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14TuesdayOctober222013believesinsupportingsmallbusinesses.SHOPSHOPLOCALLOCALCELEBRATINGSmallBusinessWeek2013WeserveninecommunitiesinAlbertaBCandtheNWT.ComeflywithusStartingNov.18NEWTuesdayandThursdayservicefromFortSmithat8a.m.toFortChipewyanFortMcMur-raycontinuingtoRedDeerandKelowna.BeinRedDeerby1130a.m.andKelownaby1215p.m.PST.ReservationsTollfree877872-2216Onlinewww.nwal.caTheHighLevelChamberofCommercecelebratesSmallBusinessWeekShoplocalandmakeyourcommunitystrong.Theyarethenationsnumberonejobcreator.Smallbusinessownersworklongandhard-theyhavetoinordertosucceed.Smallbusinessesarethefoundationofeverycommunityslocaleconomy.CelebrateentrepreneurshipThetypicalworkweekforentrepreneursis40hours-atleast5hoursmorethanthenationalaverage.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGContrarytothepopularbeliefthatdoingbusinessishardintheNorthwestTerri-toriessmallbusinessownersAdamBatheandJohnBlythsaythereislikelynootherjurisdictioninthecountrywheretwopeoplelikethem-selvesundertheageof30couldsuccessfullystartuptheirownconsultingrm.Wereallyneedtopushen-trepreneurialdevelopmentintheTerritoriesBathesaid.Lookatuswevedonefairlywellwherewerequitecom-fortableandwelikeourlife-styles...AndIthinktheresprobablyalotofpeopleintheterritorywithanumberofgoodideaswhoiftheyre-alizedthereisthesupportoutthereforthemcouldbework-ingontheirowndreamsratherthanforsomeoneelse.Thetwoenvironmentalcon-sultantsandinstructorsbothwithanthropologybackgroundsfromtheUniversityofCalgarylaunchedtheirrmBlythBathein2010andhavetakenonasteadystreamofcontractsfromindustryandcommu-nitygovernmentseversince-partlybenettedtheysaybytheindustrycomplaintsthattheNWTissomehowclosedforbusiness.YoungconsultantssayNWTopenforbusinessEnvironmentalentrepreneurstakeadvantageofmarketopportunitiesTheperceptionofitbeingdifculttorunabusinesstobeinbusinesshasbeenabonusforusbecausewecanhelppeo-plenavigatethroughasystemthatthesebigcompaniesdeal-ingwiththeregulatorysystemfeelisconfusingBathesaid.Joinedin2011byJohnsfa-therChuckformersuperinten-dentofNahanniNationalParkReservethetrioprovidesser-vicesforanarrayofclienteleintheareasofwildlifesurveyslandusepermitsremediationtraditionalknowledgeimpact-benetnegotiationsenergyfeasibilitystudiesandenvi-ronmentalassessmentandmonitoring.Ourcorebackgroundsandtheprinciplesofthecompanyaresocialscienceslikeanthro-pologyandarchaeologyaswellasthenaturalscienceslikebiol-ogyandhavingChucksback-groundincooperativemanage-mentandparksBathesaid.Apartfromofferingcon-sultingservicesforindustryandcommunitiesBlythBathealsoprovidesprac-ticalinstructiontocertifypeopleintheareasofen-vironmentalmonitoringandrearmssafetyandof-fersmoregeneralsessionalcoursesontheregulatorysystemlandclaimsandselfgovernmentandcon-taminatedsitesremediation.ThoughobviouslygoodfortheirownbusinessBlythandBathesaiditsexcitingtoknowtheyarealsohelpingthelargerterritorialeconomyeitherbypushinglargeresource-basedindustriestobeproactiveinfulllingtherequirementsofdoingbusinessintheNWTorbyhelpingtoequipNorth-ernerswiththetrainingtheyneedtogetjobs.Sometimestherearethemostsimplebarrierstoem-ploymentforpeopleliketheycouldbehiredasawildlifemonitorbuttheydonthavearearmslicenseBlythsaid.WhilemanybusinessesintheterritoryliststafngasoneoftheirkeychallengesBlythBathehasfoundawaytotapintohumanresourcesaroundtheworldwhennec-essaryratherthanrequiringafullbodyofpermanentstaffwithspecializedknowledge.WehaveapeergroupofthoughtpartnerswhowecaneasilyleanonifwedontourselveshavethoseskillsBathesaid.ThoseassociatesincludeengineersinSwedenreme-diationspecialistsinMon-trealandarchaeologistsinKingston-peoplewhowantthesimilarsortoflifestylewherewerenotdoingthenine-to-ve.Despitedoingsomeadver-tisingnearlyallofBlythBathescontractshavebeenobtainedjustbywordofmouthandhaveseenthemworkinnearlyeverycom-munityintheNWT.MostofhowpeoplegetjobsinthisindustryisyoudoagoodjobatsomethingandthenpeoplearelikeHeythatpersondidthisworkwell.Soyourreputa-tionandthequalityofworkiseverythingBlythsaid.BothBlythandBatheen-courageotheryoungentre-preneurialmindedNorthern-erstotakeadvantageoftheopportunitiesavailabletothemintheNWTandrec-ommendthatgovernmentcontinuestoincreaseitsof-feringsforsmallbusinesses.Ifeellikeoneofthebesteconomicthingstheterritorycandointermsofdevelopmentwouldbetopushsmallbusi-nessdevelopmenttogetawayfromreallythinkingabouteco-nomicdevelopmentasmegaprojectsresourceextractionandreallyworkonsecondaryindustrywhetheritspeoplelikeuswhomakemoneyoffofthoseresourceindustriesatarmslengthorotherpeoplestartingsmallerbusinessesBathesaid.Itsawesomethatthereareyoungpeopleintheterritorywhogettohavetheseopportunities.SmallBusinessWeekEntrepreneursPhotoChuckBlythEnvironmentalconsultantsJohnBlythleftandAdamBatheofNWTrmBlythBatheperformsurveyingdutiesforaminingcompanyintheDehchoregion.