Poppy Barley's E-Commerce Journey

Poppy Barley started as an e-commerce company, but it now has several retail locations in Alberta. Kendall and Justine created Poppy Barley in 2012 to create a shoe with a better, more customized fit. They designed and created the shoes based on specific measurements. Now it’s evolved beyond that; Poppy Barley is now making environmentally friendly, comfortable shoes for people who want to wear them from season to season. Though you can still order customized footwear from Poppy Barley, their offerings have expanded.

Kendall and Justine are sisters, and growing up, their father worked on the railway. This meant that their family was constantly on the move. Kendall explains that she always wanted to be an entrepreneur because, “if I worked for myself, I could decide where I wanted to live and where I would move. I would have more control over my destiny.” Both Kendall and Justine studied business and creating Poppy Barley felt like a natural progression of their education and skills. On top of that, Justine has experience working in social development, which assisted them in making business decisions. “For us, a business is a platform that has responsibility. We play our part to shaping a better future for our world.”

Poppy Barley rethinks luxury for the planet and people.

Being a digitally native brand, they didn’t think they would ever transition into retail stores. Then customers inquired about touching, feeling, and trying on the shoes before purchasing. This lead Kendall and Justine to opening brick-and-mortar stores. Opening stores in Alberta offered Poppy Barley an additional sales channel.

Poppy Barley reached a pre-qualified audience by launching online initially. The retail locations have an excellent conversion rate because people are already familiar with the brand from its online presence.

One of the most important aspects of Poppy Barley as a digital business is the ability to measure everything with data. When you use data, you’re able to test theories and remove yourself from caring what others think. You can let the numbers speak for themselves, and then pivot your strategy accordingly. Additionally, visual assets have been vitally important. The way Poppy Barley presents its website, branding, and social media influences how people are being captivated by the brand.

The global events in the past year pushed many companies to transition digitally. Though the events affected Poppy Barley, the company’s digital aspects were already in place. Rather than changing the digital components, the company leaned further into them. The pandemic affected shipping and manufacturing for companies. To help mitigate this issue, Poppy Barley relied on pre-orders and emails for items back-in-stock.

To further their digital component, Poppy Barley is implementing a ‘try before you buy’ program in the near future. In this program, customers will pay a small deposit to be sent a variety of shoes, then the customer will pay for what they keep. This is a fantastic example of what companies can do in the current global climate to reimagine what bringing an in-store experience to customers is like.

Kendall’s advice to entrepreneurs growing their business in the digital era is to keep in mind how fast the digital world is moving. With so many new and upcoming media platforms, it’s important to create a foundation for your business. Kendall suggests to always be building your email list because you own your email list. Even if the digital world changes, you’ll still have a connection with your customer with an email list. Additionally, leveraging SMS messaging can assist companies with a direct line of communication with their customers. When using email and SMS, it’s a great addition to develop a loyalty program. A loyalty program helps your customers feel more connected with your brand and rewards them for that connection.

“The world is changing really fast, but what people want from their product has not changed. We still want product we can feel good about. Focus on the core of the product the rest is just the ‘how’ behind that.”

Client Feature: Shirah Consults

Shirah is an online consulting firm that offers professional services to individuals who wish to study, work and live in Canada. Founded in 2018 by Bukky Abaniwonda, Shirah started as a side gig that slowly began to grow. Running the business is now her full-time job. It has grown to two divisions: Shirah Migration, a Regulated Canadian Immigration firm that handles permanent relocation and admissions to Canada,, and Shirah Tutors, which prepares clients to be able to ace their IELTS and TEF through their tutoring classes.

The idea for the tutoring division was already in the works and was put into motion when other services were put on hold due to border closures and delayed application processes during the pandemic. Bukky explains that: ”I reached out to my network and was asked if I was offered support or funding for my business during the covid period. I had looked at the requirements, but I didn't meet any of the eligibility requirements, and a friend told me about AWE.” Bukky applied for AWE’s Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) and received funding. The RRRF, which provides financial support to women-owned businesses to address the impacts of COVID-19, helped Shirah Consults continue with the tutoring division and allowed them to bring on key staff members and market their services.

