A HISTORY OF SEQUUS' WORK IN SME AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, YOUR BUSINESS MATTERS SERIES
Authorship of the Royal Bank of Canada's popular Your Business Matters series for independent business. A complete set of management monographs based on our small business counselling experience.
SMALL BUSINESS COUNSELLING (MANITOBA)
Initiation of a community-based small business counselling program sponsored by the Province of Manitoba. The development model includes community empathy-building; a series of one-on-one counselling meetings with owner/managers of small business in small towns and rural communities; and assessment and feedback sessions. A positive responsiveness rate of 80% is normal.
SMALL BUSINESS COUNSELLING (ONTARIO)
Introduction of the same community-based small business counselling program in Ontario (following pilot program in Kirkland Lake, under the sponsorship of the Province of Ontario's Treasury Branch). Program ongoing as part of the Ministry of Industry's Small Business Management Development Program.
SMALL BUSINESS COUNSELLING (ALBERTA)
Introduction of the same community-based small business counselling program in Alberta (pilot program in Drumheller) under the sponsorship of the Province of Alberta's Ministry of Tourism and Small Business. Program is continuing as part of the Ministry's Management Assistance Program (M.A.P.).
SMALL BUSINESS COUNSELLING (EASTERN CARIBBEAN)
Initiation of the same community-based small business counselling program in Antigua. Subsequently institutionalized with the Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity (BIMAP). SEQUUS principals and BIMAP jointly introduced the model to eight lesser developed countries of the Eastern Caribbean from 1980 to 1983. All activity was sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT/FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE (BARBADOS)
Initiation of a Management Guidance Program (pilot test in Barbados in co-operation with BIMAP). The program integrated management counselling and financial assistance through the provision of loan guarantees. Sponsors included CIDA, the Inter-American Foundation, and the Edna McConnel Clark Foundation.
SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SERIES (EASTERN CARIBBEAN)
Development of a Small Business Management Series for use in Caribbean countries. The series includes fifteen titles in three major subject areas (new venture analysis, the one book accounting system, and management systems for profitable operation) and for five industry sectors (manufacturing, retail, service, wholesale, and farming). Publications were developed jointly with BIMAP with support from CIDA.
SMALL BUSINESS CONSULTANCY TRAINING
Design and delivery of a five-day small business consultancy training program based on our successful consultancy methods. Program employs a unique situational model that is particularly appropriate considering the need for a highly developmental approach for small business owner/managers. Program includes a comprehensive manual entitled Consulting Excellence. Program has been offered for development agencies in the Caribbean and all across Canada.
EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL FOR SMALL BUSINESS (WORLD BANK)
Development of curriculum and course material for management institutions in developing countries. The project was sponsored by the World Bank.
THE INSTITUTE OF SMALL BUSINESS (UNITED STATES)
A joint venture with a Canadian publisher to market SEQUUS small business publications in the United States. The program has attracted much attention including an endorsement from a former administrator of the Small Business Administration.
INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT (ZIMBABWE)
A CIDA-funded project to develop a small business counselling and training capacity within the Small Enterprises Development Corporation in Zimbabwe. The program extended over eight years and included the development and transfer of a small business management training and consulting capacity to SEDCO's Development Division.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
A joint venture with Broxbourne Associates, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and BIMAP to transfer an Entrepreneurship Development Program to the Small Business Development Corporation in Zimbabwe. The program is based on a model developed by the Hawaii Entrepreneur Training and Development Institute and refined by SEQUUS.
URBAN REVITALIZATION
Design and delivery of an Entrepreneurship Development Program to facilitate small business development in Winnipeg's Core Area. The program was delivered through the Winnipeg Core Area Initiative's Entrepreneurial Support Program.
ABORIGINAL DEVELOPMENT
Design and delivery of a Consulting Excellence program to help Aboriginal Business Canada, Industry Canada develop a network of External Delivery Organizations.
ABORIGINAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Development of an Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Development Program, six and three month formats for the Business Development Bank of Canada. Subsequently delivered the program at the Aboriginal Centre in Winnipeg and the Brokenhead Reserve in Manitoba.
MEDIUM SIZED BUSINESS SUPPORT PROGRAM (SRI LANKA, BANGLADESH & NEPAL)
Delivered three training programs for medium sized enterprises to member organizations of TechnoNet Asia headquarted in Singapore. The three programs were developed in Canada and then delivered in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. The programs were Performance Management, Marketing and Total Quality Management. The initial delivery was followed-up with a Train the Trainer session held in each country. A curriculum with Participant's Guide and Leader's Guide were handed over to each trainer who then expanded the program throughout South East Asia.
SELF-EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Through the Manitoba Institute of Management and in a joint venture with The Management Exchange, delivered a business planning program to more than 600 participants of this program funded by Human Resources Development Canada. 85% of the graduates of the program are still in business.
LAUNCH YOUR BUSINESS - A FINANCIAL ANALYSIS SOFTWARE PROGRAM FOR BUSINESS STARTUPS AND EXPANSIONS
Launch is a computer software program that operates on Windows 95 and 98 operating systems. Launch produces a complete set of pro-forma financial statements including balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statements and changes in financial position that can be used directly to meet the requirements of the financial portion of the business plan. It also prepares a financial analysis on venture viability, risk, liquidity, productivity and financial return. Launch is capable of examining a variety of scenarios for a new venture where each is based on differing assumptions. The preferred scenario becomes apparent and the entrepreneur emerges with a financial forecast for the venture that has a better likelihood of predicting reality in a competitive marketplace.
