impact you and your business as a woman, Black woman, Indigenous woman, or 2SLGBTQIA+ person, this program combines live virtual sessions with access to 1:1 mentorship. Learn more.
    • The Forum E-Series offers a deep dive into the skills and topics early- and intermediate-stage business owners need to take your business to the next level. Learn more.

Resources available to Indigenous entrepreneurs and business owners

• Indigenous Tourism BC offers support and guidance to current and aspiring Indigenous tourism entrepreneurs. Learn more.

• The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC)’s Indigenous Tourism Fund Micro and Small Business Stream provides support to Indigenous tourism operators, offering funding of up to $25,000 per business to enhance their operations across six crucial categories:
  • • Effective Community Engagement and Support
    • Excellence in Visitor Experience
    • Ensuring Health, Safety, and Comfort
    • Practicing Sustainable Indigenous Tourism
    • Excellence in Marketing and Visitor Services
    • Demonstrating Business Acumen/Practices

Learn more.

• The Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program (AEP), offered by the Government of Canada, provides access to capital and access to business opportunities to Indigenous entrepreneurs and business owners in Canada:
  • • The Access to Business Opportunities stream aims to improve access to business opportunities and to enhance the capacity of Indigenous businesses. Eligible activities will be reimbursed for 100% of costs, to a maximum of $500,000 include:
      • institutional development, including training and development and business supports to business development organizations
      • business advisory services and training
      • commercial ventures including business innovation and growth
      • market development
      • business development and advocacy activities

Learn more.

• • The Access to Capital stream provides access to capital and business opportunities to Indigenous entrepreneurs and business owners in Canada. The program provides Indigenous businesses with access to non-repayable contributions for:
    • supporting eligible business proposals
    • leveraging additional funds

Learn more.

• The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business’ Indigenous Women Entrepreneurship Fund (IWEF) is available to Indigenous women-owned businesses that have encountered systemic barriers to lending relationships, providing funding of up to $2,000. Learn more.

• All Nations Trust Company’s First Citizens Fund (FCF) makes loans and grants available for Aboriginal owned businesses in Thompson Okanagan, South West BC, North East BC, Nechako, Kootenays, and Cariboo. Available to business enterprises that are 51% Indigenous owned. Learn more.

• New Relationship Trust has partnered with the various B.C. Aboriginal Financial Institutions (AFI’s) to offer an Equity matching initiative intended to assist BC Indigenous entrepreneurs and First Nation Businesses with equity-matching funds of up to $5000 to support, modernize or expand a business in B.C. Learn more.

Resources available to Youth entrepreneurs and business owners

• Futurpreneur provides financing, mentoring and support tools to aspiring business owners aged 18-39, offering collateral-free loans at better interest rates than most banks, and an internationally recognized mentoring program hand matches young entrepreneurs with a business expert from a network of more than 2,600 volunteer mentors. Learn more.

• Futurepreneur also offers financing and mentorship start-up programs specific to various audiences, including the Black Entrepreneurs, Indigenous Entrepreneurs and for those working while managing a side business.