Some of the highlights Bukky has experienced as an entrepreneur has been the ability to get people to trust and say they want to work with Shirah. “We get a lot of feedback; it’s rewarding that people enjoy our services and that I feel like I have a voice.” Bukky realized early on in her career that she didn’t like the idea of being at a 9-5 job for a long time because she gets bored easily and likes to change what she’s doing from time to time.

“The thing is I’ve always wanted more out of life, and that displayed itself through entrepreneurship. In the back of my mind I want to feel like I’m doing something important, something special that contributes to society, and entrepreneurship helps me to do that.”

Bukky believes that challenges as an entrepreneur keep changing. “You find a challenge and overcome it, then a new challenge presents itself.”. One of the first challenges she overcame was sales. “We think sales tactics are for sales executives, but as a business owner, your first skill is sales. You need to get people to buy into you as a person before they even buy into your services or products.”  With that, Bukky also realized that confidence is critical:

“There’s something about confidence. No matter how good your service is, if you cannot confidently defend yourself or your services, people will look down on you, and that was one challenge I had to overcome. People will ask ‘Why should I use you? Someone else offers it cheaper or quicker.’ It took me a while to wrap my head around how to present myself and my services. I didn't know what I didn't know at the time. I had never run a business before. That confidence comes from knowledge, experience, and results.”

Setting boundaries and processes was another lesson that Bukky had to learn and adapt to. Previously, Bukky was spending some of her time reviewing people’s resumes and applications and would not charge them fees. She quickly realized that boundaries and structure are  necessary for any business, and that’s when she had her ah-ha moment. She began to take steps to implement systems and processes.. “I used to be on WhatsApp, and people could contact me whenever they wanted, and I ended up giving out free advice. I then removed myself from the app, and now people can contact my team,  but to speak to me and receive advice, they have to book a consultation then proceed to retain our services.”

When asked what advice she would give to someone building their own business, Bukky noted that as the business owner, you can’t do everything. “Spending my time answering DM’s wasn't a good use of my time. There’s a term “Don't use your valuable time for penny tasks”, so I hired a social media manager! It’s not that social media management is beneath me, it’s just not a good use of my time as a business owner. I would rather have someone who is dedicated to that, do that.” Bukky is also a proponent of working with other professionals. “When I need a service, I would rather get another small business owner to do that service for me rather than figuring it out for myself. Why? I want to expand my network and get into their space. The moment you use another small business, that’s relationship building. It also opens you up and exposes you to what they know, because they value you coming to them for support.”

To learn more about the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) click here. There are limited funds available.

The Importance of Understanding Your Financial Statements

It’s important to understand the information contained in your financial statements because they can provide you with a health check on how the company is doing financially. Financial Statements give you a snapshot of where money is being generated, and where it’s being spent. There are three main sections to a financial statement which include the Income Statement, the Balance Sheet, and the Cash Flow Statement. 

Income Statement:

The Income Statement is a report that shows how much revenue was earned over a period of time, and also shows the expenses that were incurred while earning that revenue. Income statements break these numbers down on a granular level and show the final net profit. This can be used to demonstrate how profitable your business is, which is what a bank or investor will want to see from you to help prove that your business is viable and profitable. 

Balance Sheet: 

The Balance Sheet provides a statement of the company’s assets, liabilities and shareholders’ equity. They give you a snapshot of what your company owns (assets), what your company owes (liabilities), and what your company’s net worth is, which is what would be left over if your company sold all of its assets and paid off all of its liabilities. 

A balance sheet is calculated based on this equation:

Assets = Liabilities + Shareholder Equity 

In order for your balance sheet to balance, the combined value of your liabilities and equity must be equal to your assets. This will give you a  full picture of your company’s financial health, otherwise known as the total value of the business. It’s important for these to balance because the total value of the businesses assets will have all been funded through the Liabilities and Equity. 

Cash Flow Statement:

The Cash Flow Statement summarizes the amount of cash (and cash equivalents) coming into and going out of the business. It also measures how well cash is being generated in order to pay debts and cover operating expenses. There are three types of cash activities that are considered, these include: operating, investing and financing activities. 

