Who We Are

The Cumberland Business Connector is a business led, not for profit organization. Our job is to support the business community in Cumberland County by listening to our businesses, being their voice, and connecting them to the resources that they need to be successful.

To have a strong business community, we need to be a welcoming and collaborative place to do business. We offer a variety of free programs to our business community to help foster a strong business environment.

We have three main areas of focus:

Advocate for Businesses
Support Existing Businesses
Develop a Job Ready Workforce

Upcoming Events

Design Thinking is a unique creative problem-solving process that understands, explores, develops and implements possible solutions to solve a problem. Partnering with the Acadia Entrepreneurship Centre we will be co-hosting two design thinking workshops over the coming months tailored to specific industries.

Our first session will be tailored to the retail sector, focusing on the customer experience.
Our second session will be for the manufacturing sector addressing the struggles to recruit and retain workers.

We will send another correspondence once these dates are finalized.

We have partnered with Acadia Entrepreneurship Centre, BDC, and our counterparts in Cape Breton and the Annapolis Valley to deliver a 6-part program called 'Succession Planning: Preparing Your Business for What's Next'. The virtual program, which begins May 20, will help small businesses better understand succession planning, explore their options, meet succession planning experts and intermediaries, and hear stories from those who have been through the process.

We have sponsored 4 spots in this program. If you are interested in attending, please contact us for more information.

During these times, we are working to support the Tourism Sector. Partnering with CBDC Cumberland, Amherst & Area Chamber of Commerce, Town of Amherst, Town of Oxford, Municipality of Cumberland, and the Truro Colchester Partnership for Economic Prosperity we have been hosting 1 hour Tourism Sector Breakfast Chats. In March we held a Tourism Sector Symposium and some of our Tourism operators expressed the need for the sector to have a chance to get together once a month to chat about challenges each other are facing and learnings from the past year. We plan to continue with these Breakfast Chats. If you wish to be notified about the next Breakfast Chat, reply to this email requesting to be added to the Tourism email list.

Mind Your Business - Cumberland Workshop Series

Marketing isn't just about having a social media page and periodically posting on it. Marketing is an activity a business performs to promote its product or service to potential customers. Businesses create marketing plans to set them on a specific course of action to create brand awareness and gain new customers.

Join us for this one-hour session on how to create a marketing plan and broaden your customer base.

This workshop covers:

-The basics behind creating a marketing plan

-Different ways to market your business

-Reaching the right audience

Who is this workshop for?

Any business in Cumberland County interested in learning about how to make a marketing plan

This workshop is a panel discussion on how to build effective teams and delegate tasks. Many small business owners struggle with clearing their plates of small tasks to allow for more time to tackle big projects. Discuss ways to let go of the little things and make room for more important tasks and how to create an effective team that will meet your needs and increase productivity - not lower it.

This workshop is in the form of a panel discussion to allow for shared experiences, tips, and Q&A from other business owners struggling with this.

Who is this workshop for?

-Businesses in Cumberland County, NS looking for direction in delegating and leadership tips for building appropriate teams for your business.

Business Spotlight

As part of our work to develop a job ready workforce and engage our youth, over the past year we have been producing videos of local businesses in the Cumberland Region. These demonstrate the variety of career opportunities we have here in Cumberland. We are proud to showcase our outstanding businesses. There are many unique hidden opportunities right in our own backyard. Check out our Business Spotlight page, here.

Student Resources

Many times, our schools promote going away to University as the only viable career path. Part of our work is to challenge this mindset and highlight the learning opportunities, resources, and options for students here in Cumberland and in the surrounding region. We have created a spot on our website for students to provide them with resources including videos of various career opportunities. Check out our new student resources page, here.

Potential Entrepreneurs

Are you interested in starting your own business but are not sure where to start? We want to assist entrepreneurs navigating the work behind starting a business. Many entrepreneurs have a great idea yet struggle with the development of a business plan. We offer free support to entrepreneurs with regards to business plan development and the little things that come with opening a new business. If you are looking for free, no-strings attached assistance, contact us.

Supporting Our Existing Businesses

How often do you get a chance to work on your business?
When was the last time you had the chance to open up your business plan?

Many small business owners work long days working IN their business and working ON the business tends to get thrown on the back burner. Our team at the Connector has experience in managing small businesses and are available to discuss some of your longer-term opportunities & challenges.

What does this mean for you?

We provide free assistance to those wanting to commit more time to working ON their business. We can help bridge the gaps in areas that are lacking and find resources to assist you and your business.

Reach out with any questions or concerns you may have. We are here to support you.