Starting a small business can be a rewarding journey, but it requires careful planning and the right strategies to succeed. From creating a solid business plan to organizing finances and finding the right support, this guide will help you establish a foundation for a thriving business. For entrepreneurs in Calgary, key resources like reliable bookkeeping services can make a significant difference. Here’s how to start a small business and set it up for lasting success. Developing a business plan A clear, well-researched business plan serves as a roadmap for your business. It outlines your goals, target market, competitive advantage, and financial projections. This plan will also help attract investors or secure loans. To create an effective business plan: Define your mission and vision: Explain why your business exists and what you aim to achieve. Identify your target audience: Determine who your customers are and what problems your business will solve for them. Analyze competitors: Study your competitors to understand what they offer and find ways to differentiate your business. Set realistic financial projections: Estimate costs, revenue, and profits. This will give potential investors confidence in your business. Choosing a business structure Selecting the right business structure is essential, as it affects your taxes, liability, and daily operations. Common options include: Sole proprietorship: Simple to set up, with minimal paperwork, but offers no separation of personal and business liability. Partnership: Ideal for two or more owners, allowing shared responsibilities, but partners share liabilities. Corporation: Provides liability protection, but involves more paperwork and regulatory requirements. LLC (Limited Liability Company): Offers liability protection without the complexity of a corporation. Choose a structure that best suits your needs, and consult a legal professional to ensure compliance with Calgary’s business regulations. Securing funding Most small businesses require some level of funding to get started. Consider various financing options to find the best fit: Personal savings or family support: Often the first source of funding for many entrepreneurs. Business loans: Many banks offer small business loans with varying interest rates. Grants and government programs: Explore government grants and programs specifically designed to support small businesses in Calgary. Angel investors or venture capital: For businesses with high growth potential, attracting investors may be an option. Registering your business To operate legally, you’ll need to register your business. This process involves choosing a unique name, filing the necessary documents, and obtaining a business license in Calgary. You may also need specific permits depending on your industry. Completing these steps ensures that your business complies with all local regulations. Organizing your finances Managing finances effectively is crucial for any small business. Accurate bookkeeping keeps your business organized, tracks income and expenses, and prepares you for tax season. Many small businesses in Calgary choose to hire a bookkeeper in Calgary to handle these responsibilities, allowing owners to focus on growth. Working with one of the best bookkeeping services in Calgary can provide: Accurate financial records: Professional bookkeepers help maintain up-to-date records, which is essential for financial health. Compliance with tax laws: Calgary’s best bookkeeping services are familiar with local tax regulations, ensuring that you file correctly and on time. Insights for decision-making: With accurate records, you can make informed decisions on budgeting, spending, and investments. Creating a strong brand identity Building a brand that resonates with your target audience is essential. Your brand identity includes your business name, logo, colors, and messaging, as well as the experience you offer customers. Developing a consistent brand identity sets you apart from competitors and builds trust with customers. Here are some steps to create a strong brand identity: Design a logo and visual theme: Choose a professional logo, color scheme, and design elements that reflect your brand’s personality. Develop a unique brand voice: Whether it’s friendly, professional, or playful, keep your brand voice consistent in all communications. Focus on customer experience: Aim to provide exceptional service that keeps customers coming back and sharing their positive experiences. Building an online presence In today’s digital world, an online presence is crucial for reaching potential customers. Start by creating a professional website where customers can learn more about your products or services. Next, consider establishing a presence on social media platforms that suit your audience. Key components of a strong online presence include: User-friendly website: Make sure your website is easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, and includes essential information about your business. Social media profiles: Engage with customers and share updates on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Google My Business: Setting up a Google My Business profile helps customers in Calgary find you more easily. Building a support network Running a small business can be challenging, and having a network of support is invaluable. Surround yourself with people who can provide advice, resources, and encouragement. Consider these ways to build a support network: Join local business associations: Groups like the Calgary Chamber of Commerce offer networking opportunities, resources, and workshops. Seek mentorship: Experienced business owners can offer guidance and insights that help you avoid common pitfalls. Hire professionals for specialized tasks: For financial and legal matters, work with professionals like accountants, lawyers, and bookkeepers. Tracking progress and making adjustments As your business grows, it’s essential to review your progress and adjust your strategies. Regularly assessing financial performance, customer feedback, and market trends can help you refine your approach and stay competitive. Working with one of the best bookkeeping services in Calgary can make tracking your financial performance much easier, giving you insight into profit margins, cash flow, and budgeting. Consider these strategies for tracking progress: Set measurable goals: Establish specific goals for growth, such as revenue targets or customer acquisition numbers. Analyze performance data: Use financial statements, sales reports, and customer feedback to assess performance. Stay flexible: Be willing to make changes to products, services, or marketing strategies if they aren’t meeting customer needs. Conclusion Starting a small business takes effort, planning, and ongoing management. By creating a solid business plan, organizing your finances, and developing a strong brand, you can set your business up for success. In Calgary, many new business owners choose to hire a bookkeeper in Calgary to ensure accurate financial management and stay compliant with local regulations. Taking advantage of the best bookkeeping services in Calgary can free up your time, allowing you to focus on growing your business and achieving long-term success. With dedication and the right strategies, your small business can thrive in today’s competitive market.