Operating Activities: This looks at where the money that is being generated from the company’s products and/or services is being spent and used. This can include income tax payments, rent payments, salaries, or any other operating expenses. 

Investment Activities: This looks at how much money has been made or spent based on investments. This includes purchasing physical assets and investing or selling securities. 

Financing Activities: This is the net amount of funding a company generates within a given time period. Issuing and repaying equity and debt, and paying dividends are all considered financing activities. 

It’s crucial to understand your financial statements so that you can have an accurate pulse on where your company’s revenue is coming from and where it is being spent. Once you look at these numbers and understand them, you might realize that too much money is being spent on certain operating expenses based on the amount of income that they’re generating. Not only does understanding these numbers allow you to make adjustments as needed to your operating expenses, it also empowers you with the ability to approach a bank or investor with the information they will want to see in order to consider your company for financing. 

Supporting Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs

Photo by Chic Perspective Photography Inc.

Tracy Persson launched her business, Cozy Intentions in 2018, but she’s had that entrepreneurial spark for as long as she can remember.

“I think I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I started out babysitting and cleaning for people when I was very young. I liked the idea of creating my own hours and bringing in my own income.”

In 2019, Tracy participated in AWE’s NextStep to Success Business Planning Series in Grande Prairie and says what she learned in the program continues to help her build her leisurewear and sleepwear business.

“The facilitator has been incredible; her support does not end when the program is over. She has been really supportive with fine tuning my business plan and my business projections.”

The NextStep to Success program was designed specifically for Indigenous women and offers guidance and expertise on starting and building a business. The program includes an eight-week business planning series focused on determining readiness for entrepreneurship, marketing research, operations planning, and financial planning.

Tracy explains that it was important for her to have the proper support before she launched her business, and she encourages others to do the same. “Whether it’s working with AWE, or talking to your local bank, do your research and get everything aligned before you launch. Then go for it!”

For Laura Asham, the Founder behind Asham Creations, NextStep to Success gave her the guidance to move her business forward.

“I am so happy to have taken the NextStep program, and it really is the next step. And still to this date we are making our puppets and making people happy,”

Since completing the program in 2018, her award-winning educational puppets have been seen in libraries across Alberta, and in schools across the country, even travelling as far as the Montana Blackfeet Nation.

The program’s small group sessions are unique in their circle delivery format and include real-life examples, success stories, and practical training in a supportive learning environment. 

Councillor Tracy McHugh helped bring NextStep to Success to Siksika Nation and credits the program with helping women in her community understand the realities of entrepreneurship, and how to create an action plan for success.

“By the time they're done, the women have a solid footing. They ask themselves ‘what is this plan going to look like, how much money do I need, who do I want on my side?’ Alberta Women Entrepreneurs does a very good job at giving that information and providing those tools.”

Together with our partners, AWE continues to develop programs that will increase entrepreneurial opportunities for Indigenous women in Alberta.

Client Feature: Allie Knull

When asked Have you always wanted to be an entrepreneur? How did you get here?, Allie Knull, Founder and CEO of ResumeFree™, gave a response that we commonly hear. “I had been in the corporate world and was struggling with being fulfilled even though I had been in different industries and different organizations.”

The opportunity arose for Allie to take the leap when she was on her second maternity leave. She started her own management consulting firm focused on recruitment and HR. From there she saw what ResumeFree™ could become, so she stepped away from that company and let her second in command run it. “It was really beneficial to have someone who could step into my shoes, number one. And number two, have the ability to do that because I know that comes from a place of privilege because not all people have the opportunity to be supported while following their passion so I was very grateful.” 

When asked what her tips are for people starting their own business, Allie said the following: 

1. Make sure you are lethal at what you do and what you want to offer to people. 

2. Do as much research as possible. 

3. Reach out to different resources. 

Allie was sent what she calls the million dollar email. It was a list of all of these different resources that she could reach out to and discuss developing her product, how to take ideas from ideation to creation, and actually getting something on the market. There were so many different resources that led her to other different resources. All it takes is just that one first step to get started. 

What Is ResumeFree™? 

ResumeFree™ is a screening as a service tool that matches employers and candidates on over 200 data points, not one of which is a resume. “People feel that they get lost in the shuffle and that’s not the approach we’re looking to take.” 

