Online Business Management and Support for Business Coaches, Strategists & Consultants
The Northern Edge Business Solutions is a Canadian sole proprietorship owned and operated by Crystal Coleman. Based near Edgerton, Alberta Canada – The Northern Edge primarily serves virtually based professionals and entrepreneurs.
Crystal has been working in the virtual support industry since 2009, starting as a virtual assistant and transitioning into a OBM role in late 2010. In March 2011, Crystal completed training in the Online Business Manager Certification Program, which was the final step of the transition of The Northern Edge into Online Business Management for business coaches, strategosts & consultants.
Contact Crystal today to set up a Free 30 minute Consultation about your needs, or Learn More about working with Crystal.
Meet Crystal
Your Business Support Partner
Working from my home office in rural Alberta, Canada, I work with you in support of your business. Business Coaches, Strategists and Consultants benefit most from my services.
My clients know me as a project manager, business manager, content manager – basically, I’m the one that takes your ideas, strategies and plans and makes sure they are executed. I’m the “Get It Done” girl.
My uniquely rural roots and small town lifestyle that places high value on the virtues of honesty & integrity are deeply embedded in my business practices. I believe in the ‘personal touch’ and am committed to supporting you so that your business will succeed.
I launched The Northern Edge in March 2009, bringing to my business over 8 years of professional administrative experience in private, corporate and government sectors.
I love to learn! I continually update my skills by participating in various paid and free workshops, webinars, summits and training programs. It’s a part of entrepreneurship that I love: the freedom to pursue education and advancement in the directions that make most sense for my business and my career.
I was the kid with the lemonade stand
Launching my own business has been a life-long ambition. I worked for years prior to starting The Northern Edge striving to reach the point that I could successfully and responsibly become my own boss. My love for the administrative field lead me down the road to a business in Virtual Assistance. While I do have more flexibility in the hours I work than I did as an employee, I work harder and longer than ever before – and I LOVE it!
Confession – I was a terrible employee
It’s not that I lack work ethic; my bosses and managers consistently gave great me feedback and appraisals as an employee. I just didn’t fit into the typical office structure – Monday to Friday, 9-5. I thoroughly despised “make work” projects just to keep myself busy ( or the appearance of such) during slow periods, and the constraints of being unable to extend working hours during times of heavier workload.
Additionally, periodic (sometimes weekly) specialist appointments for my son had me tallying a higher-than-optimal absentee rate. I always made up the time in evenings or on weekends, but it didn’t work within the corporate mindset. The office structure wasn’t flexible enough for me to balance my career and my values as a parent, which are simply non-negotiable.
In October 2008, I chose to leave the active workforce and a job that I loved with the Government of Alberta (Alberta Sustainable Resource Development) to pursue my entrepreneurial ambitions. This change coincided with my husband’s positive career change, and our family’s subsequent relocation to a new, rural community to accommodate his new job. We bought a 10 acre piece of land with an early 1900′s 1 1/2 story farmhouse, and made a new home out in the country.
My decision to leave the workforce was scary, but the demands of my family, including a child with special needs, was difficult to balance with a typical 9-5 office job. The health of our family demanded a slower, less scheduled, and lower stress lifestyle. And I was ready to leave the corporate grind and persue entrepreneurship.
The best of both worlds
I’m fortunate to have the support of my husband who assists me in balancing the needs of my business and clients with the demands of parenting our children. Being at home to support my family is important to me, and together we have structured our lifestyle to support that ambition, while ensuring I have the support I need to run my business successfully.
When I’m not at my computer, I may be in my garden, training one of our several horses, or exploring outside with my children.We are animal lovers and have a collection fo furry, four legged friends ranging from horses, ponies, Pygmy goats, dogs (a Blue Healer and a Catahoula), a couple Coackatiels, and several beloved cats.
My current long-term project is restoration of the manicured/tame lawn back to native grassland vegetation and habitat specifically designed to attract and accommodate moths and butterflies. As a hobby lepidopterist and native plant conservationist, I am thankful to have the opportunity to combine my passions into one multi-year landscaping project.
