#atbfinancial

"When you run a sole proprietorship, join a peer group that can be your board of directors and hold you accountable. At the end of the day, as an entrepreneur, you can do whatever you like. If you don’t do anything there are no results. It’s just that simple. If you’re accountable to your pseudo board of directors, then that’s extremely valuable." – Rene Sloos #BulletproofIT

"It's important to network as a new business as most people are quite happy to help you out but if you don't ask how will they know that you need help? Joining organizations like the @calgarychamber is great because those kinds of organizations present opportunities for networking and give you advice." - Janet Ridsdale & Michele Gibson @humantouchevents

"Something I say to pretty much any staff member shortly after we hire them is that you should never be afraid of making mistakes or trying. If you screw something up because of lack of action, then that’s bad. If you make a mistake because you were trying something, then that’s fantastic. We expect and we hope that our staff will make big mistakes because they’re trying to do good things." - Nathan Gareau @kentofinglewood

"I like to think of myself as a fixer. If there’s a problem, or if there’s a concern, I can get in there and find solutions for it which is what Leftovers does. We pick up 1,500 to 2,000 pounds of food a week and make sure that people who are hungry get fed." - Lourdes Juan @leftoverscalgary

"I think that you have to give some stuff away but it’s an if I, will you’ scenario. There’s got to be a trade-off as you can’t just give stuff away. Even to my girlfriend and my family and friends I can’t give stuff away. I give them discounts sometimes but it is a business and people need to understand that that product costs you money and you need to recoup that cost and then some in order to survive. Otherwise there’s no point in existing.” - Thomas Mo @albertaapparel

“This is a perfect time to start a business with heart. There is a growing demand for social businesses like Czin. I’m so excited to see how we can grow and better serve our community. The future looks bright.” - Celine Richter @czindesigns

“I’m a firm believer that if you want to improve, connect with experts in those fields. Ask them out for coffee. That’s how you get started, you align yourself with those who are where you want to be." - Bethany Graburn @ClosetRaidInc

“If you do a bad deal, don't beat yourself up. Yes, you made a mistake but you also made a deal! That gives you the education so your next deal is going to be better. Getting a lot of experience in doing deals, coming up with ideas and getting out there is worth a lot more than one perfect deal.” - Clark Johannson