For their purposes, resumes have no place in the screening process whatsoever. “When you think about the recruitment process, people are always trying to portray their best selves, and sometimes that can fall flat. Whereas if people do our assessment and portray their best selves, which we can actually determine, as we have a validity metric so if they try to fudge our system they get kicked out.” Allie explains that when it comes to hiring some things are non-negotiables such as a person’s name and their email address and contact information. The other information is collected in three separate buckets that collect different sets of data points. The first bucket collects their preferred location of work, their salary range, how many hours they want to work, and what type of contract they want. Contract types include: employee, intern, contractor themselves, co-op. The second bucket highlights what type of work environment they prefer to be in, how they like to solve problems, how they like to communicate, how they like to work in groups, what type of leadership style they have. And finally, the third bucket asks specific questions the employers requests that ResumeFree™ vet candidates for. 

All of these data points are analyzed and then candidates are put into a top 20 list which includes a percentage of how well the candidates matched the formulas. It was really important for Allie when they were creating this to make sure it wasn’t a pass or fail system. “Popular job sites are a pass or fail, if you don’t answer their questions correctly you’re either opted out or opted in. For us, we’re gathering as much data as possible and we’re saying “hey maybe not this time but next time.” We don’t bump people out of our process, they’re still in our database, they go into the next round of hiring as long as they match within a percentage point of what we’re looking for.”

When Did You Start? 

ResumeFree™ was incorporated in April of 2019 and beta testing started in August. Beta testing involves taking an idea and running it against people to see if they like it, if they don’t get it, or where you can improve but it’s not your final outcome.

“It grew from myself to an advisor, to bringing on a Chief Technology Officer, to getting quotes for developing it beyond what I call the halloween website. I call it the halloween website because it was the complete opposite of every other job board out there, they’re all blue and white and I went with orange and black. It started as me updating that website, putting up the jobs, grabbing the matches and manually going through so I put out a request to see who could develop it beyond that and that’s where AWE came in.” 

AWE

She approached AWE and told us what she had to offer and after a few conversations we got the ball rolling. “The loan from AWE helped us hire some of our key staff and helped get some of our key marketing initiatives out as well.” Allie knew about AWE because there were a lot of women in her world, having come from the management consulting firm, who worked with AWE or had previously been supported by AWE, so it’s always been on her radar to utilize the support. 

“The tech space is a completely different beast. Humbly I went and said ‘Please, will you support me’. I was also seeing the same people relaying the same message, they understand female entrepreneurs. They get it. From a female founder perspective, it can be difficult to go into a conversation and say ‘Hey, I’m here and I'm creating this fantastic thing’ because you still get asked ‘who else is on your ownership?’”

Going into a new space that she was wholly unfamiliar with, Allie considers herself a non-tech tech founder, she understands recruitment implicitly. But when it comes to developing the tools and the algorithms that they need to make the matching happen, that was beyond her scope. With a tech startup, the faster you get to revenue, the quicker you can grow and scale as a company. Time is actually one of those key indicators of success for a technology startup. “AWE really came to the table for that timeliness. We started chatting in January and I was funded by the end of March. It was really fast especially considering the amount of funding I was loaned. The process was meaningful as well, because it helped me to focus on how I expect the business to run, where do I expect the revenue to come in, and how many people on my team do I need right away. So it was very beneficial, it was HARD, but it was beneficial.” 

Support System & Self-Care

Aside from the support from AWE, Allie has also established a support system through both a mastermind group and a group of fellow female entrepreneurs that came together after repeatedly seeing each other at networking events. “It’s an amazing quartet of individuals that do amazing things in the city. It’s very nice to check in with them and see how they’re doing or what their thoughts are on certain things. It’s been especially amazing to have this group during this pandemic time because our businesses have all been impacted by that.” 

The past twelve months have been more difficult than most for everyone, especially entrepreneurs. When asked what some of her strategies are for keeping her mental wellbeing in check, Allie shared with us that for her it’s very important to have time and space to herself. “It’s a lot of go, go, go as an entrepreneur but you need to have those moments of pause. For some people that’s exercise, for me it’s short little meditations, smudging, intentional breathing and really setting the tone for the day.”  

