April 2022 - Community Futures North Okanagan

Conspiracy Cosmetics crowned 2022 Enterprize Challenge champion

April 28, 2022/in News

VERNON, BC—”Did you know the average woman eats four to nine pounds of lipstick in her lifetime?”

From her opening line during the 2022 Enterprize Challenge finale at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre April 27 to the moment she was declared the first-place winner, Olive Butler of Conspiracy Cosmetics impressed the live audience and panel of volunteer judges with her thorough business pitch.

“I’m really surprised and thrilled,” says Butler. “I think it’s going to take a bit for it to fully sink in, but I’m so happy.”

Butler takes home more than $20,000 in prizes, including $5,000 in start-up capital, free business banking for one year, a legal package, marketing and web packages and more.

“I’m going to use the capital on packaging for my product so I can have a more polished-looking product,” says Butler. “I’m really looking forward to all of the support that comes from this Challenge.”

With the help of mentor Teresa Sanders, owner of FILL-Vernon’s Refill Store and the 2019 Enterprize Challenge victor, Butler refined her business plan for Conspiracy Cosmetics—a makeup brand that sells natural, low waste, vegan cosmetics with minimal and compostable packaging.

With an online store that connects customers with cosmetics no matter where they live and partnerships with local storefronts throughout the Okanagan, Butler is focused on growing her business and team with the support of the Enterprize Challenge and Community Futures.

Presented by VantageOne Credit Union, the 2022 Enterprize Challenge welcomed 28 participants and saw seven competitors present their final pitches to volunteer judges from VantageOne Credit Union, Sproing Creative, Nixon Wenger LLP, Wayside, and BDO Canada LLP.

With a plan to create a natural fertilizer by, “Turning a waste into a want,” Waste Not Wool’s Leanna Maksymik took home the People’s Choice Award sponsored by Sproing Creative.

In second place, Sean Ling-Allen of Centred Pilates leaves the Enterprize Challenge finale with nearly $10,000 in prizes. Third place, with a package valued at $6,000, went to James Stuart and Uplift Aero Greens.

“A common theme tonight is a care and concern for the environment,” says Beach Radio’s Rebecca Barton, emcee. “The Enterprize Challenge is about creating opportunity for North Okanagan businesses to start off on the right foot. They’ve all worked so hard on these pitches and should be proud to be up here tonight.”

The seven final pitch participants include:

Louis Saitowitz, Okanagan Foothills Poultry

Olive Butler, Conspiracy Cosmetics

Sean Ling-Allen, Centred Pilates Studio

Stephlynne Wilbrink, Wildflower General Store

Leanna Maksymik, Waste Not Wool

Adrianna Stange, Townships and Tales

James Stuart, Uplift Aero Greens

Wednesday’s finale marked the return of the Enterprize Challenge’s in-person pitching after a cancelled challenge in 2020 and a virtual event in 2021.

“The last two years have really been about flexibility and seeking new opportunities,” says Kazia Mullin, business services manager, Community Futures North Okanagan. “These seven finalists are great examples of entrepreneurs who have a dream, see possibility and understand that there are new opportunities in the market.”

Creativity leads the way for Enterprize Challenge finalists

April 25, 2022/in News

Community Futures North Okanagan’s business bootcamp returns to the stage, live at the Performing Arts Centre April 27

Inspired by businesses who were forced to pivot and find new ways to be successful, innovation is a key driver for this year’s Enterprize Challenge finalists.

“The last two years have really been about flexibility and seeking new opportunities,” says Kazia Mullin, business services manager, Community Futures North Okanagan. “These seven finalists are great examples of entrepreneurs who have a dream, see possibility and understand that there are new opportunities in the market.”

Hosted by CF North Okanagan and presenting sponsor VantageOne Credit Union, the 2022 Enterprize Challenge connected 28 new entrepreneurs with local business mentors. Over the three months leading up to the final pitch at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre on April 27, participants accessed online workshops and one-to-one coaching as they refined their business plans.

All 28 entrepreneurs who began the program in February had a unique business concept. The thread tying each of this year’s finalists together is a dedication to the environment.

“Many of the program’s participants are coming into the market with a product that is not only strong on its own but also has a low carbon footprint, is eco-friendly or uses compostable packaging,” says Mullin. “The environment is so important to young entrepreneurs.”