Duration 3 Days 18 CPD hours Additional course details: Nexus Humans Enterprise Operator training program is a workshop that presents an invigorating mix of sessions, lessons, and masterclasses meticulously crafted to propel your learning expedition forward. This immersive bootcamp-style experience boasts interactive lectures, hands-on labs, and collaborative hackathons, all strategically designed to fortify fundamental concepts. Guided by seasoned coaches, each session offers priceless insights and practical skills crucial for honing your expertise. Whether you're stepping into the realm of professional skills or a seasoned professional, this comprehensive course ensures you're equipped with the knowledge and prowess necessary for success. While we feel this is the best course for the Enterprise Operator course and one of our Top 10 we encourage you to read the course outline to make sure it is the right content for you. Additionally, private sessions, closed classes or dedicated events are available both live online and at our training centres in Dublin and London, as well as at your offices anywhere in the UK, Ireland or across EMEA.
Duration 0.5 Days 3 CPD hours This course is intended for This 4-hour course is intended for business leads in project management, marketing and sales who are seeking to grow their organization through IoT technology solutions. This course prepares students for taking the CertNexus IoTBIZ Credential (IOZ-110). Overview This course and associated credential (IOZ-110) will validate your knowledge of IoT terminology and your ability to understand the components of IoT infrastructure, help you uncover challenges for consideration and understand the impact that IoT has on your organization. This includes being able to identify what IoT can do for your organization and the various business and technical challenges that you must address. The Internet of Things (IoT) allows organization to collect an extraordinary volume of data and new analysis tools can enable you to use this data to make well-informed decisions to be made quickly. But before you can successfully plan and implement an IoT solution, you must understand the various factors that will drive your decisions. Putting IoT systems into place can be a complicated proposition with unique considerations distinctly different from traditional IT solutions. This course will familiarize you with IoT components, understand the challenges that you may face, and make design decisions about your IoT projects. Course includes an exam voucher for the IoTBIZ exam (exam IOZ-110). Planning an IoT Implementation Defining IoT IoT Infrastructure Identify Benefits and Challenges of IoT Undertaking an IoT Project Identify Real World Applications for IoT The IoT Development Lifecycle Additional course details: Nexus Humans CertNexus Internet of Things for Business Professionals (IoTBIZ) training program is a workshop that presents an invigorating mix of sessions, lessons, and masterclasses meticulously crafted to propel your learning expedition forward. This immersive bootcamp-style experience boasts interactive lectures, hands-on labs, and collaborative hackathons, all strategically designed to fortify fundamental concepts. Guided by seasoned coaches, each session offers priceless insights and practical skills crucial for honing your expertise. Whether you're stepping into the realm of professional skills or a seasoned professional, this comprehensive course ensures you're equipped with the knowledge and prowess necessary for success. While we feel this is the best course for the CertNexus Internet of Things for Business Professionals (IoTBIZ) course and one of our Top 10 we encourage you to read the course outline to make sure it is the right content for you. Additionally, private sessions, closed classes or dedicated events are available both live online and at our training centres in Dublin and London, as well as at your offices anywhere in the UK, Ireland or across EMEA.
