After moving from Calgary, Alberta last June 2010 to New Brunswick I started hearing a lot about it being a ‘have not’ province. No jobs, no opportunities, low pay, lack of paying clients, having to receive money from Ottawa, etc. I decided that I wanted to change this perception and take personal responsibility by making a success of myself. I’m not talking about just finding a job, but having a business and generating a high 6 figure income. I don’t want to wait for the government to solve our problems.
I do IT work that is in a niche software market and there is only one company in New Brunswick that uses this software. They are not close to where I live and typically hire employees which I am not interested in being. I’ve come up with a few tips that can help you propel New Brunswick into being a Have province.
1. Incorporate a business
Most people who do well are business owners. It’s really hard to be successful as an employee since the pay is usually not that good and there are so many deductions, from EI to CPP, to taxes. Small business taxes are low and falling in New Brunswick and when you pay yourself a dividend you don’t have to deduct CPP, EI and the dividend tax rate is very low.
2. Think remote
Many provinces and states rely on local resources such as oil, natural gas, coal, steel or have established industries such as manufacturing, entertainment, financial and so on. But with Moncton attracting call centers you can hopefully see that it is not necessary to depend on local businesses – many call centers are set up for businesses that are far away in Canada or the United States.
Many local businesses depend on tourists rather than their own local community. Many small town folk prefer to ‘do it yourself’ – cutting their own lawn, growing their own food, eating at home instead of going out, etc. In my case I knew there was only one client in New Brunswick and wasn’t open to travelling anymore so that left me with remote clients.
I’ve obtained 3 remote projects since I’ve been here, mainly because I asked. Other CEOs were even surprised that clients were okay with this, so I feel it’s my duty to spread the work about the benefits of remote work for both the client and the workers.
Technology such as email, Skype, Webex/LiveMeeting, and VPN software allows many of us in various industries to work anywhere. There is no need to be face to face on a regular basis anymore. This should be a big boon to beautiful areas like New Brunswick where you can be successful and live in a less populated, scenic country area.
3. Establish yourself as an authority
It’s easy to make connections online nowadays through LinkedIn, forums and job sites such as Monster, Dice and Workopolis. The trick is to get clients to come to you. I’ve established myself as an authority by posting helpful comments in the software forums, my previous projects as well as using Twitter, blogging and Facebook.
Even if you’re not in IT, there are many things you can do online, such as selling information – how to courses, tutorials using videos, PDF files, audio, blogs and so on. I also sell online guitar lessons and courses, even doing webcam lessons live with some students.
4. It’s not what you make, but what you keep
I know business people who travel all over Canada and the United States in order to market themselves and ‘network’. They spend a ton of money on flights, hotels, conferences, meals, marketing materials and so at the end of the day their quality of life is horrible (away from their family, unhealthy eating habits, etc) and they don’t end up making that much after expenses. Sometimes it can sound good to say you’re bringing in 6 figure revenues when you have little to actually show for it at the end of the day. Some travel may be required to get things going at first but your goal should be to avoid needing to do this over time.
Conclusion
So I’m doing my little part to improve New Brunswick one person at a time. I’ve supported local businesses via landscaping, handywork, restaurants, retail stores and even a local wildlife charity with money, furniture and doing a new website for them. What can you do, using these tips, to turn New Brunswick into a Have province?
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