The seven finalists will share their business ideas with the community in a Dragons’ Den-style night of live pitches before a group of volunteer judges. The winner takes home start-up capital and thousands in business services prize packages.

This year’s finalists include:

Stephlynne, Wildflower General Store

The new Wildflower General Store is a modern take on general store shopping in downtown Vernon. With a relaxing and comfortable shopping experience, Wildflower sells a curated assortment of unique and affordable home goods including everything from stationery to table wear, jewellery, gifts and beauty items.

Leanna Maksymik, Waste Not Wool

As a rancher who raises sheep for fibre, Maksymik knows firsthand how much wool ends up in the landfill. After selling out of her own wool clip, Maksymik decided to gather fleeces wasted by other ranchers and process them for wool. But, with the incredible amount of dirty, unusable wool, Maksymik sought a way to keep wool out of the landfill. Through Waste Not Wool, Maksymik purchased a wool pelleting machine that turns unusable wool into natural fertilizer. As a result, Waste Not Wool is now a zero-waste business.

Adrianna Stange, Townships and Tales

Create a ripple of kindness through e-commerce: that’s the inspiration behind Townships and Tales. This curated subscription box supports small-town B.C. entrepreneurs and artisans through regionally themed seasonal boxes. Each box features between five and seven items, ranging from houseware and décor to personal care and artwork, and a hand-written note detailing an act of kindness made possible by the purchase. Through Townships and Tales, Stange has partnered with local mechanics to give single mothers free automotive repairs, completed yard work for seniors and even fixed a leaking roof.

James Stuart, Uplift Aero Greens

What if there were a way to increase year-round food security and save water at the same time? That’s the question that sparked Uplift Aero Greens. Stuart’s indoor lettuce farm uses aeroponic technology he designed himself to produce hundreds of heads of lettuce per week in an 800 square-foot, artificially lit building without any sprays or pesticides. And, Stuart says, each head of lettuce required only half a litre of water compared to an estimated 56 litres when grown in traditional outdoor methods.

Tickets for April 27 final pitch at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre are free. Register online through Eventbrite to reserve a spot in the audience. Stay tuned for details about how to watch the event via livestream. Doors open at 3 p.m. Pitches start at 4 p.m. with the winners announced before the finale ends at 7 p.m.

First set of Community Futures’ Enterprize Challenge finalists announced

April 25, 2022/in News

Seven entrepreneurs to compete in Dragon’s Den-style pitch live at Performing Arts Centre

It’s a night two years in the making. After a cancelled challenge in 2020 and a virtual showcase in 2021, the next generation of North Okanagan entrepreneurs is ready to share their businesses with the community—live.

Community Futures North Okanagan’s seventh annual Enterprize Challenge is returning to the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre stage April 27.

“We’re thrilled to put on the finale in person at the Performing Arts Centre once again. It really adds a whole new level of energy and reinvigorates the whole team and participants. It brings energy back to the program,” says Kazia Mullin, business services manager, CF North Okanagan.

“When we first met in February, one of the most commonly asked questions was if participants will be pitching in person. When we made that decision in March, you could feel the excitement among the participants. It elevated the whole Enterprize Challenge experience.”

Hosted by Community Futures North Okanagan and presenting sponsor VantageOne Credit Union, the 2022 Enterprize Challenge connected 20 budding entrepreneurs with mentors from the local business community. Between the start of February and the final pitch on April 27, participants refined their pitch as they engaged in online workshops and one-on-one coaching.

The challenge culminates in a Dragons Den-style night of live pitches at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre where a group of volunteer judges selects a winner to take home start-up capital plus thousands of dollars in business services prize packages. The event will also be livestreamed for online viewing.

This year’s diverse and nature-friendly finalists include:

Louis Saitowitz, Okanagan Foothills Poultry

A small poultry farm producer, Okanagan Foothills Poultry raises up to 2,000 birds annually and offers poultry processing to local farmers. Under Saitowitz’s new leadership, Okanagan Foothills Poultry will expand to partner with local landowners, who have a minimum five-acre property, to raise poultry. As a result, the property owners attain farm status and the accompanying tax benefits while empowering Okanagan Foothills Poultry to raise more birds on their land. As Okanagan Foothills Poultry continues to grow, Saitowitz envisions working with local grocers to sell the company’s fresh and sustainable poultry. In the future, Saitowitz looks to use his connections as a Red Seal chef to partner with local restaurants to promote Okanagan Foothills Poultry.

