Turning an empty small town Saskatchewan school into a booming restaurant/bar

Doug Will, one of the co-owners of Rawhides Bistro & Saloon in Stenen, Saskatchewan, grew up on the family farm just north of Tisdale, where he farmed with his dad and brothers for a few years. In 1980 he moved to farm north of Star City, a town just east of Melfort, where he and his wife raised three sons. In 2000 he bought a farm just north of Stenen, as well as the Alfalfa Mill at Norquay, just down the road from Stenen, where he currently lives and continues to farm with two of his sons.

In 2012, Stenen was having its 100th anniversary and invited him to develop the old school into a “bistro/saloon” They had 90 days from the start to get the new Rawhides up and running and with the great help from all the contractors and town folks they made it happen with six days to spare, for the August long weekend and the town’s 100th anniversary celebration!

Will enjoys antiques, old wood and challenges and while Rawhides provided all of that and more. It’s been very rewarding journey, with one of the most satisfying aspects being the number of people they have been able to hire and help relocate from far away countries and join in the community serving the locals and tourists each and every day at the restaurant.

In 2015 they developed the Chandelier room/rec centre to hold wedding events and corporate functions with its huge outdoor deck, c/w firepits and outdoor stage. Two years ago they completed the project with the addition of a spa, beauty salon, pedicure/manicure, massage therapy. They have also opened up several rental suites for those customers wishing to stay and explore the surrounding area or maybe golf at the nearby Crystal Lake Golf Club.

Rawhides Bistro and Saloon offers a complete and sophisticated culinary experience, transitioning from a local spot to a destination for upscale dining since its inception in 2012. The establishment is a full-service venue, designed to cater to various needs beyond just food and drink. Inside the vast complex, guests find essential amenities such as an ATM and a dedicated VLT gaming area, enhancing the overall convenience and entertainment options for visitors. The atmosphere is vibrant and inviting, featuring big screen TVs for sports viewing, a classic jukebox for musical enjoyment, and a selection of board games encouraging social interaction among patrons.

Furthermore, Rawhides operates a comprehensive merchandise store, allowing guests to take home a piece of the unique ranch style and hospitality. For added convenience, the saloon is well-stocked with off-sale liquor, various mixers, ice, and cigarettes available for purchase to go. This attention to detail in service and provision solidifies Rawhides’ role as a central hub for the Stenen community and surrounding region. The diverse menu selection at Rawhides promises culinary excellence, with specialized menus for breakfast, lunch, and a regular dinner service, along with a late-night menu to satisfy evening cravings. The kitchen team, featuring skilled professionals like Chef Ralph and Chef Cedric, is dedicated to crafting delightful and well-executed dishes.

Customer reviews consistently praise the quality and generous portion sizes of the food, highlighting standout items such as the expertly prepared beef tenderloin and the flavorful, perfectly balanced ribeye steak, often prepared to a precise medium rare. A recent delightful addition is a new pastry shop, where a dedicated team meticulously crafts a selection of terrific pastries and desserts, embarking guests on a truly delightful journey of flavors, which adds another dimension to their dining experience. The venue’s expansive offerings extend to events, where versatile spaces can be transformed to host anything from intimate affairs to grand celebrations.

Rawhides offers diverse corporate event packages, ideally tailored for conferences, team-building activities, product launches, or annual galas, ensuring every business function is a bespoke masterpiece. Wedding services are particularly comprehensive, allowing couples to have their ceremony, reception, food, and accommodation all conveniently in one incredible, accommodating location, complete with exceptional service. The ability to book beautiful, comfortable rental accommodations, referred to affectionately as “dog houses,” makes Rawhides an all-in-one destination for weekend getaways, offering a small gem of an atmosphere that many visitors find utterly charming and recommend highly.

The facility is also committed to accessibility, featuring ramps and wider doorways to ensure a comfortable experience for all guests, a detail that further underscores their warm hospitality.

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Taking the lessons from the farm to run a successful business

November 30, 2023 0:19:58

Nathasha Vandenhurk is CEO and co-founder of Three Farmers Foods Inc., a privately held corporation based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which is a trusted brand known for providing foods with natural goodness. Functioning as an integrated organization, Three Farmers delivers nourishing food in a sustainable manner, adhering to the principles of Canadian farming. Their products are minimally processed to showcase their inherent nutritional value and taste, ensuring that consumers can enjoy delicious food that is genuinely wholesome. Dedicated to promoting healthier lifestyles and encouraging better food choices, Three Farmers Foods is a forward-thinking food manufacturer with a strong focus on utilizing locally sourced ingredients to enhance food security within Canada. Driven by a vision of a more nutritious future, the company remains committed to crafting minimally processed snacks that empower consumers to prioritize their well-being.

