In December 2019, the ThriveNorth program successfully completed its five-year mandate. Managed by Futurpreneur Canada, the program helped young entrepreneurs in Northern B.C. launch and grow their businesses by connecting them with resources, financing and mentorship.

Written By: Judy Carlick-Pearson, President, Synergy Aboriginal Business Strategies, Prince Rupert Consultant, Futurpreneur Canada

Starting your own business has its challenges and many of these challenges aren’t identified in the beginning of the process. Plus, there is a lot of unpredictability that forces you to adapt and learn. Having a strong support team and someone to share ideas with can be a saving grace.

Last fall, I teamed up with another Prince Rupert entrepreneur, Tyler Meers, to lease a new office space together. My business, Synergy Aboriginal Business Strategies, provides business consulting services and supports positive change to the way business is conducted with and for First Nations. Tyler is a fine-art photographer who focuses on weddings, landscapes, event photography, portraits and more.

Tyler and I were acquaintances and were both looking for ways to establish a storefront for our businesses while still keeping costs low. When I called him up to ask him if he would be interested in having an office space together, he immediately said “Let’s make this happen”.

Our businesses are different but there are many ways we can support each other’s success. I knew I wanted to improve the imaging around my business and Tyler has the experience and creativity to help me do that. Tyler’s beautiful photography now covers the walls of the office which provides visual appeal and also helps promote his work to anyone coming in. When Tyler is away, I do what I can to support his business by promoting him and selling his art. He always does the same for me.

New start-ups are constantly looking for new ways to save costs in their operations. Synergy is becoming more common and this type of set-up works well for us. In the end, it doesn’t matter if you are sharing an office with someone offering similar services as you or someone in a completely different industry. What is important is that you find a like-minded partner with common goals. The bottom line is to think outside the box and find strategies to solutions that may become problems in the long run. Be creative, be patient, learn from your mistakes and, last of all, never give up.

Roadblocks happen to the best of us. Saying that, Tyler and I open the doors to the Synergy Gallery for young entrepreneurs to go in and ask questions or just get basic advice about the challenges they face. It offers young people an additional support that may not be available to them elsewhere.

We welcome everyone interested in seeing what we have built together to come by and check out at 170 3rd Ave East, Prince Rupert, BC, V8J 1K5.

Get up to $60,000
in financial support,
and the support of one
of our 2,400+ mentors.

Learn More →