How Airdrie Built Local Financial Infrastructure for Entrepreneurs and Won a National EDAC Award

Airdrie Economic Development has won the Economic Developers Association of Canada’s 2026 Business Retention & Expansion (BRE) Excellence Award for Large/Urban Communities. The recognition honours an approach that gives entrepreneurs practical financial tools while strengthening the local network of professionals who support them.

A strong business idea needs a practical financial plan behind it. Through The Cashflow Canvas, Airdrie Economic Development helps entrepreneurs understand whether their pricing supports a profit, anticipate cash needs and prepare for financing conversations.

The program supports entrepreneurs at the early stages of business and throughout the business lifecycle. It is relevant for people who are starting up, seeking financing, pivoting or refining their business model, looking for strategic direction, or building financial literacy and resilience.

Rather than offering a one-time workshop, the City has built a local support system around The Cashflow Canvas. Entrepreneurs can use the same financial framework as their business evolves, then bring it into conversations with local CPAs, coaches, mentors and community partners.

Since launching in early 2025, Airdrie has delivered five bootcamps based on The Cashflow Canvas, reaching 61 entrepreneurs. The City has also trained 22 local mentors and economic development professionals on the model, helping them support founders in their ongoing work.

What financial challenge was Airdrie trying to solve for local entrepreneurs?

Airdrie heard a consistent message through business-support programming, participant feedback and conversations with financial professionals: many founders did not have a practical financial plan to guide decisions about pricing, profitability, cash flow, debt repayment or financing.

Before participating, 59 per cent of businesses reported challenges with profitability, 52 per cent with cash flow, and 63 per cent said they did not have a forecast. Lenders, such as Community Futures Centre West, see a gap between what they need to approve financing and the confidence entrepreneurs bring to the conversation.

Why does financial literacy matter for small-business growth and retention?

Financial literacy turns business information into informed action. It helps entrepreneurs test whether pricing is sustainable, identify profit gaps and plan for cash needs before they become urgent.

For Gary Manocha, CPA and owner and founder of Condor Integrity CPA, business owners do not need to become accountants. They do need to understand their margins and costs.

“This program is not built to make you an accountant. It’s built to give you financial literacy, a broader perspective and a deeper understanding of the numbers of your company.” Gary Manocha

The framework helps participants create a one-page financial plan and practical cash flow forecast by working through revenue, direct costs, price points, staffing, operating expenses, marketing and other costs.

How did Airdrie turn a financial-literacy workshop into local business infrastructure?

One-time workshops can introduce useful information, but an entrepreneur’s financial questions do not end when the session does. Airdrie therefore licensed The Cashflow Canvas and trained five local Chartered Professional Accountants, two business coaches and an Economic Development Officer to use it. This creates a common financial language across conversations with a CPA, coach or community partner.

In her letter of support for Airdrie’s award submission, Taunya Woods Richardson, Founder and CEO of Nail The Numbers and creator of The Cashflow Canvas, framed the question that shaped the model:

“How do we build lasting financial capability in our community rather than simply deliver another program?” Taunya Woods Richardson

The model is also embedded in Airdrie’s entrepreneur pathway: Discover, The Cashflow Canvas, SMARTstart. It helps founders move from testing an idea to validating its financial viability to launching or growing a business.

How has The Cashflow Canvas helped an Airdrie founder move from idea to action?

Katherine “Kay” Samiano, an Airdrie occupational therapist, is building Your Welcome Here Therapy and Sensory Center for the neurodiverse community. Discover helped her move from years of considering the idea to signing a lease. The Cashflow Canvas then gave her a practical way to test the financial side of the plan.

“It’s not enough that you have passion, but you have to know your numbers. The Cashflow Canvas really helped me put my numbers into those boxes and figure out how my business is going to work.” Katherine “Kay” Samiano
What results has the Cashflow Canvas program achieved in Airdrie?

The program’s early results suggest that entrepreneurs are responding to a practical, locally supported approach to financial planning.

Participants have reported using the framework to refine pricing models, identify profitability gaps and prepare for financing conversations. The pilot session sold out and generated a waitlist.

When is the next cohort of The Cashflow Canvas in Airdrie, and who should attend?

The next open-enrollment cohort of The Cashflow Canvas is designed for entrepreneurs at any stage of the business lifecycle, including those starting up, seeking financing, pivoting or refining a business model, seeking strategic direction, or building financial literacy and resilience.

The in-person bootcamp takes place at Inspire, Presenter Space, 803 Main Street South, Airdrie, in two required sessions: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, and Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The fee is $59 plus Eventbrite fees. Participants receive worksheets, an Excel template with pre-populated formulas, access to an online training portal and ongoing virtual support. An optional one-hour coaching call with a certified coach can be purchased during registration.

Learn about the October cohort and register now.

Why did Airdrie’s approach to delivering The Cashflow Canvas earn an EDAC award?

Airdrie transformed a common entrepreneurial challenge into community capacity. By training local professionals, connecting financial literacy to the entrepreneur journey and giving founders a practical way to use their numbers, it built an approach that can outlast a single session. That is economic development work that helps local businesses stay, grow and contribute to a resilient Airdrie economy.