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RBC: The micro-entrepreneur economy survey

October 6, 2022 00:20:34

Don Ludlow, Vice-President of Small Business, Partnerships & Strategy, RBC, provides strategic oversight and leads a team that is responsible for delivering marketing-leading solutions, partnerships and client experiences that go beyond traditional banking to help Canadian entrepreneurs successfully start, manage and grow their business.

He also manages the development of RBC’s strategy for the broader Business Financial Services portfolio, including the group’s client experience, CRM, and data analytics strategies.

Don joined RBC in 2001 and has 20 years of experience within the financial services and banking sector. Prior to joining RBC, he served as an Infantry Officer in the Canadian Army where he led soldiers on a number of domestic and international operations and worked in both staff and training roles.

Overview of Key Data Points

Led by the younger millennial and Gen Z generations, a ‘micro-entrepreneur’ economy is emerging across the country, as Canadians look to adapt to a changing landscape dominated by rising inflation and digitization

74 per cent of Canadian small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs are motivated to start a small business or side-hustle due to the increasing cost of living – With this number rising to 84 per cent among Gen Z respondents
A strong majority (77 per cent) of current and aspiring entrepreneurs report that their chief aim is to create a source of income to support themselves – Millennials (86 per cent) are even more likely to cite this as their main reason for starting a business

Key factors supporting the emergence of the micro-entrepreneurship economy.

Emerging technologies allow them to reach new markets and explore new ways of doing business (47 per cent)
Being able to conduct their business or “side-hustle” online remotely lowers the overhead costs associated with starting and running a business (47 per cent)
Digital solutions reduce the efforts for administration and back-office aspects of running a business (42 per cent)

A shift in customer preferences is also creating fertile ground for small and micro-businesses.

89 per cent of those surveyed agree that small businesses are able to provide products and services tailored to local needs
Another 72 per cent stated that they believe small businesses have the ability to innovate at a more rapid rate than larger organizations
Moreover, 71 per cent were more likely to support businesses with an active presence in their local community
For current and aspiring business owners, the rising preference and increased willingness of Canadians to shop local has contributed to their overall desire to become an entrepreneur, with 39 per cent of those surveyed stating that this shift has motivated and made it easier for them to start a business.

Running On All Cylinders is Not for the Faint of Heart

June 14, 2022 00:24:55

Jay Hall is a serial entrepreneur who has built and sold various entertainment companies including TicketTote. He has seen the pure joy that can come with entrepreneurship and has lived through some near-life-ending circumstances while maintaining his businesses. This journey has not been for the faint at heart but when running on all cylinders, he and his team drive creative goals while engaging in community activism.

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Solving Agriculture’s Puzzles – Respect the Past, Grow the Future

June 3, 2022 00:22:23

Kristjan Hebert has combined his love of finance with his passion for farming. Born and raised on a family farm in Saskatchewan, Kristjan obtained his CPA with Myers Norris Penny and then returned to the Moosomin area to farm with his family. Today, he is the managing partner of Hebert Grain Ventures (HGV), a large grain and oilseed operation in Saskatchewan. At HGV he enjoys solving agriculture’s puzzles in order to fulfill HGV’s purpose of “Respect the past, Grow the future.”

Widely thought of as one of the brightest young minds in agriculture today, Kristjan received the Top Producer Award in 2020 and was recently honored as a Climate Positive leader in agriculture.

He is also the co-founder of Maverick Ag – providing custom-designed lending, accounting and insurance solutions to producers.

Kristjan enjoys coaching hockey and traveling with his wife Theresa, son Bentley and daughter Ivy.

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Wes Hall of Dragons’ Den invites you to submit your pitch and gives some helpful tips

March 24, 2022 00:15:51

Dragons’ Den and Canada’s Podcast have partnered to give away 3 golden tickets to pitch to the dragons! Get your golden ticket to Dragons’ Den today by uploading your 60-second video pitch to our entry page at https://canadasentrepreneur.com/dragonsden. The best 3 elevator pitches will get a golden ticket to audition to the Dragons’ Den producers.

