REGINA - New and current business owners across the City of Regina will participate in Small Business Week, hosted by Regina Public Library.
The week from Oct. 20 to Oct. 26 focuses on helping small business owners understand how to start, promote, sell, grow and manage their businesses better.
Tim Xie, Regina Public Library business service specialist, discussed the importance of Small Business Week.
“By supporting small businesses, we're not only creating jobs for the business owners, but as the business grows, they can hire people and create more jobs.”
Xie spoke about the challenges small business owners face, including the high rent cost for each month. One business owner told Xie he pays roughly $10,000 per month to rent a 3,000-square-foot unit, on top of utility expenses and other basic needs.
Xie added that small business owners turn to lawyers for advice, which can cost $500 an hour.
Rather than pay all that money for advice, Regina Public Library offers free workshop sessions to enhance small business owners' skills.
One of those workshops is learning how to sell and market products on Amazon.
Regina Public Library brings in a former Amazon seller to discuss how business owners can become sellers on Amazon, what items can be listed on the site and the cost of the items sold on Amazon.
Xie believes a business starting small can sell products on Amazon and grow their business to be more financially stable and eventually open a store in Regina.
Regina Public Library also hosts a panel of entrepreneurs who speak about their experience in starting a business and the challenges they face.
One of those entrepreneurs, Simi Adegbesan, participated in the Regina Public Library Small Business Week.
Adegbesan was looking for a franchise business and got connected with a U.S.-based commercial cleaning franchise. People doubted Adegbesan's chances of launching his own business and constantly criticized him.
Despite all the hurdles he faced, Adegbesan is now the co-owner of OMEX Office Maintenance Experts.
The success of these business owners who participated in the workshop has led to positive feedback coming back to Regina Public Library.
Xie feels the workshops have created successful businesses in the community and give people who have been laid off or unsatisfied with their work a chance to start fresh.
Those who want to participate in the workshops can head to reginalibrary.ca and join the first event happening on Oct. 20.
