8 Small Businesses that Can Support Your Small Biz

There are more than half a million small businesses (businesses with up to 49 employees) in B.C. Many of them provide support and specialized services to other businesses. If you run a business, or are thinking of starting one, check out these service providers around B.C. who can help you with everything from managing your finances to taking your business online.

Crema Bookkeeping Inc., Nanaimo

Many small business owners feel there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Keeping the books in order is one of those tasks that can get neglected: “Now, should I log those receipts or get a muffin? Muffin it is.” Crema Bookkeeping lets you outsource your financial record-keeping to an experienced bookkeeper so you know you’ll always be ready when tax time rolls around. They’ll also help you with payroll processing.

Melanie Schroeder, Chartered Professional Accountant, Vancouver

A good accountant can not only do your taxes for you, but also provide advice and guidance around other financial aspects of running a successful business. Chartered Accountant Melanie Schroeder can take a holistic look at your business to help you get your finances in order so you can focus on doing, in her words, “whatever you are good at and love.”

Lesley’s Virtual Office, Vancouver

Bookkeeping and financial management are not the only tasks that can take you away from your core business. If you’re not in a position to hire lots of specialized staff, virtual assistant Lesley Johnston can step in to help you focus on what you do best. She’ll help with everything from calendar management and travel coordination to event management and human resources. Lesley offers a no-commitment “Needs Assessment” session to explore how you can work together.

Nextwork, Vancouver

If your business is growing and you need to hire people with specific skills on demand, Nextwork connects businesses with experienced, flexible, and proven talent whenever they need it. Nextwork is a digital talent marketplace, which means most of the magic happens online. Outline the skills and experience you need, and Nextwork will match you with the right talent. You can interview, collaborate with, and even pay talent from one central online dashboard.

Straydog Branding, West Vancouver

Does your business identity need a refresh? Straydog Branding’s goal is to “make you the top dog in your industry.” The Vancouver creative agency offers a full range of branding and marketing services, including branding, web design, ecommerce, packaging design, and content marketing. They’ll take on everything, but won’t turn up their nose at smaller, one-off projects either. Straydog will even help eligible businesses find government funding for their project.

Tiny Planet Digital, Vancouver

As online shopping stats reach record heights while everyone is spending more time at home, many businesses are taking their business online for the first time, or improving their current online presence. Tiny Planet Digital specializes in digital marketing. They’ll help you launch your business online, as well as providing related services, including social media marketing, email marketing, and digital marketing to help you reach more customers and get more sales online.

Cultivate Advisors, Vancouver

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, or maybe find ways to adapt and pivot during COVID-19, advice from people who have “been there, done that” can go a long way. Cultivate Advisors works with businesses at different stages, from starting out to scaling up. Their advisors are experienced business owners who specialize in advising businesses at each stage to help them grow.

Carolyn Stern & Associates Incorporated, Vancouver

If you need a different type of advice, Carolyn Stern specializes in helping professionals “get unstuck.” Her focus is on improving “emotional intelligence,” which can help people accomplish their goals and achieve success in business and other areas of life. Carolyn has created eight online emotional intelligence courses to help with everything from decision-making to stress management.

Sourcing local business-to-business services helps strengthen B.C.’s economy so everyone benefits. Find these and other service providers in the BC Marketplace.