 This is work BC real people inspiring stories. Hi, I'm Danny. I've held a lot of jobs in my life I've been in service retail even been an amateur poker player now that I'm a filmmaker I thought I'd turn the lens on people who have made their own career changes to discover just how they found their fit four years into the job. I was just kind of Working every day not really anything changing and I needed a change But he didn't really know which direction to take or how to go about it Usually only four percent of business actually survive the first year once again This can take a while to hone in on then you'll be talking with your business advisor one-on-one each week I'm not meant to work under anyone for the rest of my life I need to start up my own and kind of set my own hours do my own thing when you're stepping on your own You're taking a big chance. You don't know what's gonna happen in 2012 18% of British Columbians claim to be self-employed That's one in every five people who own their own business and pay their own salary Which makes me wonder and how could I become my own boss? Well, it takes a lot of passion determination Dedication can be a lot of hard work, but more and more people every day are learning what it takes to be in charge of their own future Well, my name is Kyle Huneck. I like being able to design and build myself I went to school for industrial design, so I phantom myself a bit of a designer Concepts drawings and then finished installation. I've only been in business for less than a year It's complete 180 though. Like it's totally different than working for someone else I have no one to blame everything that I do is now 100% done by me How have things been since he started his own business things have changed quite a bit I would say a Kyle is much happier before he was working at straight-line designs And he had a lot of good training there and it was really beneficial for him But now he is able to take on jobs and creations of his own At what point in your tenure there, did you realize you wanted to be your own boss and create your own business about four years in It was like well, I know I want to start a business. I don't really know how to do it I was lucky enough to come across this program So yeah, they help you come up with a business plan and then towards the end once you present your full-fledged business plan You can get a certain amount of government seed money I was surprised to hear there's a program to help people start their own small business It was really encouraging to hear especially because small businesses are such a big part of BC's economy Using work BC resources, I discovered many organizations in the area provide similar programs to the one Kyle attended by retracing Kyle's footsteps I met program manager Andrea Welling with the YMCA who was willing to show me around the facility I wanted to know exactly how the program prepares participants for self-employment and entrepreneurship Hey, hey, Danny. How are you? Welcome to the Robert Lee YMCA. Thank you Our employment training programs include self-employment include our youth employment training programs and Programs for for adults as well So we have 25 participants in our program and we have four intakes a year So we have a hundred participants per year So even though it's a sole proprietorship or even incorporated you will likely build a team of people who are going to help you be successful So it's a matching of your values with your skills We're very much at the beginning of building the foundations talking about why are we here? What's important to them? What's their vision? What do they want to achieve? And ultimately, what do you try and instill in the participants in the program? Often what I talk about is how this is very much about a lifestyle shift Almost a different way of thinking as a business person to accomplish their goals And what sort of participant was Kyle? Hard-working, you know really persevering worked very hard on his plan and had a vision You know Kyle's got contracts. He's got this blog and he's renovated his you know He's got this amazing studio really excited for him and his successes You love doing what you do and you're good at it, but you know it's time for a change You'd like to start your own business, but where do you begin? WorkBC.ca is a great place to start It can help you find your fit and learn what it takes to go out on your own and be your own boss It also directs you to WorkBC employment centers where you'll find programs and resources to learn new skills Like how to write a business plan, financial management, marketing and self-promotion Kyle knows what it takes to be an entrepreneur and with help from WorkBC He's on his way to building a successful business and a bright future So this is what I'm thinking for the kitchen. As you can see this is the OSB plywood This is what it is. There's a bunch of co2 tanks and stuff in the back Right so you have to actually be able to get to the back. That's great, man. That's really cool Since he completed the program, it's been amazing. It's been really really fun It it's been nice to see him grow and to be happy and filled with his job And as far as us, now life has started And as I went to meet Kyle at his latest installation, the whole idea of success really started to come into focus The journey towards self-employment certainly can be a challenge But after talking with everyone involved and learning what tools and programs are available I began to see how, with the right help, you can find your fit and achieve your dreams