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To get started, Harris applied for assistance from the Self-Employment Benefit (SEB) program offered by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC). SEB grooms promising but fledgling entrepreneurs for the real business world. Participants receive a regular income, much like employment insurance benefits, for up to 35 weeks. But first they must go through a demanding six-week course to learn all facets of running a business and how to create a viable business plan. SEB graduates have a much higher rate of success than other new business start-ups (as high as 83 percent).
“The classes were awesome,” says Harris. “People were incredibly supportive and made the process so simple. I got a much better sense of who I was and what I could do. I learned how to zoom in on my real skills. I found the confidence there to say ‘I can do this.’ My business overview changed completely.”
In fact, the weekend before her business plan was subject to review, Harris switched her focus. The original concept centred on publishing a children’s magazine, a project she was madly passionate about. Only about ten percent of her plan included work as a graphic designer.
“I turned that around pretty fast,” she laughs. “I realized that the design component could bring me immediate cash flow. Start-up for my publication would have cost $20,000. I just couldn’t pull it off financially. The kids’ magazine is on the back burner for now, but it’s still bubbling. It’s going to happen.”
Meanwhile, Harris has established a niche designing promotional postcards. Results from her first card were so impressive that businesses are lining up at her door.
“I placed an ad for the florist’s shop in the local paper, then I designed a promotional postcard with exactly the same copy as the newspaper ad, and randomly dropped 300 into mailboxes. Within 24 hours, we’d had only one response from the newspaper’s 1,700 households. But we got 9 responses from the 300 postcards, which were cheaper to produce than the advertisement.”
Harris has been in business for only six months, and admits she’s not sustainable yet, but she has met or exceeded her projections every month. Business survival for her has meant niche marketing and networking. Harris starting preparing while waiting for the SEB program to commence.
She joined all the Chambers of Commerce in her region and attended every event held. She freelanced for the local paper and met dozens of business owners. She tested her product ideas with potential clients, and made sure she understood their business needs.
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