Imagine a small business breaking free from its traditional boundaries and expanding into international markets to become a major global player. It’s a classic Cinderella story that many entrepreneurs aspire to achieve.
However, the journey to scaling operations and entering global markets often comes with its own set of challenges and uncertainties.
This is where the 2,000-member team at Export Development Canada (EDC) steps in. As a financially self-sustaining federal Crown corporation, EDC is dedicated to empowering Canadian businesses with the essential tools they need—trade knowledge, strategic connections and financial support— to navigate these complexities and achieve sustainable growth.
It’s a mission statement that’s shaped around four overarching principles: customer success; acting with ethics and integrity through genuine and transparent work; a commitment to making the communities in which they live and work better; and a deep-seated sense of caring for human and environmental impacts.
“We're really dedicated to helping Canadian businesses succeed in international markets,” says Kyle Hanlon, EDC’s regional director for British Columbia. “We do that by equipping Canadian businesses with a variety of solutions to help them confidently enter those new markets and grow their business.”
EDC partners directly with Canadian companies, offering investment, financing, insurance, business connections and advisory services to mitigate risk and strengthen their capital base as they explore global opportunities. Alongside Canadian businesses, EDC also collaborates closely with banks, financial institutions and other partners worldwide.
This vast network of expertise allows the Crown corporation to leverage its trade knowledge and financial solutions to develop trade between Canada and other countries while enhancing the nation’s competitiveness in the international marketplace.
And all of this work is aligned under two foundational tenets: that exporting makes Canadian companies more competitive and productive; and the more successful exporters Canada has, the stronger the Canadian economy will be.
“Inevitably, businesses will face layers of complexity, uncertainty, and risk of the unknown. That's a juncture where they're looking for some additional support and guidance,” Hanlon says. “And we're one of the partners in the trade ecosystem that leans in right at that stage.”
“Navigating Global Trade” on Nov. 19
EDC’s collective institutional knowledge will be brought to the forefront during “Navigating Globe Trade” on Nov. 19, when industry leaders, along with 2024 BC Export Award nominees and finalists, gather to explore the challenges and opportunities in global trade amid geopolitical risks.
As part of BIV’s Business Excellence Series, the event is slated from 3:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Vancouver’s Paradox Hotel and will be led by Business in Vancouver editor Hayley Woodin-Hastings with EDC’s chief economist, Stuart Bergman.
Industry players spanning traditional resource sectors, service industry, manufacturing, agri-food and technology will bounce ideas off one another to tackle sector-wide challenges faced in the 21st century.
“The event is going to feature some of the best and brightest in terms of B.C. exporters today – these are businesses across all these key sectors that are already doing amazing things in trade,” Hanlon says.
Register for the event today at www.biv.com/navigating-global-trade.
