Well hello there. I am Michelle Brown, a 35-year-old woman who owns a small coffee shop in Regina, but I wasn’t always this successful and it has been quite the journey to get here. Let me share my story with you and perhaps you might be inspired to pick yourself up or get out of your comfort zone.
Life after Graduation
Back in 2012, I graduated from college with a degree in accountability, top of my class, proud parents, the works. I immediately found a job as an accountant at a company that paid well and subscribed to all of the Canadian labour laws.
Speedbump
In the year 2015, I was driving back home from a company party when a drunken driver hit my car, giving me a mild concussion. This rendered me unable to perform up to the expectations the company and myself had for my accountancy. I decided to quit while I recovered.
The Seed of an Idea
During my recovery, I spent hours researching Canadian benefits for disabled people but eventually started reading more about labour laws. There were plenty of sections aimed at employers and independent workers and thus I began considering having my own business.
Deeper Research
I found myself setting up a small coffee shop, as all my research had shown that this was likely to be profitable. I wanted to do everything by the book, which made me take my time to read The Canadian Human Rights Act, The Labour Laws and Regulations, and other documents.
Finding the Right Team
Thanks to my time in college, I had many friends from all walks of life and thus I had an easy time finding people to have an inclusive staff in my coffee shop. I had read documents like The Employment Equity Act that, although didn’t apply to my own business made me see minorities had issues finding a decent job.
Then, we were ready to open our doors to the public and became a successful business in no time. I went from unemployed to self-employed and you can do it too.