Today, the British Columbia Aboriginal Business Service Network officially launched the Aboriginal business website: http://www.firstbusiness.ca/. The website will serve as an online resource centre for the Aboriginal business community with a range of business products and services for Aboriginal people.

With the help of funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada, the Aboriginal Business Service Network in partnership with the Canada/B.C. Business Services Society has developed an Aboriginal business "portal" website in support of the Aboriginal Business Service Network initiative in B.C. The website provides news, online business tools and resources, discussion forums, and many other services that will educate users to harness the power of an online Aboriginal business community to attract, engage and understand their visitors.

"This new website and the tailored information and resources it provides will help address the challenges - including distance and isolation - that many Aboriginal entrepreneurs face as they look to start or expand a business," said the Honourable Stephen Owen, Secretary of State (Western Economic Diversification) (Indian Affairs and Northern Development). "Building on programs and services for entrepreneurs, the new site will help ensure Aboriginal peoples can fully participate and contribute to our economy."

"The website is a dynamic and innovative initiative, in that it will afford the Aboriginal community the opportunity to develop a degree of synergy within existing programs," said Larry Casper, Chairman of the Aboriginal Business Service Network Working Committee. "In addition, this initiative will allow for the creation of greater awareness within the Aboriginal community, and by virtue of greater awareness promote greater use of existing programs."

"A key factor in the success of the Aboriginal Business Service Network is the flexibility that meets the unique challenges of Aboriginal clients, whether they are early in the development of their business idea or in need of after-care follow-up," said James Belke, Chair for the Canada/B.C. Business Services Society.

The website will be a comprehensive Internet-based repository of information related to the business needs of Aboriginal entrepreneurs in B.C. It will enhance the delivery of existing business support programs to Aboriginal entrepreneurs and organizations, improving access to information and resources.

Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) is a federal department mandated to support economic diversification in communities across Western Canada through activities that promote and assist Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Sustainable Communities.

For additional information, contact:

Susan Schooley
Manager, Communications
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 666-1318

Harbs Bains
Operations Manager
Canada/British Columbia Business Services Society
Tel: (604) 775-8151
Canada/British Columbia Business Services Society
Web site:
http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/

Larry Casper
Chairman
Aboriginal Business Service Network-B.C.
Steering Committee
Tel: (250) 828-9833

Aboriginal Business Service Network
Web site:
English
http://www.cbsc.org/english/absn/