In 2019, Katrina Bell started her side hustle making soy candles in her dining room. That same year, she moved from her long-standing job to a new full-time position at another company. Then in March 2020, in response to the pandemic, her new employer laid off a third of their workforce. Bell’s job was eliminated, causing her to quickly pivot her side-hustle into a full-time business.
Ramping up production filled her house with materials and packaging. With boxes of wax and empty jars lining her hallways and her home office overflowing with candles, wax, and fragrances, Bell started looking into options for running her business, The Copper Bell, outside her home. She stumbled across a ‘Win this Space’ program provided by the Business Centre of Guelph-Wellington that invited submissions from local entrepreneurs looking to scale up. This was Bell’s introduction to the wealth of services offered by the Grow Guelph network.
Bell subsequently developed business growth, marketing, and professional development plans thanks to mentorship and opportunities provided by Grow Guelph partners. She’s currently completing Rhyze Ventures, a women’s entrepreneurship program offered by Innovation Guelph, and is continuing to grow her confidence and leadership skills.
“The program encourages networking,” said Bell. “It’s hard to put a value on building relationships in the community.”
One fellow entrepreneur Bell met through Grow Guelph programs is Amber Cubitt, owner of Spoon In. Until March 2020, Cubitt offered ready-made fresh smoothie bowls at farmers’ markets and events, as well as catering.
“I had to refocus the business in the climate of the pandemic. I started delivering to people’s houses at lunchtime, but that wasn’t manageable,” says Cubitt. “I created the frozen smoothie bowl in August 2020.”
Realizing an opportunity to transform and scale her business, Cubitt reached out to the Business Centre Guelph-Wellington which pointed her on to mentorship opportunities and the Rhyze Ventures program.
“Working with Rhyze, there was a realization that this is a product we can scale, and people want it further than we can reach them,” Cubitt recalled. “The want is there – we just need to get them into more people’s hands.”
With help from her mentor, Cubitt expanded her sales channels which now include 19 retail partners and cafes, and e-commerce sales. Next steps include increasing production and expanding distribution throughout southern Ontario.
Connecting for successes, connected to success
Cubitt’s and Bell’s success stories are not the exception. They represent just two of the hundreds of local businesses getting support from the Grow Guelph network; a group of14 partner organizations that help businesses start, stay, and grow in Guelph to support a thriving and resilient local economy.
Grow Guelph is coordinated by the City of Guelph, under a Collective Impact Model which supports the collaborative focus of the network, explains Stephanie Slaman, economic development officer with the City of Guelph.
“The network creates a space for senior business leaders within the partner organizations to talk about how we can create the biggest impact and respond to community challenges,” said Slaman.
Examples include the organizations collaborating on funding submissions, sharing business-intelligence, and celebrating the achievements of the business community. Working together, the partners offer concierge-type services that can support businesses with overcoming challenges and accelerating growth, which has been key to local economic recovery following the pandemic.
“When you have a healthy ecosystem, each of the interconnected aspects are working to their full potential and are able to support businesses in innovative ways,” said Slaman
