City of Vaughan

Small Business Week is a nationally recognized celebration of the contributions small businesses make to our local economies. The Vaughan Small Business and Entrepreneurship team hosts Vaughan Small Business Week every October to provide local entrepreneurs access to the latest programs, best practices and networking opportunities.

Small Business Week events will be taking place virtually and include an in-person networking event. This series of virtual events is offered at no cost to entrepreneurs and will be delivered during the week of October 20-24, 2025.

The City recognizes that inclusion is an active, intentional, and continuous process to build a respectful and diverse community that ensures welcoming space and opportunities to flourish for all. As part of a continuous effort to create welcoming spaces and opportunities, this year’s Small Business Week will focus on empowering businesses to become more inclusive, sustainable and resourceful through providing content on a variety of programs, practical tools and strategies to embrace diversity and inclusion and understanding cultural competence.

Programming is being delivered virtually together with local business support organizations Vaughan Chamber of Commerce, Business Development Bank of Canada, ventureLAB, Techconnex, Futurpreneur, Federation of African Canadian Economies, and Black Entrepreneurship Alliance, among others.

KICK-OFF SMALL BUSINESS WEEK ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, at Vaughan City Hall. NETWORKING WILL BEGIN AT 7:30 A.M. 

The Vaughan Business & Entrepreneurship Centre (VBEC) in partnership with the Business Development Bank of Canada and the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a morning of networking, light refreshments, and a program including welcome remarks from Mayor Steven Del Duca, an address from the Business Development Bank of Canada, and a special feature on ‘Fun at Work’ with Joel Hilchey.

Register below and visit our vendor booths! 

Click here to Register

Space is limited, register today!

You must register to receive access to these sessions. Prior to the event, registrants will receive information, and attendee information via e-mail.

For more information, please contact ed@vaughan.ca.

Scroll down for more information and to register.

Kickoff Networking Event (In-Person)

Date: October 20 | Time: 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. | Location: The Vaughan Room | Vaughan City Hall | 2141 Major Mackenzie Drive

Presented by Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), Vaughan Business and Entrepreneurship Centre & Vaughan Chamber of Commerce 

The Vaughan Business & Entrepreneurship Centre (VBEC) in partnership with the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a morning of networking, light refreshments, and a program including welcome remarks from VBEC, and Vaughan Chamber of Commerce, and a keynote address on ‘Fun at Work’…and learn more about the Business Development Bank of Canada’s at their booth!

Hosted by the VBEC every October, Small Business Week is a nationally recognized celebration of the contributions small businesses make to the economy. This year’s Small Business Week will focus on empowering businesses to become more inclusive, sustainable and resourceful through providing content on a variety of programs, practical tools and strategies to embrace diversity and inclusion and understanding cultural competence.

The sponsor for the Small Business Week Kick-Off 2025 is the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and programming is being delivered together with local business support organizations.

Keynote Speaker: Joel Hilchey, CEO, Beanstalk Creative

REGISTER NOW

Sustainable Business Development with Professor Mark Terry

Date: October 20 | Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Presented by Professor Mark Terry, Facilitator of the City of Vaughan’s Better Your Business: Social and Environmental Sustainability Program

Learn about trending sustainability tactics with real business examples that change the business more sustainable in their business practices, through the Better Your Business Program by establishing a Sustainability Mandate for your business hosted by Professor Mark Terry. This Session will cover an introduction to SDGs, trending sustainability tactics that can change to be more sustainable in your business practices, and more.

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Competition Law 101 For Small Business

Date: October 21 | Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Presented by Amy Hill, Senior Competition Law Officer

Many small business owners don’t know about competition law. For those who do, it can be hard to know how it applies to their business. Join this webinar hosted by the Competition Bureau to learn about:

• Why competition law matters to small businesses and entrepreneurs
• How the Competition Bureau helps protect and promote competition
• How to protect your business with compliance measures
• Resources for businesses

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Do You Have the Mindset of a Successful Small Business Owner?

Date: October 21 | Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. | Carrville Community Centre | 655 Thomas Cook Ave or on Zoom

Presented by Vaughan Public Libraries 

Join Victoria Moskovskaya, Leadership, Culture, & Performance Strategist, for business advice and skills-building. This session is hybrid, attend in-person or online.

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Tech Startup Master Class: Going from Zero to Launch | Medtech Edition

Date: October 22 | Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. | Location: Vaughan Studio & Event Space | 200 Apple Mill Road

Presented by ventureLAB

Join ventureLAB’s immersive masterclass and fast-track your startup journey – from concept to prototype to market validation. Designed for early-stage founders and medtech innovators, this workshop delivers actionable frameworks, hands-on strategies, and a collaborative network to help you launch with confidence.

Why Attend?

• Guidance: Learn from Diem Le – founder, advisor, and impact investor on scaling med-tech solution
• Learn about Prototyping: Discover your step-by-step strategies to develop and test your prototype efficiently
• Validate your Market: Navigate market research techniques to ensure your solution meets real-world demands
• Network & Collaborate: Connect with fellow innovators and mentors through interactive exercises.

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Financing for Small Business| Investing in Black Entrepreneurs

Date: October 22 | Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Presented by The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)

Join us for an insightful workshop where we’ll explore innovative funding solutions and resources tailored to empower Black-owned businesses to help entrepreneurs turn ideas into thriving businesses.

Learn more about these organizations and programs:

• FACE (Federation of African Canadian Economics)
• Futurpreneur
• Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
• Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA)

Stay for a panel discussion on investing in Black Entrepreneurs, addressing funding gaps, access challenges, and systemic barriers to financing, the evolving economy and how we can build a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.

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Entrepreneur Essentials: Start-Up 101: Regulations, Registering & Licenses 

Date: October 23 | Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Presented by Vaughan Business & Entrepreneurship Centre (VBEC)

Join the Vaughan Business & Entrepreneurship Centre (VBEC) team for a group session on all you need to know about regulations, business licenses, and the steps to registering your business. 

We will explore: 

• Zoning & By-Law requirements
• Business licenses
• Legal structures

During this virtual open-forum style Q&A, feel free to turn cameras on, ask questions in the chatbox, and share about your business needs. 

This session is ideal for idea-stage, Pre-Launch businesses, or existing businesses new to Vaughan. 

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The Future of Lead Generation

Date: October 23 | Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Presented by TechConnex

Join Deanne Kelleher, the leader behind Kaos Group’s vision and Core Four System™, who successfully helps clients identify and implement the changes to their behind-the-scenes operations necessary for growth and success. This workshop will cover customized Lead Generation Workflow Design. Through systematic benchmarking and proven frameworks, you’ll map workflows to provide new levels of efficiency, innovation, and profitability.

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** Additional events will be added , please check back for more information.