#Smallbusinessweek
DIVERSEcity Entrepreneur & Small Business Fair
Helping newcomers, BIPOC, women and emerging entrepreneurs plan, launch and grow their business
Surrey, BC, October 16, 2022 – Today is the start of #SmallBusinessWeek, a time to recognize and celebrate the courage and creativity of entrepreneurs and small business owners. Many of those starting businesses today are immigrants, women and BIPOC individuals. According to Statistics Canada, immigrants are more likely to be business owners (5.8% vs. 4.8% for Canadian-born) and self-employed (10.8% vs. 7.5% for Canadian-born).
But, when starting off, many immigrants lack information on the local context of doing business; they are also missing established networks and a credit history. That’s why they need additional support to plan, launch and grow their business. The 6th annual DIVERSEcity Entrepreneur & Small Business Fair, held during Small Business Week, on Wednesday, October 19, 3–7 pm, held at Surrey City Hall, is a great starting point for not only newcomers, but any other emerging entrepreneur looking for information and inspiration to succeed.
“Small businesses are the engine of Canada’s economy. It’s been a difficult couple of years, but we have seen great innovation and courage from the emerging entrepreneurs we support at DIVERSEcity through our self-employment programs,” said program coordinator Florence Kao. “Our annual event not only further supports them but celebrates their achievements.”
The FREE fair, presented by Canadian Western Bank, will feature:
- Exhibitor booths of organizations who offer small business information and resources, including Community Futures, Futurpreneur, BDC, WeBC, YMCA and more.
- Keynote speaker, Avi Arya, of Internet Moguls, speaking on “How to be a Fearless Entrepreneur”
- Emcee, Paola Murillo, Executive Director & Founder, Latincouver
- Business showcase/marketplace of local immigrant entrepreneurs including clients and graduates of DIVERSEcity’s Immigrant Entrepreneur Program and CWB Business Incubator for Women Entrepreneurs
- New DIVERSEcity Business Pitch Competition live with four prizes announced up to $2,000
For more information about the DIVERSEcity Entrepreneur & Small Business Fair, see www.dcrs.ca/entrepreneurfair.
