BCBusiness

Our October Small Business issue is out now!⁠ ⁠ Our cover star, minister of jobs, economic development and innovation Brenda Bailey (also conveniently a huge Star Wars fan!) digs into her entrepreneurial past and makes her case for re-election in the face of tough opposition. ⁠ ⁠ We also asked 40 BCers one pertinent question: What's your favourite small business? The answers we got included coffee shops and restaurants, of course, but also ice cream parlous, florists, bookstores and so many more. A huge thanks to the people we quizzed who were so generous with their time. ⁠ ⁠ And we got to sit down with The University of British Columbia's new president, Benoit-Antoine Bacon. We grilled Bacon on what he's learned from his past stints at some of Canada's top universities and what he hopes to bring to Vancouver's largest educational institution. ⁠ ⁠ ALSO IN THIS JAM-PACKED ISSUE:⁠ ⁠ - Downtown Van BIA CEO Jane T. on revitalizing downtown and attracting businesses to Granville Street.⁠ ⁠ - ETRO Construction founder and president Mike Maierle on building his company from scratch to winning the landmark BC Place renovation contract.⁠ ⁠ - How Merritt's Edison Motors Ltd made the push to build clean semi-trucks after Tesla didn't deliver.⁠ ⁠ - Blair Bellerose's journey to empower Indigenous people through music.⁠ ⁠ - The day Janevca Kitchen & Lounge executive chef Andrea Alridge was almost kicked off Top Chef Canada. ⁠ And so much more! Grab our issue now and let us know what you think. ⁠

Vehicle sales helped push RB Global Inc.'s profits up 273 percent over the first half of the year.⁠ ⁠ Learn more about how the company's used car division is steering change here:

October 15 is your last chance to apply for our 2025 BCBusiness 30 Under 30 competition! Take a look at our previous winners, and hit the link below to enter.⁠ https://lnkd.in/gYjJh7KH

The team behind Strathcona Beer Company is confident in the company’s expansion to a crowded North Vancouver market.⁠ ⁠ “People are really careful with how they spend, but they want to have the full experience,” says culinary director Jonquil Parisian. “The first phrase that came to mind when building this was ‘friends of Strath’—coming to a new community and building friends. That’s not only on how people come and sit in our bar and make new friends, but in how we work with other vendors in this area on our menu. So our bread is from Bad Dog Bread in North Van, we use Two Rivers Specialty Meats for our meat products and we work with local cheesemongers.”⁠

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👩🔬 This article by BCBusiness is a bit personal....and I would not have been able to talk about it a decade ago. We all have our personal challenges that shape our character, and in my case, also my career in science, health, and toxicology. Personal "flaws" make us unique and with acceptance and a positive perspective, they can become our "superpower". I am proud of how far I have come as a result of my "trich"-otillomania (means: hair pulling mania), and kudos to those of you who noticed I named my company after it 😉 TrichAnalytics Inc. (means: hair analytics). Thanks for the great article Rushmila Rahman with BCBusiness In the comments section below, feel free to write your "superpower". Love to all. 💖 #nutrition #health #trichotillomania #hair #diet Theío Vitality https://lnkd.in/giDvnqaF

Our 2025 30 Under 30 applications are open, and you (or someone you know) could be in our next cohort of winners! Here are some inspiring stories from the class of 2024.⁠ Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gYjJh7KH

Zoë Pawlak and Christina Bowe get creative in the world of business.⁠ ⁠ Pawlak says her goal has always been to pair creativity with commerce. “And I think a way that I exemplify that for emerging or mid-career younger artists is that I show that it’s possible. As a studio, we embody that. I believe that, when you’re creative, there’s a way in which that can remain a hobby. And when I mentor, I want to step into the capacity to start to create bodies of work, look into the meanings of it, how it’s connected. And then look at more practical things, like pricing, sizing, shipping.”⁠

British Columbia goes to the polls for the first time in four years on October 19 to elect a new provincial government. Are you registered?⁠ ⁠ We've rounded up some statistical context for this exercise in democracy—including how many BCers are looking for a change in government and described themselves as “consistent voters.”

Every year, we honour a new 30 Under 30 class whose ingenuity, resilience and drive to succeed show why the future of our province is so bright.⁠ ⁠ Swipe to see some of our past 30 Under 30 winners, and to Apply for our 2025 competition here: https://lnkd.in/gYjJh7KH