Olive Butler, Conspiracy Cosmetics

Conspiracy Cosmetics is a makeup brand that sells natural, low waste, vegan cosmetics with minimal and compostable packaging. Conspiracy Cosmetics encourages its customers to live authentically as themselves through self-expression and their personal lifestyle choices. The brand operates an online store through our website, conspiracycosmetics.ca, so that customers can access our makeup products, no matter where they live. Conspiracy Cosmetics also partners with local storefronts throughout the Okanagan that carry our products.

Sean Ling-Allen, Centred Pilates Studio

Situated on a private orchard in the BX region of the North Okanagan, Centred Pilates Studio began as Ling-Allen’s private home studio. In November 2021, Centred Pilates Studio expanded to offer group classes in a dedicated studio. With two instructors and plans to add a third instructor soon, the studio is dedicated to giving a high-quality Pilates experience to small groups.

Empowered by the City of Vernon’s slogan, Activate Life, Centred Pilates Studio dreams of becoming a household name in health and fitness that offers wellness retreats, Pilates education, workshops and other health-focused modalities.

Tickets for the April 27 final pitch are free. Register online through Eventbrite to reserve a spot in the audience. Doors open at 3 p.m. Pitches start at 4 p.m. with the winners announced before the finale ends at 7 p.m.

‘Camaraderie with other business women’: Momentum helps salon grow

April 8, 2022/in Success Story

It’s late afternoon and the sun beams in to the salon, brightening everything: the mirrors, the shiny nails in the latest purple, the curling irons, the eyes of women, smiling. The talk is of spring, of trips to Mexico, of moving, kids and work. There’s laughter. As Eileen Fox glances up from hand-painting her client’s nails, she sees it: the community and good vibes she has built.

Fox was 23 when she opened Cheek to Chic Salon and Spa in the mall in 2008. She’d recently finished training as an esthetician school in Kelowna when she saw an opportunity to open a salon in Vernon.

“I wanted to create an all-inclusive salon where you could get everything done and offer the kind of premium makeup found at boutiques in bigger cities,” says Fox, whose parents both owned businesses growing up. As she began to make plans to open Cheek to Chic, Fox opted to create her own line of makeup and skincare, and she also launched mobile hair and makeup service for weddings and graduations.

That first summer, things were good: The salon’s offerings quickly caught on and she had so much enthusiasm and energy for this business that seemed to have so much possibility. A few months later, the financial crash of 2008 happened. Eventually, things picked back up but over the next few years, Fox carried on, despite the strain of mall hours and rent, and a growing team. The business shifted from a 530 square foot space into one more than twice the size a few doors down.

“I was getting to a point where it felt like I was so burnt out, I didn’t know if I could do it anymore.”

By the spring of 2020, just ahead of months of pandemic closures, that ‘burnt out’ feeling had gone from hard to almost impossible. Then, a client mentioned Momentum, a Community Futures North Okanagan program for women entrepreneurs. The client, also a Momentum participant, told Fox about the learning and mentorship, the funding for business development and the forum for sharing struggles.

“Why don’t you look into it?” the client had said.

Fox, who had long recognized a need to gain more business management skills, was soon in the next intake, and the timing couldn’t have been better. That summer, with all the challenges of COVID, Fox would have to find a way to renew her joy for the business, and make it sustainable.

“For a long time I’d felt like I needed to be a part of some camaraderie with other business women, to have a safe space to bounce off ideas and share your wins and your struggles.”

Fox appreciated the program’s first steps, which include uncovering your values and gaps in processes, policies and operations.

“Working out the values was super important because that can get a bit lost and it grounds you. It reminds you of why you’re doing this,” says Fox. “With Momentum, I finally felt like I’d caught a break and could move forward.”

