What’s Up Yukon makes headlines

Tammy Beese wins
BDC's Young Entrepreneur Award for Yukon

(Whitehorse, Yukon – October 16, 2007) – Tammy Beese's entertainment magazine, What's Up Yukon, has struck a chord with readers and advertisers alike, and has fast become a mainstay of the local community. For her success, Tammy, 35, has earned BDC's Young Entrepreneur Award for Yukon and will be honoured tonight at a ceremony in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Tammy started the free bi-weekly magazine that features 100% local content two and a half years ago. Printed on newsprint, What's Up Yukon covers Yukon's "living culture", including news about arts and culture, sports and recreation, and "all things fun and all things entertainment." Tammy also publishes a quarterly business magazine with all-Yukon content and is introducing a semi-annual Yukon health magazine.

Tammy hatched the idea of creating an entertainment magazine while working in advertising sales at a local paper. "A lot of small ads were being placed for upcoming events," she says. "There's so much happening in this community that I saw an opportunity to start a publication that would get the word out. We often talked about our history and landscape, but few of us knew how strong our living culture is. I wanted to transform Yukoners' outlook and feelings towards their community."

The scoop on success
What's Up Yukon was not an overnight sensation. Tammy had to find the right graphic designers for the job and build credibility for an unknown publication run by a young woman.  Nevertheless, with each issue, it attracted a growing readership and the interest of more and more advertisers. "We were losing money at first," says Tammy, "but that turned around after the sixth issue." Today, with some 50 freelance contributors, strong community support and an exclusive focus on local stories, What's Up Yukon is a familiar and popular entertainment news source. "My husband has joined the team, putting the entire livelihood of our family into this business," she adds.

Tammy has succeeded in her venture where others had failed. "At least five other publications got started here and then folded," she says. "My background in advertising sales helped me to understand what was needed to be financially viable. I also realized that we couldn't be restricted to covering arts and culture, but had to diversify the subject matter."

Using her marketing skills, Tammy promotes What's Up Yukon through a variety of innovative means, including unique custom-built display racks, an art exhibit featuring magazine covers and photos of contributors, an e-mail newsletter to advertising clients that features marketing tips, and designer press kits. She created the Yukon's Patio Contest and hosts a client library of marketing books. Tammy is also a Rotarian with the Whitehorse Midnight Sun Rotary Club and has formed strong business relationships with local groups such as the Yukon First Nations Tourism Association, Yukon Art Society, and Sport Yukon among others. 

"Tammy is to be congratulated for her success. Starting with a clear vision, she has used her business savvy to create a product that showcases local culture and appeals to a growing audience," says BDC President and CEO Jean-René Halde.
 
"I've never thought of myself as an entrepreneur," says Tammy. "But I believed in the idea of What's Up Yukon. Seeing the impact that it has really inspires me." 

Young entrepreneurs in the spotlight
BDC's Young Entrepreneur Awards are a highlight of Small Business Week, providing the opportunity to honour the entrepreneurial spirit and business success of Canadians between the ages of 19 and 35.  Winners from each province and territory are selected by a panel based on the originality of their business concept, its success, growth potential and their community involvement.  The panel also considers the entrepreneur's age when the business was started and any special challenges that had to be faced.

Small Business Week partners
Contributing to the success of this year's Small Business Week and Young Entrepreneur Awards are the following national sponsors:  Western Economic Diversification Canada, Export Development Canada and Rogers. Privileged partners are the Pan Canadian Community Futures Group and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, which has been a privileged partner of the event since 1981.

About BDC
BDC is a financial institution wholly owned by the Government of Canada. BDC actively supports the development and growth of Canadian small and medium-sized businesses through its complementary financial, investment and consulting solutions. BDC is one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2008.

Small Business Week is a registered trademark of BDC.

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