The Rural Alberta Business Centre (RABC) Cold Lake Accepts Award from Economic Developers Alberta

The Rural Alberta Business Centre (RABC) Cold Lake is honoured to have received the award from Economic Developers Alberta for Business Retention and Expansion, Small Community/Region Category, for the Cold Lake RABC Business Incubator.

Economic Developers Alberta (EDA) is Alberta’s leading economic development network. They are committed to advancing the economic development profession by providing resources, professional development and networking opportunities.

The annual awards program recognizes the province’s best economic development marketing materials, programs, partnerships and professionals that have made significant contributions to the profession. Awards are presented at the EDA’s Annual Conference at the Delta Kananaskis Lodge.  Their 2016 Conference was held from April 6^th to 8^th and was their most successful to date with 434 delegates, 26 partners and over 70 speakers and moderators.

RABC Cold Lake started as a pilot project in 2012 and was among 8 RABC’s in the province, the program became permanent in 2015 with 4 RABC’s moving forward.  In 2015 RABC Cold Lake continued to connect, collaborate, and communicate with key stakeholders garnering good relationships and PR, all of which enabled the RABC to take the next step to assist small business; the opening of the Rural Alberta Business Incubator.

“Budding entrepreneurs were finding it difficult to get their businesses up and running; commercial space was limited, inventory that was available was expensive. In addition, there needed to be more support and investment from the community to encourage small business start-ups. The business incubator initiative was the first viable solution to offer a space and a comprehensive program to effectively get the business off the ground and eventually on their own,” says Kathryn Hotte, Small Business Advisor for the RABC Cold Lake. “Having established the key stakeholder relationships prior and connecting with established businesses shows that it’s a win win for everyone involved especially for the growth of the business community”, she continued.

About the Rural Alberta Business Centre (RABC)

The Rural Alberta Business Centre (RABC is a partnership between the Government of Alberta and the Northeast Alberta Information HUB (Alberta HUB).

The RABC provides advice and free information services to entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the Alberta HUB region to assist them in making informed business decisions.

The four Rural Alberta Business Centres set up throughout the province provide services to entrepreneurs, small business owners, and managers at all stages of the business life cycle from start-up to expansion to succession planning.

Each RABC is staffed by a small business advisor who assists in providing one-on-one business advice, seminars, workshops, and access to relevant information about small businesses and business opportunities. Information and materials will be tailored to the specific needs of the communities served by each RABC.

The RABC office is located in Cold Lake, and Kathryn can be reached at 780-594-1090 or email – advisor@northeastrabc.ca. Website:  www.northeastrabc.com

Bob Bezpalko, Executive Director, Northeast Alberta Information HUB (Alberta HUB) 780-645-1155