Wes Hall is Executive Chairman and Founder of Kingsdale Advisors. He is the newest Dragon to the Den – Canada’s first Black Dragon. He has been married for 30 years and is father of five kids. Wes was originally from St. Thomas, Jamaica and he immigrated to Canada at 16 years old. Raised by his grandmother in a tin shack with 13 siblings and no running water, Wes is truly a self-made Canadian dream success story. His favourite sports team: the Toronto Raptors. Wes is very into fitness (yoga, pilates, peloton, treadmill, weights, all sports). Wes is known for his generosity, leveraging his business success to benefit others with a number of impactful charitable initiatives, and serves as a Board Member of the SickKids Foundation, Pathways to Education, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and The Black Academy. He is also a Member of the Board of Governors at Huron University College. Wes is Founder and Chairman of The Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism and the BlackNorth Initiative, committed to the removal of anti-Black systemic barriers negatively affecting the lives of Black Canadians. He has also changed the lives of thousands of children in the Caribbean and Canada, donating both his money and time. In 2015, Wes was the recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s Award and in 2017 received an Honorary Doctorate, both from the University of the West Indies.

Maybe you can join him and begin your success journey. Take a listen to the podcast. Give us your 60-second video pitch and who knows, you might get to meet the Dragons. The best 3 elevator pitches will get a golden ticket to audition to the Dragons’ Den producers. Go to https://canadasentrepreneur.com/dragonsden and make your pitch.

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Decarbonizing Your Business with Dr. Jamie Stephen

March 23, 2022 00:43:15

This episode with Dr. Jamie Stephen will provide information on the decarbonization solutions that entrepreneurs can consider as they build and grow their businesses. Now more than ever, there are expectations for companies to integrate carbon-conscious decisions into operations. Dr. Stephen will specifically discuss how the forest sector can support the most effective decarbonization efforts that business can adopt.

The efforts that will be focused on include:

Building with wood – carbon capture through wood infrastructure
Thermal energy – heating buildings sustainably which is the largest climate liability for businesses
Bioenergy carbon capture and storage – options for permanent CO2 removal from the atmosphere

Dr. Jamie Stephen is Managing Director of TorchLight Bioresources, an energy and resources consulting and project development firm based in Nova Scotia, Canada.

He has managed bioenergy and cleantech projects for a broad variety of clients including national and provincial governments, utilities, airlines, manufacturers, investment funds, First Nations, and technology developers. Projects have focused on industrial growth strategies, facility feasibility, technology deployment hurdles, policy options, and investment prioritization.

Originally from Saskatchewan and the UK, he holds a PhD in Forestry (bioenergy techno-economics/strategy) and a Masters in chemical engineering from the University of British Columbia and a BSc(H) in Life Science from Queen’s University.

Learn how you can become net-zero at https://www.forestryforthefuture.ca/

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Building a Hardware & Software Company as a Non-Technical Founder

December 29, 2021 00:26:58

Serese Selanders’ journey as a tech entrepreneur has been anything but typical. Serese spent 20 years in the financial services industry, the majority of those years as a senior executive. However, life threw her a curveball when her parents went through major health challenges. Despite having no technical background, she invented ORA, an innovative, wearable personal safety alert device. Two years ago, Serese launched her second company, SolusGuard. SolusGuard helps employers protect employees who work alone or in dangerous situations with a suite of hardware and software safety solutions. Listen in to find out how SolusGuard helps organizations keep their employees safe and the unconventional path Serese took to get here.

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How The PIVOT Project Helps Canadian SMEs Future Proof Their Business for a Changing World

December 17, 2021 00:21:40

Led out of McGill University, The PIVOT Project is an action research project that uses social media to bring small business owners across Canada together to share their climate action goals, struggles and achievements and shift Canadian perspectives on our country’s green future.

We will be interviewing PIVOT participants over the next few months. We love this kind of initiative. In this interview we talk with Drior Etcion an Associate Professor at McGill and one of the drivers of the initiative.

PIVOT is an action-research project that amplifies the action of small business owners across Canada as they transition to the low-carbon economy. PIVOT harnesses the power of stories to document the growing movement of SMEs that are future-proofing their businesses and setting themselves up for success in a changing world.

PIVOT is spearheaded by the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill but is collaborating with many other departments including biology, informational science as well as external stakeholders like the National Film Board of Canada The project is funded by the McGill Sustainability Systems Initiative.

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