To learn more about ResumeFree™ visit their website: goresumefree.com

4 Ways to Boost Employee Morale

We all know first-hand that the past 12 months have been challenging to say the least. The shifts and transitions within business and personal life that have taken place in order to continue on have proven that we are resilient and we can do hard things. That being said, it feels we’ve been doing hard things for a long time now and a lot of people are feeling burnt out. 

Here are a few suggestions to consider if you’re looking to boost employee morale within your business. 

1. STAY CONNECTED 

Staying connected while working from home is crucial. This helps to mitigate feelings of isolation and allows for human interaction to continue on safely. If you’re not already, we recommend scheduling weekly or monthly meetings for your whole team. This can be a time to check in on projects, see where everything and everyone is at and make sure any speed bumps or concerns are being addressed. 

Utilizing tools such as Microsoft Teams or Slack are another great way for employees to be able to quickly connect without filling each other's email inboxes, this has become the digital version of popping by someone’s office to ask a quick question. This is also a great way to improve your team's internal communication! You can learn more about this in our Bold Leadership Program. 

It’s also important to do individual check-in’s to see how your team is doing on a more personal level. This should be done by someone (or a team of people) who are going to connect well with others, listen to what they have to say, and be able to report any concerns to the change makers within the organization. Whether you have an HR department or not, you should have someone dedicated to checking in with your team regularly. 

Another thing to consider is scheduling time to connect and NOT discuss work-related issues. Set aside some time for your team to connect on a more fun and laid-back level. 

2. TRUST & EMPOWER 

Whether your team is working from home or adjusting to new ways of doing business, it’s been a transition for everyone. Trusting and empowering each other removes stress and helps boost morale. It encourages team members to take chances and be innovative, while also giving them a sense of purpose and encouraging confidence. 

Trusting and empowering your employees can include: front-line decision making which allows your team members to make decisions without “checking with their manager”; sharing access to information and data that relates to their role and the overall company goals; providing positive reinforcement and support to all employees to ensure they don’t feel isolated from the team.  When team members feel valued and empowered, they are more likely to perform at their best and be more loyal to the company. In times of such uncertainty and transition, being able to ground yourself in your work and feel confident in your abilities is comforting.  

3. CELEBRATE 

Celebrate with your team! The milestones, the accomplishments and the little things in between. We encourage you to celebrate personal milestones as well as business related ones. Have a 4pm “Cheers” on Zoom for someone’s birthday and send them a balloon, congratulate team members for their accomplishments that month and their contributions to the company’s success. At AWE, we’ve been using an online greeting card that everyone on the team can sign digitally! 

Encourage your team to share personal wins as well! Whether they’ve increased the amount of kilometers on their runs, or survived another week of home-schooling their kids, creating a space for them to share these accomplishments fosters a team atmosphere that is supportive and encouraging. 

Recognizing and celebrating your team's accomplishments is a great way to create a positive company culture and reinstate that your team is valued. We’ve been reminded this past year that celebrating the little wins is hugely important, so incorporating this into your company culture will be sure to boost employee morale.  

4. REQUEST FEEDBACK 

No one expected the shifts and transitions of 2020. Some of them were done as temporary fixes that have now lasted much longer than originally planned and were never given a second thought. Maybe these things are working for your team and customers, but perhaps they’re not. 

Checking in with your team and customers is a great way to get a pulse on how things are going. This will allow you to see if further adjustments need to be made to ensure that things are continuing on as smoothly as possible, while maintaining whatever restrictions are in place in your area. Your team works within your business every day, they know the ins and outs of the company and your customers. Seeking their feedback is valuable information that should be considered and implemented within reason when possible. 

Implementing a few or all of these suggestions is a sure way to boost the morale of your team. We can guarantee that the majority of them will appreciate the efforts, and their loyalty to your business will only be strengthened. After all, ensuring that your employees are happy should be a priority as a business owner and these small changes can make a huge difference in their overall happiness and ensuring they feel they are a valued member of your company. 

5 Habits of Successful Digital Leaders

Written by Lori Schmidt, AWE Bold Leadership Program Lead.