In addition to using some of the business development funding for employee contracts and developing an online store to sell her makeup and skincare, Fox set her sights on a location that would better serve her and her team. In January 2022, Cheek to Chic moved into a new 1,300 square foot space on Anderson Way—a game-changing step that’s given her and her team much more work-life balance and calm.

“Momentum helped me fight one more fight,” she says. “It’s so important to have the chance to be open and honest with other business owners who are going through the same things.”

Cheek to Chic is now hoping to reach markets beyond Vernon with its skincare and makeup, and Fox hopes to mentor other young women breaking into the salon industry.

Are you interested in Momentum, the business accelerator for women entrepreneurs? Visit CF North Okanagan at futuresbc.com.

Ready to Grow: How Anna’s Vitamins Plus Scaled Up through Momentum

April 8, 2022/in Success Story

Early in her twenties on a Friday night shift at a bulk health food store, a coworker took Daina Bull under her wing and shared everything she knew about the healing power of supplements and foods. It was the beginning of a lifelong career and passion for Bull, and after eventually buying her own natural health products store—Anna’s Vitamin’s Plus—she found herself hoping for the same kind of mentorship in running a business.

“Here I’d had this great mentor to guide me in learning about vitamins and healthy lifestyles, and I had people to encourage me along the way, but I wanted to develop my management and leadership skills and I didn’t have the same kind of mentor for that,” says Bull. She bought Anna’s Vitamin’s Plus in 2004 after moving to Vernon from Salmon Arm, where she’d spent six years working at two health food stores.

“I was here looking at what was out there and saw the ad that Anna’s was for sale,” says Bull. “My husband at the time said, ‘You do all of that for someone else.’ I ended up buying it and never looked back.”

Named after the previous owner’s mother, Anna’s was located in an 800 square foot space in Vernon Square, “a door amongst many doors,” says Bull, who soon bought a converted house on 27th Street and instantly doubled the store’s size. Anna’s carries everything from supplements to help with sleep and immunity to bulk herbs and natural shampoo bars.

Early on and over the years, Anna’s grew a loyal following of customers who appreciate the store’s extraordinary customer service and array of bulk and local natural products. In 2006, Daina gave birth to a daughter who “grew up in the store” (and is now a part-time team member). That flexibility was a bonus, says Bull, but being a new mom and new owner of a business “didn’t leave a lot of time for management courses.”

“I had lots of education in the field and I was great in customer service, but in running a business, I was kind of winging it.”

By 2021, a year after the onset of all the business challenges that came with COVID and a desire to take her business to the next level, Bull went out looking for help, and found it in Momentum—the business accelerator program for women run by Community Futures North Okanagan. Through funding, learning and peer mentorship, Momentum helps growth-minded entrepreneurs who are motivated to realize their business’s potential.

“I wanted to grow my business and get some guidance, and I just didn’t know how to go about it.”

Just a few weeks into the program, which takes participants through core sessions that focus on defining values, goals and opportunities as well as steps such as formalizing processes and employee contracts, Bull was seeing the difference.

“There’s running a business and doing everything, and then there’s managing a business and working smarter. This was a time of asking hard questions and getting the encouragement that I needed. We’d been this ‘mom and pop shop,’ but we were getting bigger and needed guidelines in place in order to grow.”

Through the Momentum funding for business development, Bull soon tackled one of her biggest business opportunities yet: launching an online store. The timing was ideal. The online shopping habits developed during COVID had spilled over, and people liked having the chance to do their ‘homework’ ahead of popping into the store or being able to order and get curbside pickup.

“As a whole people are thinking so much more about their health now, so going online and meeting that need was an ideal opportunity. I realized through Momentum that I don’t want to be bigger, I want to be better. This was part of that. Behind the scenes, I’m able to run the business much more smoothly.”

And when there are bumps, there are other women to share in the struggles and inspiration through peer mentorship calls.

“You realize, ‘I’m not the only one’ getting hit with things. It’s been so great to have the ideas and suggestions and support of the group. The motivation is huge: It’s holding me accountable in some of the things I want to do.”

What would she say to other women entrepreneurs considering joining Momentum?

“Truly, it’s that support of not doing it alone, having that guidance. We all share our experiences we save each other some headaches.”

Interested in finding out if Momentum is for you? Learn more about the benefits of this unique business accelerator for women and apply.