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Owning a small business is no accident for Sinan Leylek, the 29-year-old owner of Spark Rentals.

When you first enter Hollow Reed Holistic, the scent of frankincense envelopes you first, before you take in the warm wood grain furnishings with accents of black, and the tidy apothecary shelves filled with vials of essential oils and packages of dried herbs.

After Bernie Whetter left his management position at Wheat City Seeds in 2005, he found himself at a crossroads. Not knowing how to proceed, Whetter asked himself, “What do I like doing?”

Joanne Toupin and Beau Burton opened Sleepy Owl Bread on Wall Street in 2013, with baked goods that highlight flavours of local ingredients, from prairie berry Danish pastries to round rustic loaves of whole wheat sourdough miche.

Swimming has health benefits, it boosts a child’s confidence, and it can provide kids with future jobs, says the founder of a charity dedicated to ensuring all young Winnipeggers can learn how to swim.

Hope Mallett is in it for the long run. The owner of the Green & Grain has persevered in a business where many stumble.