Leaders are the driving force behind their business’ digital transformation efforts. It’s important for you as a leader to have a forward-thinking mindset and adopt habits that allow you to adapt quickly to the changing times. It is never too late to pick up a new habit, especially when those habits lead to business success, including increased revenue and growth. Here are five habits that successful digital leaders should considering adopting:

1. Focusing on customers first and foremost

“The customer is always right” is an age-old business mantra that stresses the importance of good customer service. Technology is only amplifying this principle. Customers today not only have higher expectations, but also have access to a much wider range of products, services, companies, and brands to choose from. Good customer service is no longer a business differentiator – it is a business fundamental. This radical customer centricity is a core element of leading digital in your business.

It’s also no surprise that meeting customers’ changing demands is the number-one objective for companies that are transforming, even before other critical factors such as increasing revenue and meeting profit goals.

Customers dictate the speed at which organizations must move, and the customer journey must always prevail over established business processes. This is the definition of a human-centric approach, and leading companies put customer demands at the top of their list of priorities.

2. Driving innovation through ecosystems and partnerships

Customers today demand personalization, convenience and great experiences, and companies are realizing they can’t meet all of these demands alone. They will need to forge partnerships, but they must also challenge sector boundaries to become nimbler and more able to innovate at scale. We see this in online retailers partnering with brick-and-mortar stores to offer customers a more convenient experience. We also see this in global technology companies tapping into ecosystems of start-ups to fuel technology development. Leaders can outpace their competitors by partnering strategically.

3. Nurturing talent with new incentives and strategies

The skills gap is real and prevalent: 59% of companies surveyed last year believe there’s an industry-wide shortage of the type of skills that would help accelerate their digital transformation efforts. This starts with building up the skills of the leader and then identifying skills needed to move the digital business strategy forward and building out those skills within the organization. It also entails contracting the right skills to enhance the gaps of specific expertise while keeping your organization vision and mission in mind. Successful leaders invest in upskilling their people and are focused on creating cultures of innovation and continuous learning. After customer-centric, learner centric is the most important quality to have as a business leader.

4. Activating governance plans for emerging technology applications

Developing and deploying innovative digital technology at scale today is crucial to business success. It allows companies to be nimbler, to challenge sector boundaries, and deliver better customer outcomes. But even the best, most innovative technology won’t scale unless it’s governed properly and ethically. Trust is at the heart of ethical governance. If consumers and businesses don’t trust technology or companies, they simply won’t use them. So the concept of trust by design, which is a methodology that ensures that trust is considered and embedded into services and products from the outset – will be even more critical into the future. Leaders who look at every technological application through the trust and governance lens, build greater and trusted relationships with their customers.

5. Powering innovation by leveraging data and being agile

 Working at speed is a key priority for businesses, we regard rapidly deploying technology to better meet customer expectations as a core value driver. But while companies understand the need to be quicker and more agile, many are less certain about how that can be done – and they’re turning to data for answers. The most competitive companies use data to learn by the second, and they get smarter by the second. This has all kinds of implications in terms of efficiency, cost savings and customer experience. It’s the only way to move forward. In today’s world, you can’t really survive as a business without using data.

Consider how insurers use claims data to detect fraud and act earlier, manufacturers use data to detect and predict failure points to minimize costly downtime, and retailers use historical customer purchase and search data to target them more efficiently with relevant products. Almost all businesses can use data to optimize operations, and it has been found that almost three-quarters (71%) of businesses surveyed in the US are using insights from data and analytics to speed innovation.

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AWE’s Bold Leadership is designed to help women entrepreneurs create the digital strategy they need to keep their businesses relevant and profitable. Registration for our new course, Level-Up Your Digital Marketing Strategy and Brand, is now open. Learn more about the course and register today.

Client Feature: Yana Read

Not all entrepreneurs start off knowing that owning their own business is something that is in the cards for them. That was the case for Yana Read, Founder and CEO, of Pupper Select, an Alberta-based raw dog food delivery company. She was in the corporate world in sales and marketing for 15 years before taking the leap to start her own business. The time had come to make a career change when her now eight-year-old daughter was getting to an age where she was noticing that her mother was barely ever home and spent a lot of time travelling for work. While soul searching, as everyone does, and trying to figure out what her passions are she kept coming back to her love of dogs. 

