MAKE -The Startup Course to Help Canadian Small Business Owners

I always had a knack for being able to truly listen and hear small business owners when they shared their business ‘pain points’ with me, or when they talked about the ways in which they felt they needed support for their business. It’s a tough conversation – it’s not easy to share your weaknesses with someone, and we all know it can be difficult to ask someone for help. So long story short, after 10 years of working as a business consultant, I had a really authentic shortlist of recurring themes for this conversation that I’ve had 1000’s of times. What I realized is that this list was starting to look like a lesson plan, and so using all of my experience as a small business coach, I built an online course based on addressing the pain points of the many artisans, makers and creatives I’ve consulted over the last decade – this is my community, and I love that I can help them succeed!

I am now really good at offering solutions and tactics to try to strengthen other people’s businesses, but the reason it was always so easy for me to help others, was because I had been quietly burning the midnight oil running a small business of my own. Using my weekends, and my evenings to move the needle forward, make more products, and schedule those social media posts.It was a dance that wasn’t sustainable (after I became a mom), and I eventually took the leap to leave my full-time corporate gig to work part-time and build my business. It was a big risk I took that I reflect on with pride – it was hard to make that decision but at the end of the day, I had built a small business that I was proud of, and the runway I needed was established. In my world of candle-making, I had determined that I could replace my salary with the combination of part-time work and selling my lovely candles at stores and at markets. It felt amazing to earn that freedom, and to eventually leave the world of employment 100% to work for myself. Now I am committed to helping other small business owners in the creative, maker industry space do the exact same thing. Make launched in 2025!

These days I have a professional resume of working for several post-secondary and city-based programs to support all types of small businesses with consulting services. I’ve literally worked with everything from tech brands and apps, to makers and crafters covered in paint, sawdust or pottery clay. The makers were always my sweet spot, and that’s who is course is designed for. Sound like you?

Thing is, a lot of the online business coaches that you are finding on Instagram, or through Google, will take you to on a click-bait journey to online courses that are American. Now in Canada, our laws for running a small business are not only incredibly different than in the U.S., but they will also vary here depending on what province you’re operating in. Just make sure you have some awareness around this as you choose your business startup programs!

The MAKE Course I developed to help makers start successful small businesses is a Canadian online course, designed for small business owners in Canada. Of course, the Marketing and Branding Module would benefit any business owner from anywhere in the world, however the content around business registration and taxes is only going to be accurate for small business owners operating a business in Canada.

Whoever you choose as your business coach, just make sure you’re finding one who has not only run a business (or two) before, but someone who is offering you a Canadian program, so you are able to start your Canadian small business with confidence. The MAKE Course for Makerpreneurs provides a step-by-step startup coaching program that you will have 24-access to. I had a keen sense of awareness around the need for flexibility, especially for moms like me, who were working during the day and chasing toddlers around at night – showing up for meetings in offices during business hours was no small feat. Watching the cancellations pile up for all the mothers I was coaching inspired me to move the course to an online platform so it can be accessed from home, at any time of day. Let it be easy, right?

The MAKE Course is now available online, it is fully narrated and MAKE includes over 20 downloadable templates to help you build a strong small business from home. I’d love to be your coach – join the MAKE community and kick off the 2026 year with momentum to launch that maker business!