Starting a business can be intimidating, but the Victoria Business Hub is there to guide people throughout the whole process.
With the goal of making it easier to do business in Victoria, the Business Hub partners with various outlets in Victoria such as the Victoria Chamber of Commerce and the Victoria Business Association, to basically “hold your hand” through the process.
Located in City Hall, the Business Hub is the first point of contact for business start-ups, re-locations, expansions, investors, property owners, leasing agents and others interested in creating prosperity in Victoria.
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According to Quinn Anglin, business ambassador, the hub has seen a 36 per cent increase in the amount of people using their services since they opened at the beginning of 2016.
She says the aim is to create a vibrant downtown and to demystify the process of starting up a business in the city.
“We’re a really welcoming and collaborative point of contact for businesses,” she says. “City hall can be quite intimidating and having the welcoming point of contact can be reassuring”
In 2018 alone the Hub saw 492 inquiries, of which 313 related directly to new businesses. Anglin says some good examples of new businesses that have sought help from the Business Hub are Poke Fresh in Cook Street Village and the new Pacific FC merchandise store.
READ ALSO: City’s BizHub drives business sucess
Since the Business Hub opened they’ve hosted four information sessions a year focusing on different topics. The next one, coming up at the end of July, will be focused on immigrants, refugees and newcomers who Anglin says have different barriers such as language, accessing funds or even opening a bank account.
Each session sees about 120 to 170 people attend, with the Mayor making opening remarks followed by an hour long presentation. Once the presentation has wrapped up, attendees are welcome to chat with each other at the various booths set up in the room.
Anglin, a business owner herself, says the Hub wasn’t open when she opened her business but that would have been very helpful.
“I would have loved to use the Hub if this was open,” she says. “I would have been super appreciative to have something like this.”
To contact the Business Hub call 250-361-0629 or email bizhub@victoria.ca.
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