Business Advising
Go forward faster with WESK Business Advising for Entrepreneurs.
WESK Business Advising is perfect for women entrepreneurs who are on the rise, already established, or simply have a few questions about their journey. You deserve people in your corner that understand your business goals, provide valuable resources, and empower you to achieve your business goals — so, as a WESK member, you get access to one-on-one appointments for FREE.
To access all the benefits that our WESK Business Advising Program offers, meet with an advisor at our Regina or Saskatoon offices in-person, by video call or by phone!
How Do You Book An Appointment?
Trust us, it’s worth it.
- Sign-up for a WESK Trailblazer Membership: If you haven’t yet, purchase (or renew) your membership and create your WESK account (remember to jot down your username and password!)
- Visit your Account: Once you’re logged in, click on your Account.
- Submit a Request: Select Business Advising from the sidebar and submit your application.
You’ll hear from us within 5 business days or less to book an appointment. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at info@wesk.ca.
What to Expect at Your First Appointment
We’re here to help you build and scale your business. We’re all about providing the best resources, business advice, and insight for women entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan, and we’ve worked hard to make it worth your time. To get the most from this member-exclusive experience, here’s how you can prepare:
- Inclusivity. Our environment is a judgement-free space, so you can feel at ease when working with your advisor. We want you to feel safe, so relax — think of us as your cheerleader. Hey, if you ask nicely, we may do a cheer for you (sans pom-poms).
- Expect Confidentiality. A WESK business advisor is your confidant and has your best interest in mind. Think of it like the cone of silence — whatever you discuss won’t be discussed elsewhere.
- Be Strategic. Do you a have big picture, macro level dream you need to tell someone? Or is your focus in the nitty-gritty details? Either way, your business advisor will bring perspective to the conversation, at your pace. Keep in mind this is a team effort — we can’t do the work for you.
- Allow Direction. We want you and your business advisor to go together like PB&J, so if they notice they aren’t able to provide the right advice for you, they may recommend you speak to a lawyer, accountant, or other industry professional who practices in an area that they cannot provide insight into.
- Be Efficient. Working sessions are held to one hour so that we can support as many women entrepreneurs as possible. Sharing is caring, so be mindful of your time (and ours)!
- Be Prepared. Think about what you’d like to focus on during your meeting. Can you share anything prior to help your business advisor prepare? This information will only help us help you. Have a look at the proposed agenda in advance of your meeting. It doesn’t hurt to take notes!
If you need help figuring out where to start, check out our free tools for small businesses.
First 10 minutes:
- Welcome and introductions
- Cover any questions from step one
- Quick recap on WESK membership benefits and services
- Confirm the focus of the appointment
40 minutes:
- Client-led discussion
10 minutes:
- Summarize the actions and decisions from the discussion
- Identify next steps and homework
- Next meeting date
What happens at the end of our meeting?
- Next steps. You and your business advisor will summarize whatever actions you may take that you previously discussed. In other words — based on your priorities, you will identify the next steps. If needed, your business advisor may email you resources after the meeting.
- Homework and notes. Like we said, it doesn’t hurt to take notes. It helps you visualize what you need to accomplish, and it is a good way to track your progress. The homework and next steps will determine the purpose of the next meeting.
- Schedule your next meeting. This is a way that entrepreneurs hold themselves accountable. You will know exactly what you need to accomplish by the time you meet with your business advisor again. You can book on the spot with your business advisor, or you can use the online booking calendar.
- Need more time? Reschedule your meeting. Dog ate your homework? That’s okay, life happens! However, we’d love it if you reschedule your upcoming meeting. We want something to talk about!
- Timely feedback and support. You are excited and ready to Get. This. Ball. ROLLING. You can reach out to your business advisor via email, then your business advisor can provide timely feedback and support. Now you can move forward at a pace that works for you!
Here are some great resources to help you get started. Go get ‘em!
Outside of our business advising services, WESK offers plenty of other services to help you in your journey. Don’t forget to check out the links below to see how else we can help!
Resources
We’ve created an entire toolkit of resources, and curated them depending on your business phase. To see what resources are best for you, take our business quiz to determine your phase and gain access to phase-specific resources!
Frequently Asked Questions
We highly recommend it! A sound business plan:
- helps you become a better decision maker
- helps you anticipate problems so you can be prepared
- lays out a timetable for crushing your goals
- expands business options
- helps determine contingency plans
- helps you explain why certain objectives have or haven’t been achieved
- can be used as a selling tool to attract financing and investment
- plots a long-term course and keeps you focused on the big picture
We don’t recommend it. Writing a business plan takes time, discipline and a lot of research. Even though you can hire someone to write your plan for you, it’s vital you participate — after all, this is your business! Knowledge is power and the more you know about your business, the greater your chance of success.
The three most common business structures are sole proprietorship, partnership and corporation. Corporations are closely regulated as separate legal entities. Benefits include limited liability, possible tax advantages, ease of raising capital and transferable ownership. Offset all of that with higher start-up costs, possible charter restrictions, yearly reporting and extensive record-keeping requirements. It’s best to talk to a lawyer before you decide to incorporate.
If your gross revenue over a 12-month period doesn’t exceed $30,000, GST registration is optional. But your decision shouldn’t be based solely on revenues. Your customers may need you to have a GST number. Not sure? Your local Canada Revenue Agency office can help you decide. If you sell tangible goods or operate as a contractor selling your services in Saskatchewan, a PST number is a must. Contact the Saskatchewan Ministry of Finance at 1-800-667-6102.
You may wish to connect with our friends at la Conseil de la Coopération de la Saskatchewan.
Both in-person and virtual appointments are available at this time.