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Whether you just have a brilliant idea, are in the startup phase or would like to expand your existing business, you don't want to miss out on any potential opportunities for funding or support for your venture. We are frequently asked, "Where do I start and what do I do next?"

As most of you may already know Community Business Development Corporations (CBDCs) are a group of not-for-profit organizations that works closely with all levels of government, such as ACOA and the provincial departments of Post-Secondary Education Training and Labour and Business New Brunswick to deliver financial programs to meet the needs of the small business entrepreneur.

We, and all of our partners in economic development, recognize that starting a business can be overwhelming and, quite frankly, information overload can abound. We want to make it as seamless for you as possible to access the assistance you need.

Our closest alliance is with the three Enterprise offices throughout Southeastern New Brunswick, specifically Enterprise Greater Moncton, Enterprise Fundy and Enterprise South East. These organizations in your area should be the first contact that a budding entrepreneur makes on their quest for more knowledge when building their business.

All Enterprises offices in this region offer assistance with that often dreaded business plan, accessing necessary capital for both start-ups and expansions of existing companies, new product development assistance, or learning more about exporting your products/services outside the province and country. They also offer guidance and support in human resource planning as well as providing avenues of additional training to help the business owner get much-needed supplemental education in order to run their business more easily and with less stress. Also, all services provided by the Enterprise offices are free of charge and confidential.

"Enterprise Greater Moncton works closely with the CBDC to provide services in the area of helping people start their own business," sayd Denis Melanson, Interim CEO, Enterprise Greater Moncton. "The CBDC administers an excellent funding program for clients in our region, therefore we work together to prepare the entrepreneur so they have as much knowledge as they need.

"The main area that we at Enterprise Greater Moncton focus on with new entrepreneurs is to help them produce a viable business plan and prepare them for the many challenges that lie ahead on their way to producing a viable business. We provide guidance, direction and resources to support them so that they will be successful in their new venture."

Mario Bourgeois Leduc, event artist/co-owner of La Teraz, can attest to the validity of Melanson's statement.

Leduc utilized the services of both Enterprise Greater Moncton and the CBDC Westmorland-Albert offices when opening La Teraz.

"By utilizing the expertise of the people at both Enterprise Greater Moncton and CBDC Westmorland Albert, through the Business Development Seminar (BDS), Self-Employment Benefit (SEB) and SEED Programs," Leduc says, "I was able to build my business one step at a time and receive much-needed funding to hit the ground running when our doors opened for business last May 1, 2008.

"By also attending business training seminars provided through these great organizations, I've received many 'word of mouth' referrals that boosted La Teraz's visibility as an excellent business/conference meeting place, while creating that much-needed advertising 'buzz' which has significantly increased our revenues."

"Our relationship with the CBDC complements the services they offer to our clients," says Serge Doucet, executive director with Enterprise South East. "We know how important it is for clients to get proper direction and support in the development of their project, and our assistance permits them to access funding support from partners such as the CBDC.

"Of course, the first request most people inquire about is funding. However, it is the last question we can answer, as there is a lot of research that needs to be done beforehand as there are many options they can choose from.

"Therefore, business counselling and business plan preparation would be the services that we provide the most. It's all about building relationships with our clients and providing them with the tools and direction they need to build a strong, viable business."

Sarah Phelan, the proud, contented owner of Wanderlust Outfitters in Sackville, first contacted Patsy Chamberlain from the Enterprise South-East office, to help her realize her dream of creating a specialty store that provides superior lines of outdoor clothing and camping equipment and supplies for nature lovers and hobbyists.

"I really don't think our company would have been as successful as we are today without the amazing assistance I received from CBDC and Enterprise South-East," Chamberlain says. "They helped me be realistic about putting together a viable business plan as my educational background wasn't founded in the world of commerce.

"They also encouraged me to gather as much information as I could -- not only the best outdoor products available in the marketplace, but also who and where my target market area was, what equipment I needed immediately to start selling, as well as helping me understand (and find) a wonderful storefront space to lease in downtown Sackville.

"I also took full advantage of the BDS course and utilized CBDC's SEED Program to get the start-up capital I needed to get Wanderlust up and flying."

Frank Tenhave, executive director of Enterprise Fundy, says, "We do complementary work with business clients, laying the groundwork for starting their companies. We assist them in the preparation of a thorough business plan etc. enabling them to get the necessary funding support/loans they need from the CBDC.

"While the most frequent request is for actual funding, our most-delivered service is business counselling," Tenhave says. "We hope that we open their eyes to the real risks as well as opportunities in running a business. Our goal is to give the entrepreneur the basic tools they need to succeed in business."

As you can see, these Enterprise offices greatly assist us in our quest to help you, the business owner, in developing a sound, money-generating company that will continue to prosper well into the future.

* Karen Robinson is the executive director of CBDC Westmorland Albert, past-president of the New Brunswick Association of CBDCs, and is currently representing New Brunswick on the Executive Committee of the Atlantic Association of CBDCs. Building Business appears the fourth Friday of the month.