Brought together through a common connection, Chelssie Baker and Rob Schulz are both passionate entrepreneurs dedicated to sharing opportunities and expertise to advance Indigenous-run businesses.
Launched in New Westminster, B.C., Shop First Nations highlights and showcases Indigenous-owned businesses through an extensive online database and targeted, custom retail opportunities. Drawing on their entrepreneurial backgrounds, Shop First Nations also provides business development support to empower Indigenous business owners.
Over the years, Chelssie and Rob saw a growing demand for their services, but didn’t know where to start to expand their reach. Thanks to guidance from Export Navigator, Shop First Nations developed a clear expansion strategy to confidently scale operations. Over the past year, the business has successfully exported into multiple provinces, with further growth plans in progress.
Keeping up with demand
Shop First Nations has been steadily growing over the years, gaining a strong reputation and building lasting relationships with clients. They knew there were many more businesses and Indigenous entrepreneurs they could support but weren’t sure what steps to take.
“We are most often a team of two, and are running at full speed,” shares Chelssie. “It was challenging to find the time and build the knowledge to grow our reach across the country.”
Paired up with Export Advisor Shannan Roberts, they established business plans and pathways to achieve their growth goals. With Export Navigator’s guidance, Chelssie and Rob were able to confidently take the next steps toward their goal of becoming a nationally recognized brand.
Targeted approach
Following their business plans, growing the team, and slowly increasing their resources allowed Shop First Nations to begin expansion. Export Navigator provided access to valuable market insights and identified regions and provinces where demand for their products would be strongest.
“From our very first meeting, Export Navigator knew exactly where Shop First Nations had the strongest potential across the country,” recalls Chelssie. “Those insights were so valuable, and something that we wouldn’t have had time to gather on our own.”
Rather than spending significant time and money researching opportunities, Rob and Chelssie were able to move forward with a focused expansion plan, knowing they were targeting the right markets.
Demonstrated success
With a focused approach and a growing team, Shop First Nations now feels prepared to build on its momentum and expand to more areas across Canada and the globe.
One example of this national growth is Shop First Nations’ Canada Box, which features products from Indigenous makers across all 13 provinces and territories. The box reflects the company’s broader mission: helping Indigenous artisans reach more customers while giving Canadians and organizations a meaningful way to support Indigenous-made products.
Corporate gifting has become one of Shop First Nations’ strongest growth areas, now representing roughly half of the company’s revenue and growing about three times year over year.
The next chapter
Working with Export Navigator had a major impact on Shop First Nations’ vision for its future and the businesses potential impact.
“Having access to that level of expertise made a huge difference for us and our ability to expand,” says Chelssie. “I would absolutely recommend that any business looking to grow reach out to Export Navigator.”