Duration 3 Days 18 CPD hours This course is intended for This course is intended for: Network administrators Network engineers Network managers System engineers Overview After taking this course, you should be able to: Describe the Cisco ThousandEyes solution and its high-level use cases Identify different types of ThousandEyes agents and supported tests Describe different Enterprise Agent deployment options, requirements, and procedures for agent deployment Describe different ThousandEyes test types Compare Thousand Eyes web layer tests Describe the role of an Endpoint Agent Deploy and Configure an Endpoint Agent Utilize ThousandEyes when performing the root cause analysis Discuss the challenges that ThousandEyes Internet Insights can address Describe the role and configuration of default and custom alerts Distinguish between usability of dashboards and reports Utilize ThousandEyes to monitor solutions end-to-end Describe how to perform system administration The Implementing and Troubleshooting Networks Using Cisco ThousandEyes (ENTEIT) v1.0 course is designed to introduce you to and familiarize you with Cisco© ThousandEyes. Through a combination of lectures and hands-on experience, you will learn to implement and configure the Cisco ThousandEyes solution. You will also learn to install and configure the Cisco ThousandEyes agents with different test types. This solution will also enable you to perform root cause analysis when troubleshooting. Course Outline Introducing Cisco ThousandEyes Introducing Cisco ThousandEyes Agents and Tests Deploying Enterprise Agents Describing ThousandEyes Routing, Network DNS, and Voice Tests Describing Cisco ThousandEyes Web Tests Introducing Endpoint Agents Deploying Endpoint Agents Troubleshooting with Cisco ThousandEyes Using Internet Insights Configuring Alerts Customizing Dashboards and Reports Monitoring Solutions Administrating the System
Duration 4 Days 24 CPD hours This course is intended for Risk professionals Business analysts Project managers Compliance professionals IT professionals Anyone whose work includes evaluating and mitigating risk Overview This boot camp prepares you to pass the ISACA CGEIT exam, which covers four domain areas designed to reflect the work performed by individuals who have a significant management, advisory or assurance role relating to the governance of IT. Domain 1: Governance of enterprise IT Domain 2: IT resources Domain 3: Benefits realization Domain 4: Risk optimization This CGEIT Boot Camp is designed for experienced IT governance personnel and those who have responsibilities for the stewardship of IT resources. You will learn how to effectively implement and manage governance across all areas of technology ? as well as align that technology with strategic enterprise goals. This training also explains the CGEIT examination process and helpsprepare you for your CGEIT exam by providing guidance and testing your exam readiness through sample questions. You?ll leave fully prepared to earn your CGEIT certification. Course Outline Domain 1: Governance of enterprise IT Domain 2: IT resources Domain 3: Benefits realization Domain 4: Risk optimization
Duration 3 Days 18 CPD hours This course is intended for This course is intended for: C|ASE-certified professionals Application security professionals DevOps engineers IT security professionals Cybersecurity engineers and analysts Software engineers and testers Anyone with prior knowledge of application security who wants to build a career in DevSecOps Overview This course empowers you with the knowledge and skills to: Understand DevOps security bottlenecks and remediation Understand the DevSecOps toolchain and implement tools Integrate Eclipse and GitHub with Jenkins to build applications Align security practices Integrate threat modeling tools Understand and implement continuous security testing Integrate runtime application self-protection tools Integrate automated security testing Perform continuous vulnerability scans Use AWS and Azure tools to secure applications. Integrate compliance-as-code tools EC-Council Certified DevSecOps Engineer (E|CDE) is a hands-on, instructor-led comprehensive DevSecOps certification program that helps professionals build the essential skills to design, develop, and maintain secure applications and infrastructure. Course Outline Module 1: Understanding DevOps Culture Module 2: Introduction to DevSecOps Module 3: DevSecOps Pipeline?Plan Stage Module 4: DevSecOps Pipeline?Code Stage Module 5: DevSecOps Pipeline?Build and Test Stage Module 6: DevSecOps Pipeline?Release and Deploy Stage Module 7: DevSecOps Pipeline?Operate and Monitor Stage Additional course details: Nexus Humans EC-Council Certified DevSecOps Engineer (E|CDE) training program is a workshop that presents an invigorating mix of sessions, lessons, and masterclasses meticulously crafted to propel your learning expedition forward. This immersive bootcamp-style experience boasts interactive lectures, hands-on labs, and collaborative hackathons, all strategically designed to fortify fundamental concepts. Guided by seasoned coaches, each session offers priceless insights and practical skills crucial for honing your expertise. Whether you're stepping into the realm of professional skills or a seasoned professional, this comprehensive course ensures you're equipped with the knowledge and prowess necessary for success. While we feel this is the best course for the EC-Council Certified DevSecOps Engineer (E|CDE) course and one of our Top 10 we encourage you to read the course outline to make sure it is the right content for you. Additionally, private sessions, closed classes or dedicated events are available both live online and at our training centres in Dublin and London, as well as at your offices anywhere in the UK, Ireland or across EMEA.
