Alberta: Easy to Work With | Daniel Zhang
As the world’s second largest country that borders three different oceans, Canada boasts a diverse geography that appeals…
As the world’s second largest country that borders three different oceans, Canada boasts a diverse geography that appeals to a broad spectrum of people with different interests and seasonal preferences. For Daniel Zhang, the province of Alberta offered both the natural surroundings and the business opportunities he was seeking.
“Life is easy here,” says Zhang, an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys various recreational activities through the year. “We go skiing in winter and camping in summer.”
The Alberta Advantage
An enthusiastic explorer, Zhang traveled extensively throughout his native China while growing up, visiting more than thirty of the country’s provinces and regions. His sense of adventure eventually led him beyond China’s borders to several other nations including Canada.
Having been raised in northern China, the climate of western Canada felt familiar, and the abundance of mountains appealed to his love of skiing. Zhang began to investigate immigration avenues that would allow him to relocate to Canada and discovered Alberta’s Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream (FGES), a straightforward program that welcomes qualified foreign graduates who commit to starting a business in Alberta.
Experience and Education
One of the unique features of Alberta’s FGES Program is the requirement that applicants must have graduated from a recognized university outside of Canada in the past ten years. Zhang attended Shanghai Ocean University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Information Management and Information Systems in 2016.
Zhang also possessed a strong command of English and a wealth of business experience that he obtained through working at his mother’s printing business after university. Beginning as a sales and marketing associate, Zhang was promoted to General Manager of Sales and Marketing before going on to found his own printing company in Shanghai.
After studying the Canadian market, Zhang was confident he could establish a printing business in Alberta and contribute to the province’s technology sector. In need of a Letter of Recommendation from an agency designated by the Alberta Government to vet potential applicants, Zhang contacted the leading company approved to administer the FGES program, Empowered Startups.
Professional Preparation
An excellent candidate on paper, Zhang still needed to create a formal Expression of Interest and detailed Business Plan as part of his application. According to Zhang, Empowered Startups played an integral role in preparing and refining both documents for submission, which allowed the process to proceed effectively and efficiently.
“Thanks to the team at Empowered Startups, the Expression of Interest and Business Application was smooth. It just took several weeks, and then I got approved.”
Keeping in Contact
Having selected Red Deer as an ideal location for his business, Zhang got to work and opened Qin Printing, taking custom orders on everything from hard cover books to calendars to jigsaw puzzles, all of which are shipped directly to customer’s doors.
Not only has he been pleased with the business environment Alberta has to offer, but also the ease of working with the Advantage Alberta Immigration Program (AAIP), which oversees FGES and other Provincial Nomination Programs.
“AAIP is a good team to communicate with. If I have any questions, they will reply to me within 24 hours if they can,” Zhang attests. “They are easy to work with, and I can negotiate with them for any inconvenience.”
A Strong Plan Empowers Entrepreneurs
When asked what advice he had for other entrepreneurs hoping to enter the program, Zhang emphasized the importance of a strong business plan as the FGES requires its participants to achieve agreed-upon goals set forth in the approved business plan. He credits Empowered Startups with helping him determine achievable goals for Qin Printing, which has been able to meet or exceed those benchmarks as the company has evolved.
“The start is really important. Since Empowered Startups did the business plan, what I need to do is follow the plan and the requirements,” states Zhang, who has been able to meet or exceed the goals set forth in the agreement.
“I think the most important thing is doing good things for Alberta. For example, you need to live in Alberta, hire Alberta employees, or serve Alberta businesses. When you are doing the right things for Alberta, you get the green light from AAIP.”
Learn more about Empowered Startups’ Foreign Entrepreneur Graduate Stream (FGES)
