Calgary is no longer a city waiting for its next big opportunity. The opportunity is already here.

We are moving toward becoming a city of 2 million people. That changes everything. It changes the size of our labour market, the demand for services, the scale of our infrastructure needs, the opportunity for entrepreneurs, and the way businesses should think about Calgary as a place to launch, buy, grow, and scale.

At the Calgary Economic Development Report to the Community, one message came through clearly: Calgary has momentum. People are moving here. Investment is coming here. Companies are looking at Calgary differently. Our airport gives us global distribution access. Our business tax environment remains competitive. Our post-secondary institutions, innovation organizations, and tech-support ecosystem are helping build a stronger economy.

But if we are serious about becoming a global city, we need to be honest about what is still missing.

Calgary needs more practical support for entrepreneurs who want to launch real businesses. Not just pitch decks. Not just ideas. Real operating companies that create jobs, generate revenue, serve customers, and build long-term economic value.

The business opportunity is right in front of us

A city approaching 2 million people creates demand.

More people means more need for construction, logistics, trades, food services, childcare, healthcare support, technology, professional services, manufacturing, distribution, education, wellness, and local retail. It also creates more opportunities for companies that can serve both Calgary and the global markets connected to Calgary.

Our international airport is a major advantage. It gives businesses access to distribution, travel, trade, and international relationships. For companies moving products, people, or expertise, that matters.

Calgary also remains attractive because of its business environment. Compared to many major cities, we have a strong case to make around taxes, affordability, talent, and quality of life. Add in organizations supporting the technology sector, innovation, investment attraction, and founder education, and Calgary has many of the ingredients needed to grow.

But ingredients are not enough.

A growing city needs more entrepreneurs who can actually build businesses. That is where we have
a gap.

Starting a business is still too hard for many entrepreneurs

We talk a lot about encouraging entrepreneurship, but we do not always talk honestly about how difficult it is to finance a new business.

For many first-time entrepreneurs, getting a business loan to start from zero is extremely difficult. Banks want collateral, operating history, cash flow, management experience, and proof the business can repay the loan. A brand-new company often has none of that.

That does not mean the entrepreneur lacks ability. It means the structure is hard to finance.

This is one reason Calgary should take acquisition entrepreneurship more seriously.

It is often easier to get financing to buy an existing business than to start a brand-new one. An existing business may already have customers, revenue, employees, equipment, supplier relationships, and financial history. That gives lenders something real to assess.

For entrepreneurs, buying an existing business can create a more attainable path into ownership. Instead of spending years trying to build from scratch, they can acquire capacity, infrastructure, a client list, and cash flow on day one.

This does not remove risk. Buying a business still requires due diligence, financing, legal support, operational planning, leadership ability, and a clear growth strategy. But it can be a more practical path for many entrepreneurs than starting with nothing.

Acquisition can help solve Calgary’s entrepreneurship gap

If Calgary wants more entrepreneurs, we need to create more realistic pathways into entrepreneurship.

A proper business accelerator focused on helping entrepreneurs acquire existing businesses could make a real difference.

This type of accelerator should help entrepreneurs:
• Identify businesses that are worth acquiring
• Understand financing options and lender expectations
• Review financials, operations, legal risks, and customer concentration
• Build a transition plan after acquisition
• Improve sales, marketing, systems, and profitability
• Prepare for growth after the deal closes

This matters because many small business owners are also approaching succession. Some do not have a family member or internal successor ready to take over. Without a buyer, good businesses can close, jobs can disappear, and local economic value can be lost.

Acquisition entrepreneurship can protect those businesses while giving new entrepreneurs a practical way into ownership.

That is good for founders. It is good for retiring owners. It is good for employees. And it is good for a city that needs more job creators.

Calgary also has a talent onboarding problem

The second issue we need to address is talent.

Calgary and Canada do not have a talent shortage in the way we often describe it. We have a talent onboarding problem.

Too many immigrant professionals arrive with years of international experience, technical knowledge, customer relationships, industry expertise, and global market understanding, only to be told they lack “Canadian experience.”

That question is holding us back.

Businesses need to start asking a better question: What international experience do you bring, and how can we use it to grow?

A professional who has built supply chains in India, managed clients in Nigeria, sold into Latin America, worked in logistics in the Philippines, or operated in European markets brings more than a resume. They bring market intelligence. They bring language. They bring cultural understanding. They bring relationships. They may help a Calgary company enter a new market faster and with fewer mistakes.

If Calgary wants to become a global business city, we need to stop treating international experience as second-class experience.

The next stage requires better systems

A city of 2 million people will need more businesses, more jobs, more entrepreneurs, and better ways to use the talent already here.

That means Calgary needs two things.

First, we need stronger support for entrepreneurs who want to launch through acquisition. Buying an existing business can unlock financing, preserve local companies, create ownership opportunities, and accelerate job creation.

Second, we need a better talent onboarding process for immigrant professionals. Canadian businesses in Calgary should be able to access overseas expertise locally, use that expertise to enter new markets, and strengthen their teams.

This is the kind of practical economic infrastructure Calgary needs now.

At Catapult Startups, we help entrepreneurs and business owners understand where they are, what is missing, and what steps they need to take next. Through our Trajectory Assessment and advisory work, we help businesses assess their strategy, operations, sales, finance, legal, people, and growth readiness.

Calgary is growing. The opportunity is real. But growth only becomes an economic value when people are supported to build, buy, lead, and scale businesses.

If you are an entrepreneur thinking about launching, acquiring, or growing a business in Calgary, now is the time to get clear on the path forward.

Or an organization, municipality, provincial government partner, or industry association looking to strengthen entrepreneurship, support business succession, onboard immigrant talent, or create more job-generating companies, Catapult Startups can help.

Through our Trajectory Assessment, advisory programs, and practical business-building support, we help entrepreneurs and partners assess the opportunity, identify the gaps, and build a clear roadmap for what comes next.

Calgary is moving toward 2 million people. Now we need to build the businesses, talent systems, and partnerships that can support that growth. Catapult Startups is ready to help move that work forward.