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18 Oakville Beaver - Small Business Week Sunday, October 17, 1999 About Small Business Week in Canada F or almost 20 years, the end o f October has com e to mean som ething special for small and m edium -sized business owners from across the country, and the Federal Business Developm ent Bank. It has com e to be a time when the Bank, the Canadian Chamber o f Commerce -- with the help o f regional and local co-sponsors -- have organized Small Business Week. · W hile this o n e-w eek celebration in British Columbia in 1979 when FBDB's Lower Mainland branches (Vancouver, North Vancouver, Vancouver East, N ew W estm inster, L angley, A bbotsford, Chilliwack and Richmond) pooled their resources to hold small business management sessions under a Small Business Week banner. W hile the main reason for com bining their efforts was to save money, the B.C. branches quickly real ized they had struck som ething remarkable. Small business people were not only interested in learning how to better manage their businesses, they wanted to meet their fellow entrepreneurs, and attract pub lic attention. Small business people wanted to tell the country about the important econom ic benefits they pro duce. They wanted to tell people about the jobs they create, about the products they develop and about the new markets they explore. Most importantly, they were anxious to tell people that small business had com e o f age; that they were just as committed, daring and innovative as their big business counter parts. Riding high on the success o f the 1979 experi ence, FBDB staff in British Columbia repeated Small Business Week in 1980 and tripled the num ber o f sessions held for local businesses. In 1981 the Week was adopted nationally by the Bank and endorsed by the Canadian Chamber o f Commerce. Since that time, the Bank and the Canadian Chamber o f Commerce, along with co-sponsors in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies and North West Territories, and B.C. and Yukon, orga nize business fairs, exhibits, workshops, confer en ces, luncheons, award cerem onies and much more. Small Business Week is an opportunity to pay tribute to the talents and achievem ents o f the ow n ers and managers o f small and medium sized enter prises, and is a chance o network with others dedi cated to small and medium sized business d evelop ment. In today's com petitive, global business en vi ronment, small and m edium -sized com panies are finding that partnerships can be key to unlocking new markets and achieving sustained growth. Additionally, for the 12th consecutive year, at the national launch o f Small Business Week, (taking place this year in Q uebec), young entrepreneurs with outstanding merit across Canada will be recog nized and rewarded. One person from each province and territory will receive the Young Entrepreneur o f the Year Award, w hile one winner in Canada will receive the Export Achievem ent Award. Each win ner will be matched for one full year with a promi nent business leader under a mentor program. The goal o f Small Business Week is to bring together the pioneers o f the new econom y who are fostering prosperity throughout the country. The Neyagawa Citizens Art Exhibition The Neyagawa Citizens Art Exhibition is presented to the people of Oakville in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the twinning between the Town of Oakville and the City of Neyagawa. The body of work was assembled specifically for the anniversary by the Neyagawa City Cultural League, an organization which was founded in 1950. The League is represented by 1,600 members and 21 cultural associations, coming together to develop regional culture and encourage citizens' cultural activities. Visually this art exhibition will engage the spectator. Several art media are represented in this exhibit, including three which are uncommon in Canadian art, namely Oshie, Chigirie and Haiga. The exhibition is currently on display at Oakville Town Hall. The opening reception will be held on Monday, October 18 beginning at 6:00 p.m. A delegation of dignitaries from Neyagawa will be in attendance, as part of the official visit to celebrate the anniversary of the twinning. The public is invited to attend. Town of Oakville H olton Region Business D evelopm ent Centre The H alton R egion B usiness D evelopm ent C entre is here to answ er your questions about sm all business. A nything you w ant to know about getting your hom e-based or sm all business started can be answ ered here. O ur reference library has inform ation on business law, taxes, zon ing and land availability, as w ell as other topics. O ur highly trained staff provide free counselling services. Just book an appointm ent, and you Joyce Savoline can sit dow n and have a one-on-one discussion to help you ensure you are getting o ff on the right foot. A nd once you decide to start your business, we have on-site access J J ( Ij j to allow you to register your business w ith the province. Ready to strike out on y o u r ow n? C om e see us today. , .. , J www.haltonbusiness.coni Ha l t o n M u i H a l t o n B u s in e s s D evelo pm en t Centre M l yawi M ta ll bm 'm m blwd-up w io n m U m . . . · Free consultation with a qualified Business Consultant on Business Plans, Marketing and Financial Planning · Free consultation with an Export Development Advisor · Licensing information and application assistance for start-up · Business Name Registration · GST and PST Registration · Public use of computers with free Internet access · Access to current, relevant resource materials including directories, trade indexes and books you can peruse on-site THE NEYAGAWA CITIZENS ART EXHIBITION October 13, 1999 to October 21, 1999 Opening Reception: Monday, October 18, 1999 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. o f Halton Business Development Centre 1151 Bronte Road Oakville, Ontario, Canada Telephone (905) 825-6300 e-mail: busdev@region.halton.on.ca R eg io n Fax (905) 825-8839 website: www.haltonbusiness.com Acton 853-0501, Georgetown 878-8113, Aldershot 639-4540, Streetsville 823-6720 Proud Corporate Partners Oakville Town Hall 1225 Trafalgar Road 0 HEWLETT* PACKARD ROYAL BANK OAKVILLE © Ontario MfrWTy of Economic Dovetopmem and Trad* l + l Human Resources Development Canada