Tourism Nova Scotia business resources include:
- A series of tourism development guides to help establish tourism businesses and plan for the delivery of tourism services in Nova Scotia:
- A Guide to Planning and Hosting Festivals and Events in Nova Scotia
- A Guide to Community Tourism Planning in Nova Scotia
- A Guide to Marketing Your Nova Scotia Tourism Business
- The Experience Toolkit
- A Guide to Starting and Running a Restaurant in Nova Scotia
- A Toolkit on Working with the Travel Trade
- A Guide to Starting and Operating an Accommodation Business in Nova Scotia
- Webinar: How to Use Facebook More Effectively
- Business advice and coaching related to increasing the quality, market-readiness, and professional development for employees. Please contact Jennifer McKeane, Tourism Development Advisor, at jennifer.mckeane@novascotia.ca or 902-717-3623.
- Tourism Research regarding current tourism activity, visitor behaviour and profiles, Explorer Quotient and travel trends.
External resources for developing your tourism business:
- The Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANS) provides tailored one-on-one mentoring meetings, technology workshops and webinars. The Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council (NSTHRC) provides on-going professional development resources for tourism operators. Please contact Lisa Dahr at TIANS at 902-422-5249, visit tians.org and tourismhrc.com, or email lisa@tourism.ca
- Visit your local Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) or download a business plan template at: http://www.cbdc.ca/en/business-plan/a-practical-guide
- Attend a workshop at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CEED):
- Both CEED and CBDC can advise on financing options, and both offer specific loan programs.
- The Canada Business Network also has a wealth of information on starting and growing a business and has a database on all federal and provincial financing and grant opportunities.
- Figuring out the rules and regulations that apply to your business can be complex and time-consuming. To help make things easier and save valuable time visit Nova Scotia’s Business Navigation service.
- The Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage offers a range of funding programs to support festivals and events, recreation, arts and culture, heritage, and other community and business initiatives.
