Curtis Baird, A Saint John local NBCC Marketing Graduate, has always loved aquatics. His hobby led him to maintain fresh water and saltwater fish keeping for other local hobbyists. He is now the sole owner and operator of Maritimes Aquatics, located on Rothesay Ave.
Curtis’ journey started while he worked in a local pet store. Heather Acker, co-owner of ConnexionWorks, was an avid customer and began chatting with Curtis. They talked and discovered Curtis had real knowledge and passion for an opportunity business. Heather insisted he look at some startup support programs at ConnexionWorks. That summer, Curtis built connections and created his network of entrepreneurs through the program. The ConnexionWorks environment supported and guided him to open his retail store.
Curtis participated in the Paid Start-Up Program (PSP), which offered guest speakers from various industry professionals, accounting, marketing, and professor backgrounds. Their guidance, knowledge, and accountability allowed Curtis to validate his business plan, confirm revenue projections, and grow his network. After the program, Curtis also gained continuous resources to help maintain and grow his business.
Today Curtis still uses ConnexionWorks as a head office. This keeps the admin separated from his retail shop while also providing an elevated business address when dealing with large-scale distributors. He still maintains a mailing and billing address to receive his mail.