Pros
Personal reward for helping clients with their small business start up concerns and requirements, adding to your skill set by learning small business regulations, related in formation, market research and business planning, etc. Networking is part of the package - not just at events, but with the many external partners and organizations that are dealt with on a daily basis. For all new staff, my advice is to take the good out of your time there and make it your own. Learn what you can, make some great connections and grow your skill set. Keep your options open, there are some good opportunities that might come up with partners and other external relationships.
Cons
Although management talks about internal training and ability for staff to take seminars to add to and improve their core knowledge, time and chronic staff shortages rarely allow for any participation. This proves frustrating for interested business advisors. It not only hampers personal and professional on-the-job growth and improvement, but also causes knowledge gaps of products and services which are advised and provided to clients. At the moment, leadership is grim and silos abound. Mutual respect does not exist. Over the past half a dozen years, the atmosphere has been tense and toxic, causing a mass exodus of talent and management refuses to address these issues, no matter how tactfully they are put across and brought up for discussion. Although it is a "union shop", Collective Agreement provisions are often put to the test between members and management - often times, management has bluntly disregarded certain matters of union protocol with regard to termination of staff. Again, nothing has put an end to rampant internal bullying. What a shame, considering the fantastic people who work there who keep the ship running with amazing customer service and concern for the Small Business BC brand.