Community Futures Highwood - Okotoks

Great programs and staff. More people need to know about this agency!

The staff is very helpful and always in a good mood (even Mondays). The cost of office space was an excellent value and the space was very well maintained and cleaned. When asked for, the advice for our business was always spot on. I highly recommend anyone with a small business to take advantage of this great team. You and you business will not regret it.

Our experience with Community Futures Highwood has been excellent from start to finish. Initial Interview: At the initial interview all information and details were clearly laid out for us. No elaborate promises were made but all options were clearly stated. Ursula was very kind, professional and caring. Timing: We just did a walk-in with no appointment. We were seen immediately and the meeting lasted about half an hour. First documentation: Our first set of documents arrived via email and we had to create a complete business plan. It seemed overwhelming at first, but whenever we had a question, Ursula was ready with an answer. She was always friendly and professional and right on task with many helpful links and suggestions. Timing: We received the documentation within 24 hours of our initial meeting. It took us about 6 months to complete the business plan and market research. We did not spend dedicated time on this. If we had it would have been much faster. Projections: The cashflow projections were the second task. We learned so much from this step. We were given several different ways of looking at our business, planning for the future, cost cutting and distributing cashflow. This step alone was invaluable to our business and I can't thank you enough for all the endless hours of help. Timing: As soon as our business plan was completed we received the projections sheet. We spent quite a bit of dedicated time on this and it took us 2 months to complete. Final Stages: After our loan was approved we went through several phone calls and emails per day to get all the paperwork, lawyers and fine print handled. It was a long process with several iterations of explanations, registrations, etc. and yet the service was consistent and professional right to the end. Timing: From the moment our loan was approved (which took 10 days from the time we handed in our financial projections) until the time that we received our loan payment it was 2 months. I want to thank Community Futures Highwood and Ursula in particular for the hard work and assistance you provided us over the past year. Even though we are an established business and growing every year, you have helped us grow up and implement successful strategies and infrastructure to reach the next level in our business. Warm Regards, Annanie and Matt Forever Bee

We are in the final stages of the initial application for our business loan through Community Futures Highwood (CFH), after several refusals from major banks. This process had until we met the team at CFH been somewhat of a challenging road. However, our dealing with CFH cleared the fog and the support and direction form Ursula and the team was simply amazing! Their experience, guidance and professionalism shines, and as a customer you are fully supported throughout the process. Whatever happens from this point will not detract from a great experience and education we received from CFH. Thank you for helping us try to realize our dreams and our new future. Kevin and Pedro.

The staff at Community Futures were critical to the success of my business' first year, and to our ongoing growth and sustainability. Their advisory services alone have helped me immensely, and their funding support has allowed me to focus on building my business thoughtfully and strategically. Wonderful group!

The people at CFH were extremely helpful with my business start up. They helped me to build a better, more concise, business plan, including realistic financial projections. If fact, with their leadership I was able to get a business loan at a great rate. They are a key reason as to why my new business will be successful. I recommend that anyone looking for help with their business, new or existing, call the people at Community Futures Highwood.