Taking a break with Navigate!

Last year Navigate Entrepreneurship Centre and Spicer Facilitation & Learning hosted online coffee breaks each month to help entrepreneurs stay connected and supported.

"Based on recent research, an entrepreneurial ecosystem thrives when entrepreneurs make regular contact with one another," said Allison Rowe, Navigate manager, adding that during the pandemic, that contact was more important than ever. "Entrepreneurs across our province need to connect and share best practices. Our virtual monthly meet-up is an opportunity for Western NL entrepreneurs to collide, connect and create."

The virtual monthly coffee breaks, which began serendipitously as a pilot project in January 2020, just ahead of the pandemic, are continuing as a chance for entrepreneurs to grab a coffee and join their community online for an interactive discussion. The virtual coffee break is a free, informal networking opportunity for entrepreneurs to connect with other entrepreneurs, support agencies, experts and potential clients and to promote their businesses, products and services. Monthly events include guest speakers, panels and timely topics.

In 2021 the topics included:

Shop Local Bonanza! Hear from local entrepreneurs about the deals and promotions they are offering this Christmas and meet shop local champions to learn about the many tools and supports that are out there to help local businesses reach customers.

Labour Shortage Challenges and Talent Recruitment — Join us and Sharon McLennon, Director of the NL Workforce Innovation Centre at CNA, to listen to our discussion about the key resources and opportunities that are out there to help business owners recruit talent and address labour shortage challenges.

Pre-Small Business Week Kickoff! Join us to find out what is happening during small business week that runs from October 17th until the 24th.

Together Again — Navigating our rights, responsibilities and safety as NL reopens — Take a listen to our discussion of how to balance our rights and responsibilities, and find ways to keep our businesses, employees, clients and loved ones safe as we come together again.

Bounce Back to Business — It's time to bounce back better than ever with new tools, new ideas, and new ways of solving problems for more resilient, stronger businesses. Check out our discussion of what the "next normal" will look like as we emerge from Covid and get back to business.

West Coast Best Coast Hospitality & Tourism Business Tour — Join us for a virtual business tour as we hop, skip and jump up the harbour and down the shore with local tourism and hospitality providers. From beaches to mountains to fjords and all the cozy shops, local restaurants and vacation getaway spots in between, come see what western NL has to offer!

$how Me the Money — Support organizations and funding agencies join us to share information on their funding programs and supports for small businesses.

Succession Planning for Small Business — If you have a business or are in the process of starting one, this session is for you. Succession planning is essential to making a smooth transition to new ownership and management. It is also a backup plan to help protect you, your business, and your family from life's expected and unexpected events. Planning your exit strategy ahead of time can help you maintain the value of your business through life's ups and downs.

The Side Hustle — Learn about what it takes to launch and manage a business on the side while working at a full-time job.

Developing Grit — "Grit" has been identified as a key attribute of the world's most successful entrepreneurs, but how do we develop it? During this session, we discuss: What constitutes grit? How to cultivate a grit mindset? The importance of sustaining passion, purpose and perseverance to achieve long-term goals.

The Importance of Diversity in Entrepreneurship — During this event we heard from a panel of support organizations regarding the many supports and services available to diverse entrepreneurs including women, indigenous, francophone, youth, and international entrepreneurs; discussed the importance of diversity in entrepreneurship, including the changing face of diversity and future of diverse entrepreneurship in our province.

Local entrepreneur success stories from 2020 — Nearly every entrepreneur story starts with a lemonade stand. Hear from local entrepreneurs who embarked on new business ventures in 2020 and made lemonade from pandemic lemons.

Coffee Breaks are ongoing in 2022! For more information:

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