This Friday, nine young entrepreneurs are setting up shop at the Northgate Shopping Centre to introduce their businesses to the community. They will be there from 10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. and can be found in the open area where the hallways meet near Urban Planet.
The one-day event is put on by The Business Centre Nipissing Parry Sound (TBC), a not-for profit organization that supports business start-ups and expansions within the region. The Pop-Up Shop is part of the TBC’s Summer Company Program, which is funded by the Province through the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
Canadore College also sponsors the program, which is designed to help young entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 29 start and run a business over the course of the summer. Each participant is a student, and part of the eligibility is that they will be returning to the classroom this fall. These businesses are designed to run throughout the summer months.
Rebecca Foisy, the program coordinator for the TBC, mentioned that nine people were chosen for the program, which also involves training and mentorship from local business owners. Natasha Snoddon from Northern Spark Marketing presented on the importance of quality branding, business coach Hoss Notarkesh provided information on entrepreneurialism, and Karen Jones of Karen Jones Consulting presented on sales, networking, referrals and pitching ideas to the group. Chris Bevan from Kenney Insurance also presented, informing the participants about the importance of liability insurance.
And now, after so much help honing their business acumens, tomorrow’s event “gives them an opportunity to reach the public and the local community,” Foisy said. “They’re all brand-new businesses, so this will help to get the word out.”
Participants were also asked to create business plans for their new ventures, including their start up costs. Once approved, each of the nine were awarded $1,500—courtesy of the Ministry of Economic Development—to help launch their new businesses.
TBC also keeps track of the entrepreneur’s hours and cashflow charts “to make sure the business is viable” Foisy said, adding that the main goal “is for them to make money” after launching with the help of the program. “I want them to have a successful business, and for them to walk away with a profit at the end of the summer.”
Foisy mentioned it will be nice to see everything “finally come to life this Friday” when the businesses launch to the public, after the students have “put in so much hard work” to make their business dreams a reality.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
