Wendy Plandowski, interim executive director of StartUp Lloydminster, unveiled the organization’s new three-year strategy to develop and grow new small business opportunities in the region during the Rotary Club of Lloydminster Monday lunch. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
StartUp Lloydminster aims to make Lloydminster the best place in Canada to start and grow a business.
The non-profit business grower introduced a new strategic plan for 2022-25 to achieve that goal during the Rotary Club of Lloydminster’s Monday lunch meeting.
“We really want our business community to be stronger, attract new businesses and create the right environment for somebody that has a great idea,” said StartUp’s interim executive director Wendy Plandowski.
“We can help them to make that idea a reality and essentially succeed with their business.”
Plandowski picked Rotary as the first audience to learn about the new three-year strategy, which the StartUp board okayed in February.
“The business community is represented here at Rotary, so that is really our target audience,” explained Plandowski.
The new strategic plan is based on four pillars of growth, service delivery, community engagement and the future of work, with the objective of growth to increase sustainability revenue streams.
The City of Lloydminster currently provides the bulk of funding for StartUp, along with an Alberta Innovates grant from the province.
Plandowski explains the goal is to increase their sources of revenue, not just from government, but from the business community in the form of service delivery.
They also want to increase services and programs to support small businesses in the region with improved service delivery.
“We don’t just help businesses to startup, we help them to grow and thrive,” said Plandowski.
StartUp supports entrepreneurs by offering business coaching, networking opportunities and professional learning events along with 30 volunteer business mentors.
Plandowski says StartUp not only helps businesses at the idea stage, but also those that want to scale up or plan their succession, for example.
StartUp can also connect a business with a prototype idea to Alberta Innovates.
The community engagement pillar is all about making sure everyone in the community knows StartUp is where to go when they do have that great idea for a business or want to grow it etc.
The future of the work pillar seeks pathways to use new technology and innovation and be a leader for the current 14- member team at StartUp, and those they serve.
Plandowski hopes the new plan helps entrepreneurs and business owners to understand they are not alone.
“Being an entrepreneur, a business owner, can be a daunting challenge. So, StartUp Lloydminster is there in our region to support their napkin idea, their growth, and really help them to survive and thrive, depending on what stage their business is in,” she said.
Plandowski says they are currently getting about five requests a week for startup and business help.
“Because of our nature in Lloydminster, we do have a lot of entrepreneurial like-minded people,” she said.
“So we are seeing a bit of an uptick right now since people are starting to get excited about re-opening.”
Plandowski says people are looking for new opportunities and there has been an increase in services in the last six weeks.
“A new strategic plan will help us accomplish a new great variety of things moving forward since COVID,” she said.
“It’s been a really great time to review some of our strategic objectives to see how we can really pivot our businesses to respond to the changing community.”
StartUp is also rolling out a ton of business events posted at StartUpLloyd.com.
“We have exciting things so our co-working space will be re-opened; we’ve got a book club—we’ve got (entrepreneurial) movie night,” said Plandowski.
“Also, our Lunch ‘n Learn series will be starting up again, an opportunity for business people to come and network.”
