When the pandemic brought the world's economy to its knees, and many businesses closed their doors, a local newspaper in Chestermere, Alberta is still standing with high hopes against all odds.
 
They say 'desperate times call for desperate measures,' and this is what The Chestermere Anchor City News did when print newspaper sales dropped down drastically.
 
The Anchor adopted new and trending way to keep their readership intact. They jumped on the bandwagon of online news publishing.
 
The Chestermere Anchor City News is a local news media company serving the community of Chestermere, Alberta. The paper started in 2000 when founder and owner, Stephen Jeffrey, realized that there was no local newspaper in the region to provide local community news to the residents or no vehicle to let the growing number of small businesses to advertise their services to those residents.
 
According to Stephen: “After the pandemic, like many other news purveyors, as we are at the mercy of advertising budgets of small business, and with small businesses closing or not knowing whether they're going to be closed, our revenues dropped by 76%.”
 
But did Stephen and company surrender to fate? Absolutely not! With the halt in their print production in May 2020, and with hopes as high as mountains and dogged perseverance, Chestermere Anchor City News went digital. A bold step that surprisingly resulted in a large increase in their readership. “This move raised our readership by five fold.” As per Stephen’s view. None of the competition ever come close to those percentages.
 
Loyal advertisers who believe in him and his newspaper remained onboard. Those businesses are now reaping the benefits of getting wider exposure throughout the community on the digital platform. Chestermere Anchor City News is not a new name in town; therefore, Chestermere residents remain loyal to the paper and look to them for authentic news.
 
The articles they publish cater to a wide variety of tastes. Some like to read the local news, others the columns, while others about religion or politics. All in all, Chestermere Anchor City News has something for everyone.
 
Covid-19 has crushed the backbone of many small businesses, Stephen takes pride in adding a new policy to their terms.
 
Stephen ended with words depicting his hopes for the future, “I would like to see all small business, and of course, mine particularly, recover from what's going on right now. WE all rise and sink on the same tide”.

“You just get it all. We just give and give and give on top of the networking, so that's what you get when you join the CIBN Connect. You get a new family that wants to support you in business.”

With 2020 behind us (thankfully) come epic hopes for 2021, and therefore an epic showcase for an epic business. About twelve years ago, Kerry George set out to find Connections, run down leads, and network with other businesses for her own venture. After attending networking events and even offering her time to volunteer at a local network in Calgary, she realized just how beneficial it is to engage in the networking world.

As a result, she set out to bring the great benefit of networking to business owners and provide them with those vital opportunities to grow their businesses through establishing relations with other business owners. It began with buying out that local network, and eventually their competitor, then growing to the point of conducting over a staggering 500 live meetings per year in Calgary alone, and in 2013, the CIBN Connect was born.

CIBN Connect is a network that helps business owners make money, plain and simple. Business owners find themselves either lacking time, lacking money, or lacking both. With the familial atmosphere of the CIBN Connect, entrepreneurs can find leads, referrals, and all sorts of connections through the networking meetings, which have been conducted online (saving business owners staggering amounts of time and money) since 2017. Online networking events have been a resounding success, especially during the pandemic.

Another major component of the package is the mastermind sessions, which are tailored to help business owners think strategically, develop strategies, and execute said strategies. As Kerry reassuringly puts it, “we’re here to help you thrive, not just survive”.

Some examples of CIBN’s offerings include the LinkedIn and social media trainings that help business owners capitalize on their online presence and generate good leads. As well, the affiliate training program, whereby business owners can earn sizable revenue that would be a major boost for a business in a short time.

Once during a speech delivered at Ryerson University, to their entrepreneurial division about what young entrepreneurs should do, Kerry, who is also an accomplished public speaker, gave this sage advice, which applies to all small business owners:
​
“There are three things that I learned very quickly in business, and I would highly recommend them to anyone:

1. Mentorship - If you're not being mentored by someone, then you are open to all kinds of mistakes in business and in life. And those mistakes are costly.
2. Be part of a network - you need to be networking. If you're not going to do it with us do it with somebody else and save your life. 80% of all businesses fail in their first five years. Forbes did a study a few years ago of 7000 businesses across North America and found that 80% of businesses do zero networking.
3. Masterminds - Mastermind is collaborative, it's where people can actually talk and share. You have the multitude of voices impacting the singular business. It is the wisdom of people who have gone before you and it's all packed into one event in a way that there's an accountability over time. Mastermind will change the trajectory of your business.”

 
Business owners of all types are welcome to join the CIBN Connect, where they are offered a host of solutions for all their needs and problems and backing from a family of like-minded entrepreneurs.

"Small businesses need people on the outside to help give them a different perspective, and that's what we do. We help small business owners get that other perspective."

With a passion for helping small business owners succeed in their start-up phase and realize their dreams of owning a thriving enterprise, Nicki Chang-Powless established NCP Consulting Services to do just that.

Championing the cause of budding business owners, NCP Consulting Services provides a wide array of expertise and know-how that benefit entrepreneurs when tackling every aspect of owning and operating a small business.

After spending over 23 years climbing the corporate ladder, Nicki decided it was high time to call it a day and look for something more fulfilling. After a couple of acquaintances asked for help getting their ventures off the ground, Nicki realized this was the type of work she was meant to do. She'd received her call to adventure.

Fast forward several years and several business award nominations and victories later, Nicki and her team of strategists are indeed heroes for many small business owners.

Not only has NCP Consulting Services had a significant impact in the world of small business, but Nicki also published an excellent book in 2018 titled "Putting the Pieces Together: Your Survival Guide to the First Five Years in Business," which is available through this link, as well as through Amazon, Chapters-Indigo, and Barnes and Noble.

NCP Consulting Services offers many programs, and one of the benefits of all of them is clarity and focus.

​NCP meets many entrepreneurs stuck in an operational quagmire — their tireless efforts don't seem to take them in the direction they want to go, and these overwhelmed business owners run on fumes day in and day out.

With a genuinely caring, take-my-hand style of coaching, Nicki and her team are consistently there to help small business owners find their footing and get on the road from 'Marketing Mystery to Marketing Mastery,' as one of their programs is aptly named.

Nicki and her team of strategists focus on the fundamental aspects of business — systems-building and the development of strong marketing messages. NCP Consulting Services acts as a board of directors for small businesses that lack the operational & planning advantages of larger companies.

In Nicki's words, "We take an outside look at your business, and help you identify how you can structure your business in a way that will be more effective for your goals."

In conjunction with the NCP Consulting Services' core programs, Nicki offers educational webinars, master classes, special business strategy sessions, and other business services. Small business owners of every sort will find a suitable service that will benefit them.

Not every small business owner can make it on their own, and NCP Consulting Services will provide the support you need to succeed. They are a testament to the nobody-left-behind spirit of Albertans that guides this exceptional Alberta firm.

NCP Consulting Services can take your business to the next level. Check out opportunities for your business success through this special: LINK HERE!