Airdrie wins more awards for good business

Airdrie’s a great place to do business.

Alberta Venture Magazine has named Airdrie as one of our province’s Top 12 Great Communities for Business.

The November issue of the magazine which is an editorial authority on Alberta’s current business and entrepreneurial climate contained the Top 12 communities that have created a vibrant atmosphere for the private-sector.

Some of the criteria which communities must meet in the magazine’s view include:

• Barrier-free and inclusive atmosphere.
• Friendly regard for investors and start-ups by local business, residents and local government.
• Programs which promote and encourage business development.
• Programs which recognize the importance of a healthy business community.

Airdrie’s friendly attitude toward commerce is reflected in a local program called SMARTStart. It’s a training program that provides entrepreneurs with practical business skills and one-on-one advice for those starting up a new business.  SMARTStart is a collaborative program offered by Airdrie Economic Development, the local Chamber of Commerce and Community Futures Centre West.

There are more than 1,800 licensed businesses based in the city. Of those registered to do business in the community, 99 % have less than 100 employees and 86% have less than 10.  Just over half of Airdrie businesses are home-based and about a quarter of those home-based operations have indicated that someday, they would like to move their small enterprise to a storefront.

SMARTStart is designed to get small businesses in Airdrie through the very crucial first few years.  Studies have shown that only 35% of start-ups survive the first three to five years.  However, with education and mentorship, that figure can change to a staggering 80% to 90% success rate.

The SMARTStart program delivers information through webinars, live seminars and a mentoring partnership for those businesses that are less than three years old.  New entrepreneurs receive approximately 40 hours of valuable education and advice over an eight month period.

Mentors are business owners in the community that share both their mistakes and their successes to strengthen a fledgling entrepreneur’s education and resolve. Those mentors are owners or managers who have been in business for themselves for more than three years.  The time commitment is approximately 20 hours over an eight month period.

The editor of Alberta Venture, Michael Ganley, commented via press release that no one single thing makes a community such as Airdrie a great place in which to do business.  Of all communities which made Alberta’s Top 2, all had made a conscious decision to support local business and encourage the development of new business, providing a welcoming atmosphere for investors, all because they recognize the important of all business in their community.

Airdrie has earned national recognition in the past for the business-friendly atmosphere, due to the efforts of the Airdrie Chamber of Commerce and the city’s economic development team. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business recently appointed Airdrie as the best place in Canada to start a business.  It’s the third year in a row that the city has been put in the number one spot.

Applications for those business owners interested in taking program or in being a mentor are now being accepted through the SMARTStart Website.