“I grew up in Afghanistan being terrified of dogs because they’re considered wild animals. I met my husband 20 years ago and he convinced me to get a chocolate lab, how can you not love a chocolate lab? As the years went on, I absolutely loved dogs.” 

When their lab, Kona, was about nine years old she began shedding a lot and very low energy. This was partially due to age. However, every spring, like clockwork, she would need antibiotics for eye infections, ear infections, and the list goes on. 

“After doing some research, I realized it’s their diet. I never knew that the stuff that you buy from the store is filled with fillers and carbs. Once I dug into my research I learned that long before dogs were domesticated they were in the wild and they are carnivores. They eat meat! They don’t need bread, carbs and fillers so that’s where her raw diet came in. I had her on this new diet for two years and really saw a difference. It’s a little bit more expensive but when you take into account how much I was spending on vet bills, her pain, the time it takes to go to the vet, you’re actually saving in the long run.” 

This is when the idea for Pupper Select was born. “We sell raw food and also dehydrated treats. They’re completely natural, there are zero fillers in our products. Everything is locally sourced and all manufacturing happens in Alberta. We have an extreme focus on Alberta and our goal for the next year is to focus on helping grow the local economy back up again.” 

One of the challenges Yana has faced is feeling confident in her ability to be an entrepreneur. Having been in sales and marketing for 15 years, this was an area she was very confident in. It was this confidence that came through when she first started but she quickly realized that owning a business is so much more than that. As an entrepreneur, you also need to understand things such as budgeting, taxes and things that Yana was not yet well-versed in. Her biggest challenge was figuring out legal documents, how contracts work and things like that. This is when she discovered the ATBX program and decided to apply. “It’s a three-month crash course in being an entrepreneur and covers everything from taxes to legal documents and everything you need to know.” 

Another resource Yana has leaned on heavily throughout her first year of business is a network of fellow female entrepreneurs that she has surrounded herself with. One of these women guided Yana to AWE. 

“Oh my gosh, AWE showed up right as I needed them! They also showed up huge financially for me. They believed in me. When an organization like that believes in you with that kind of investment it makes you feel like ‘Hey, I guess I can do this and other people think that too!’. They held my hand through all of it. Things like business planning and forecasting don’t come naturally to me so they guided me through that.” 

Outside of programs such as the ATBX and AWE, Yana leans heavily on her support network of women for support. Before COVID, this group of five women would get together at least once a month to discuss what was going on in their businesses and share advice. Yana believes that: “Surround yourself with amazing women, or men, whoever, who know what you’re going through, who know your challenges and can understand it, and can help you.” But more than anything else, Yana appreciates the support she receives from her husband. “He’s my biggest champion when I get down on myself and his confidence in me gives me my confidence.” 

Yana is a big believer in supporting the local economy. She loves the fact that she’s part of this machine, of this economy, that is building itself back up. Yana believes that what saved them over the past year is the fact that they were already set-up on an ecommerce platform. When things started shutting down they were not yet in retail locations, only online, so they didn't have to do anything to pivot. Last April was one of their best months because of the fact that no one was going out and they already had trucks and delivery systems in place. 

When it comes to keeping her mental wellbeing in check while owning a business, Yana has turned to running. She runs 4-5 times a week, and even conditioning herself to run during the winter months. “It changes how I think, it changes my mind. Some people do their best thinking in the shower, for me it’s while I run.” 

She’s also a big believer in asking for help. When she first started as an entrepreneur, she had no idea resources like AWE existed. Like many people do when they want to start a business, the first thing she did was go to a bank and ended up feeling defeated when she was declined. “Letting people know, especially women, that there are these resources available is really important. We get scared and question ourselves and financially it’s always an issue. These resources are there specifically for you.”

To learn more about Pupper Select’s products and where they deliver to, visit their website: www.pupperselect.com.

Sparking Growth

Jennifer Massig incorporated Magna Engineering in 2016 and at the time, she was running the show by herself. After what she describes as a “rough start,” she relaunched the business in 2018 and hired her first employee. In just two years, her business has expanded to include a team of ten people, the majority of whom are female.

