SAIT alumni entrepreneurs get back to business
SAIT alumna Mya Khan (Business Administration ’07) opened her first business, Project Clothing, in 2015 in Fort McMurray just after the 2014 economic downturn. Several years later she opened her second business, Modern Barber.
“We were open for eight months, then the fire happened. It taught us to constantly be innovative and be prepared,” she says.
Khan faced another obstacle recently when a flood hit Fort McMurray in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. She lost both of her storefronts and is currently in the process of relocating. Because Project Clothing has always had an online shop and delivery service, the stores’ lines of business have remained open.
“We see our clients as friends, and we’re in communication every day,” Khan says. “Customer service can help a business survive. You have to think outside of the box.”
SAIT alumnus Grant Nolan (Cinema, Television, Stage and Radio ’87) first got into freelance video production in the late 1990s. After some time in the corporate world, Nolan started his own company, Five Foot Five Video & Creative, coincidentally also during the 2014 downturn.
“Prior to COVID-19, I was doing really well. After the first week of the pandemic, my customers had to get their COVID messaging out, so it was very busy. Then things started to drop off,” he says. “Now, work has picked up again.”
Nolan and his wife were both raised by post-Great Depression and WWII parents who had seen the worst and instilled a frugal mentality in their children. Nolan says his family was fortunate during the pandemic as a result of their financial discipline.
“Owning a business is kind of like driving down a highway and approaching a hill. You can’t see over the hill, but you know there’s road beyond,” he says. “Keep going down that road and doing things every day that move you forward. And don’t overextend yourself.”
Khan agrees with that advice, adding business owners should focus their energy on what they can control and have a solid business plan in place, as well as proper insurance. Her final suggestion? Trust your gut.
“People can tell you how to do things, but at the end of the day, do what you think will help you succeed. Being a woman, being a person of colour, you have to work a little bit harder, but you can use that as motivation to help ensure your success.”
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SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3.