Duration 5 Days 30 CPD hours This course is intended for This course is designed for: IT Professionals in the BC/DR or system administration domain, business continuity and disaster recovery consultants, individuals wanting to establish themselves in the field of IT business, continuity and disaster recovery, IT risk managers and consultants, and CISOs and IT directors. Before taking this course, some experience in the IT BC/DR domain is recommended. More info can be found here: https://www.eccouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/edrpv3-brochure.pdf Overview EC-Council Disaster Recovery Professional (EDRP) is a comprehensive professional course that teaches students how to develop enterprise-wide business continuity and disaster recovery plans. EDRP provides the professionals with a strong understanding of business continuity and disaster recovery principles, including conducting business impact analysis, assessing of risks, developing policies and procedures, and implementing a plan. EDRP teaches professionals how to secure data by putting policies and procedures in place, and how to recover and restore their organization's critical data in the aftermath of a disaster. EDRP provides the professionals with a strong understanding of business continuity and disaster recovery principles, including conducting business impact analysis, assessing of risks, developing policies and procedures, and implementing a plan. It also teaches professionals how to secure data by putting policies and procedures in place, and how to recover and restore their organization?s critical data in the aftermath of a disaster. The program is designed to provide much needed step-by-step guidance to attendees and then tests their knowledge through case studies. EDRPv3 addresses gaps in other BC/DR programs by providing helpful templates that are applied to BC/DR efforts in an enterprise. Course Outline Introduction to Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Business Continuity Management (BCM) Risk Assessment Business Impact Analysis (BIA) Business Continuity Planning (BCP) Disaster Recovery Planning Process Data Backup Strategies Data Recovery Strategies Virtualization-Based Disaster Recovery System Recovery Centralized and Decentralized System Recovery BCP Testing, Maintenance, and Training Additional course details: Nexus Humans EC-Council Disaster Recovery Professional (EDRP) training program is a workshop that presents an invigorating mix of sessions, lessons, and masterclasses meticulously crafted to propel your learning expedition forward. This immersive bootcamp-style experience boasts interactive lectures, hands-on labs, and collaborative hackathons, all strategically designed to fortify fundamental concepts. Guided by seasoned coaches, each session offers priceless insights and practical skills crucial for honing your expertise. Whether you're stepping into the realm of professional skills or a seasoned professional, this comprehensive course ensures you're equipped with the knowledge and prowess necessary for success. While we feel this is the best course for the EC-Council Disaster Recovery Professional (EDRP) course and one of our Top 10 we encourage you to read the course outline to make sure it is the right content for you. Additionally, private sessions, closed classes or dedicated events are available both live online and at our training centres in Dublin and London, as well as at your offices anywhere in the UK, Ireland or across EMEA.
