What experiences growth in the Winter?

It's hard to think of many things that experience big growth during Winter, but when it comes to entrepreneurs there are some things that actually grow better. For many, it's the perfect season for both personal and business development, especially in rural communities. It's a period of time when things slow down a bit, the weather keeps us indoors more often, and the New Year makes us introspective right when we've got extra time for learning and planning. The other thing that has grown this Winter in Nova Scotia is economic development...

ANNOUNCING: New Micro-Loan Pilot Program to Benefit Cape Breton – Unama’ki Female Entrepreneurs
Last year, after AIRO's Executive Director Adele MacDonald spoke at the Truro Innovation Summit, Jenna Lahey and Mickey Freeman of the Cape Breton Partnership reached out to us to find out how they could create their own version of AIRO in Cape Breton. That AIRO could be replicated in other parts of rural Nova Scotia is one of the keystones of our mission, so when they invited us to Cape Breton to meet with Carla Arsenault, Cape Breton Partnership President & CEO, along with the staff and board of the Partnership we leapt at the chance. They found the perfect partner in the Sydney Credit Union and went to work on creating their own version of the AIRO model of impact investing. Today they've announced their new Micro-Loan Pilot Program to benefit Cape Breton – Unama’ki female entrepreneurs. We wish them all the best and are confident they will be an unmitigated success! Read their press release at CapeBretonPartnership.com.

So, what personal and business development options exist in our area in the Winter?
There are plenty of opportunities both in-person and online! We've pulled together some of the best upcoming options in our catchment area of Annapolis County plus some of the best online options you can take advantage of. Here's what we found:

Thought Readers Business Book Club - monthly online
It's not too late to join Lisa Larter's Thought Readers Business Book Club and meet your New Year's resolution of personal and business growth! Lisa curates a different business or personal development book every month, mails them to you, provides the reading schedule, and provides a monthly call where the book is discussed and you get an opportunity to ask any questions you have about the book or about your business. One of the best investments you can make into your business is to invest in yourself and your ongoing learning. Get more information at lisalarter.com/thought-readers/.

Annapolis Innovation Lab All-Members Meeting - January 22, 2020, at 7PM
The Board of the Annapolis Innovation Lab invites everyone to the first General Membership Meeting of all Lab Members (adults and teens) and anyone interested in joining the Lab Community. The General Membership Meeting is the forum where all members of the Innovation Lab meet to review the operation of the Lab. The lab has cutting edge equipment and technology available that may help you further your entrepreneurial goals. Details are available on the Annapolis Valley Regional Library website.

One-on-One Basic Tech Help - January 23, 2020
Are you struggling with some of the basic technology and applications needed for a new business? Bring in your own laptop, eReader, tablet, or Smartphone and book a one hour slot for personalized assistance with downloading eBooks and audiobooks, setting up your tablet, getting an email account, starting and using a social media account or other basic computing tasks. You must register in advance by calling the Annapolis Royal Library at 902.532.2226.

Women who mean BUSINESS - January 27, February 3, and February 10, 2020
This is a three-part, hands-on workshop for women who are starting up...or thinking about starting up...a new business! Registration has been extended to January 22nd and is $35 for three full days which include a catered lunch. You can register in-person at the Annapolis Royal Library or the Innovation Lab - both located at 143 Ritchie Street. Or you can get more information and register online at the Annapolis Innovation Lab website. AIRO's Executive Director, Adele MacDonald is one of the guest speakers on January 27th. 

Coursera - online
Providing world-class learning for everyone, everywhere, all courses on Coursera.org are taught by top instructors from leading universities and companies. You can learn something new anytime, anywhere. Hundreds of free courses give you access to on-demand video lectures, homework exercises, and community discussion forums. For a fee, there are also many courses that will provide you with a certificate or credit in various university and college programs. Additionally, there is Coursera for Business which has training and development programs for businesses who want to provide upgrading for their employees.

In other news...
We've had a lot of media coverage lately both through interviews and writing articles. Here's the recent coverage:
January 2020: How to revitalize a rural economy: MunicipalWorld.com
December 19, 2019: Having faith: Nicholson investing in people and community to grow the rural economy: SaltWire.com
December 10, 2019: ‘Philanthropreneur’ fuelling big change in Annapolis Royal: The Chronicle Herald