Jennifer has been shaking up the engineering world by rethinking traditional ways of engineering. Though there have been some shifts, she says the industry looks much the same as it did 20 years ago. “Given that I'm in a highly male-dominated industry, it is really hard for me to find like-minded women.”

In 2019, AWE’s PeerSpark program came across her desk. As soon as she discovered the business accelerator program, which combines practical curriculum with the support and learning from other women entrepreneurs, she was eager to get started.

The program offers expert coaching in a safe and supportive environment where women can come together to focus on their business. For Jennifer, having a space of openness and an acceptance of vulnerability was important to creating a desirable learning environment.

“When you have a group of women together, you really understand each other because there's things that bind how we lead: trust, devotion and relationship.”

Dr. Linda Miller, President of EWI Works, enrolled in PeerSpark in 2015 and had a similar experience: “I always encourage women entrepreneurs to take some form of formal management training and business training. I was able to get that through the PeerSpark program...I absolutely believe that having a peer group of women is very, very critical in order for a female business to grow.”

Years after completing the program, many of the women continue to turn to each other for advice and support. “I’m still connected to those women today, and we support each other outside of the program.” says Lori Pecorilli, CEO of Latium Fleet Management, who participated in PeerSpark in 2015. “To me that was the most valuable part, the network and the people.” 

Jennifer describes PeerSpark as being a “perfect fit” for a company her size. She says it's much easier to find programs built for start-ups, but once you’ve become established and are looking to scale, it can be hard to find the right support and training.

PeerSpark allowed Jennifer to dedicate the necessary time to focus on growing her business, with access to guidance and resources. Her company “hugely benefited” last year from her experience: “I went into the program wanting to get as much as I could get out of it and it totally did not disappoint.”

How to Foster Customer Loyalty

Customer loyalty is something that every company strives for, because who doesn’t want loyal customers who promote your products and services to their networks. Unfortunately, customer loyalty doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes time and effort to build this up and establish it. 

These are a few of the things you can do to start building that consumer loyalty:

Listen

Listening to your customers and what they have to say is one of the easiest ways to establish loyalty. Asking for feedback and reviews of your products and services is a great way to gain this insight and hear what your customers think. Another great way is to engage with them on social media. The comments section and direct messages of your social media channels are likely full of feedback (both positive and negative) from customers. Be sure to engage with them on these platforms and respond to both positive and negative comments that were made publicly. While not all feedback will necessarily be put into action, it’s still important to have a pulse on what consumers are saying.

Be Honest & Transparent

Honesty and transparency play a huge role in creating and fostering customer loyalty. To ensure that your brand is being honest and transparent you can do the following:

• Make sure any communication with your consumers is always clear and appropriate for your audience. 

• If there is ever any bad press about your brand, take responsibility and apologize for it. 

• Share behind the scenes when possible, this shows integrity and that your brand truly lives up to its values and mission. 

• Treat your employees the way you want your customers to be treated! Honesty and transparency trickle down, it’s important to share these values and principles with your team. 

Community Involvement

Another great way to build and foster customer loyalty is through community involvement. This reinforces in your customers that your company is here to stay and that your team members are active participants in the community. This might look like sponsoring a community event or sports team, having team members donate their time at a local charity, or partnering with local organizations to create unique product or service offerings. 

Tip - Always keep your brand and target audience in mind when choosing how and where to get involved. It’s a bonus when your community efforts align with the values of your target audience. 

Consider a Loyalty Program

Loyalty programs are a sure way to foster customer loyalty. It’s a great way to encourage your customers to keep coming back time and time again, and tell their networks about your company. Loyalty programs can include: offering stamp cards where after a certain amount of purchases they get one free, building a membership and offering them exclusive discounts or creating referral type programs just to name a few. 

Not all loyalty programs will work for your company. Do some research and see which one is best suited for your company. Better yet, ask your customers if they would be interested in a loyalty program and what they would like that to look like. The best way to know what your customers want is by asking them directly! 

Listening to your customers and being honest and transparent with them should be non-negotiables for your company. Consumers are seeking this from brands they support now so if you haven’t already, you should incorporate these values into your company culture.