Duration 1 Days 6 CPD hours This course is intended for This course is intended for those responsible for ITAD programs and other IT professionals involved in Asset Management, resource budgeting, finance, software licensing, contract management and strategic planning. Overview Students will learn the best practices in an IT Asset Management Program and align those processes with their organizations' business practices. They will be able to manage overall ITAM programs and demonstrate in-depth knowledge, operational knowledge and competence in asset disposal and process development. The IAITAM Certified IT Asset Disposition (CITAD) course prepares individuals to manage the IT asset disposal process within an organization. Best practices in IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) are broken down from policy management, data security to chain of custody transitioning. Attendees whose job responsibilities include ITAD will take away the knowledge of how to avoid risk of data loss and public exposure that surround a breakdown in ITAD process management. ITAD best practices, financial return, data security global implications and the importance of vendor management are just a few of the topics incorporated in the CITAD course. This course exposes the attendee to numerous concepts for ITAM that are relevant for both direct application and as a means of discussion for those persons who will implement, manage and direct ITAM initiatives for their organizations. This course includes the exam for CITAD certification. Course Outline Disposition Overview Disposition and ITAM Organizational Goals for Disposition ITAM Goals for Disposition Governance of Electronic Disposal Composition of E-Scrap Waste Management Laws Foundation for Disposal Management Policy Topics Relevant to Disposition Asset Standards Benefit Disposal The Role of Automation Data Security Governance Working with Vendors Selecting Vendors Due Diligence The Removal Process Software During Disposition Decision Factors for Retirement The Disposition Processes Financial Management & Measurement Additional course details: Nexus Humans Certified IT Asset Disposal (CITAD) training program is a workshop that presents an invigorating mix of sessions, lessons, and masterclasses meticulously crafted to propel your learning expedition forward. This immersive bootcamp-style experience boasts interactive lectures, hands-on labs, and collaborative hackathons, all strategically designed to fortify fundamental concepts. Guided by seasoned coaches, each session offers priceless insights and practical skills crucial for honing your expertise. Whether you're stepping into the realm of professional skills or a seasoned professional, this comprehensive course ensures you're equipped with the knowledge and prowess necessary for success. While we feel this is the best course for the Certified IT Asset Disposal (CITAD) course and one of our Top 10 we encourage you to read the course outline to make sure it is the right content for you. Additionally, private sessions, closed classes or dedicated events are available both live online and at our training centres in Dublin and London, as well as at your offices anywhere in the UK, Ireland or across EMEA.
Duration 2 Days 12 CPD hours This course is intended for System installers System integrators System administrators Network administrators Overview After taking this course, you should be able to: Describe the Cisco SD-Branch solution and its architecture Explain the hardware components of the Cisco ENCS 5400 and Cisco Catalyst 8200 Series Edge Universal Customer Premises Equipment (uCPE) Install and access the Cisco Enterprise NFVIS on Cisco ENCS 5400 Understand the VNF Lifecycle management and its deployment Identify Cisco Enterprise NFVIS Security considerations Explain the Cisco SD-WAN solution and its components Describe the Cisco ENCS orchestrations systems and Representational State Transfer (REST) APIs Deploy the Cisco ENCS using orchestrators Monitor and troubleshoot Cisco ENFV components using Cisco vManage The Implementing Cisco Enterprise SD-Branch (ENSDBI) v1.0 course is designed to teach you to understand the Cisco© Software-Defined (SD)-Branch architecture and Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization (ENFV) solution. Through a series of in-person or e-learning lectures and labs, you will learn about the supported hardware platforms with a focus on the components, installation, and upgraded workflows of the Cisco Enterprise Network Compute System (ENCS) 5400 series. Additionally, this course will help you build your skills on Virtual Network Functions (VNF) deployment and orchestration solutions on Cisco ENCS. Course Outline Introducing Cisco SD-Branch Architecture and Cisco ENFV Solution Preparing Cisco ENCS Device for Deployment Deploying VNFs on Cisco ENCS Working with Cisco ENCS Orchestration Monitoring and Managing Cisco ENFV Components Additional course details: Nexus Humans Cisco Implementing Cisco Enterprise SD-Branch v1.0 (ENSDBI) training program is a workshop that presents an invigorating mix of sessions, lessons, and masterclasses meticulously crafted to propel your learning expedition forward. This immersive bootcamp-style experience boasts interactive lectures, hands-on labs, and collaborative hackathons, all strategically designed to fortify fundamental concepts. Guided by seasoned coaches, each session offers priceless insights and practical skills crucial for honing your expertise. Whether you're stepping into the realm of professional skills or a seasoned professional, this comprehensive course ensures you're equipped with the knowledge and prowess necessary for success. While we feel this is the best course for the Cisco Implementing Cisco Enterprise SD-Branch v1.0 (ENSDBI) course and one of our Top 10 we encourage you to read the course outline to make sure it is the right content for you. Additionally, private sessions, closed classes or dedicated events are available both live online and at our training centres in Dublin and London, as well as at your offices anywhere in the UK, Ireland or across EMEA.