Whether it is traditional First Nations cedar boxes made on the Pacific Northwest Coast, honey made on Vancouver Island, or jewelry made from Nephrite jade mined in northern B.C., there is a demand for B.C. products around the world.
But finding and securing customers outside of B.C. can be daunting for small mom-and-pop businesses, so the B.C. government is offering some help through its Export Navigator program.
"The pandemic and recent extreme weather events have presented incredible challenges for business owners,” Ravi Kahlon, B.C.'s minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation.
“To assist with recovery efforts, our government is providing them with opportunities to expand their business in new ways.”
The program has nine advisors who can offer entrepreneurs advice on how to crack Canadian and international markets. They can provide referrals to provincial and federal services, funding and business connections, and logistical, customs and financing support.
The service is offered to businesses owned by First Nations, women and youth and business owners in rural communities in seven regions: Vancouver Island, north and south, the Cariboo, Thompson-Okanagan, Kootenay Boundary, the Pacific northwest and Northeast B.C.
Mel Divers, owner of Moonshine Mama's Elixirs on Saltspring Island, has used the program to tap new customers in the U.S.
"Because of Export Navigator, I now have the research, connections and the plan to start expanding to new markets," Divers said.
Since 2019, the program has helped grow sales within Canada by more than $6 million and internationally by nearly $11 million, according to the B.C. government.
