Entrepreneurship
What Is Entrepreneurship?
We usually think of an entrepreneur as someone who is highly responsive to change, who sees opportunities that others may not see, and who mobilizes resources to make new things happen. Although some people feel that entrepreneurs are born, not made, experience has shown us that entrepreneurship can be taught, and that a positive environment encourages entrepreneurial thinking, promotes innovation, and leads to a higher degree of social and economic sustainability. Businesses, organizations and communities can become more entrepreneurial.
What's the WD Connection?
Small businesses are the driving force behind nearly 80 per cent of new jobs in Canada and the West. To fuel this engine of economic growth, Western Economic Diversification Canada, through the Western Canada Business Service Network, supports entrepreneurs in both urban and rural settings resulting in a competitive and expanded business sector in Western Canada.
Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) collaborates with organizations and other levels of government to:
- Increase entrepreneurship in rural and urban communities and communities of interest (e.g. aboriginal, women).
- Simplify the process of starting and growing a business enterprise.
- Increase access to business information, financing and other resources.
- Enhance business skills, management capacity, and small business leadership.
- Support the development of networks, clusters, and alliances to share knowledge, new ideas and technologies.
- Improve access to export and emerging markets for small businesses.
What's been accomplished?
WD's accomplishments include the following:
- The Western Canadian Business Service Network - provides services and resources to help Western Canadians start, grow and expand their businesses.
- Research that helps Western Canadians to understand the role and impact of entrepreneurship.
- Loan funds with community-based organizations and financial institutions. These loan funds increase the availability of financing to businesses, communities, and groups that face difficulty getting financing, such as people with disabilities.
What's on the horizon?
WD is working with Western Canadians to expand the scope of entrepreneurship development and to integrate entrepreneurship knowledge through the creation of new networks and alliances.