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Burk's Falls space contest aims to attract business

 A panel of judges will select the grand prize winner in April, just in time to set up shop in the Welcome Centre for the seasonal opening
20220107 welcome centre burk's falls
The Welcome Centre in Burk's Falls will be the site this spring for one lucky entrepreneur to operate free of charge for one year if he or she is the winner of a Win This Space competition.

Burk's Falls has announced a Win This Space competition, with the winning participant getting a one-year lease to operate free at the Welcome Centre.

 Potential entrepreneurs need to fill out a Visionary Application and get it into the municipal office by Jan. 14.

 Full details of the competition, including the application process, are available here and when filling out the application, you will be asked questions like describe the business concept, who is the target audience and how you will ensure your business is sustainable.

 A panel of judges will select the grand prize winner in April, just in time to set up shop in the Welcome Centre for the seasonal opening.

 The Win This Space program shows participants how to create a well-thought-out business plan so they can set up a business for success.

 The competition is broken down into three phases with Phase 1 seeing aspiring entrepreneurs asking themselves key questions when putting their business plan together and determining their commitment to opening and operating their own business.

 During Phase 2 the participants take part in workshops designed to turn their concept into a business plan. That completed plan is then pitched to the judges in Phase 3.

 The Win This Space program has been appearing in small communities in Ontario over the past several years with the goal of building entrepreneurship and filling vacant storefronts.

 Burk's Falls is attempting to achieve the same end with the aim of filling its vacant storefronts with new businesses.

 For Mayor Cathy Still, economic development is a priority

 “We have seen changes in our community that indicate we are ready for revitalization,” Still said.

 While council cannot force storefronts to be rented, it can make the job for an entrepreneur to succeed a little easier and the hope is the Win This Space program is a step in that direction.

 “We have created an opportunity that is waiting to be taken advantage of for those who truly want to open their own business,” Still said.

 The hope is that after the winning participant's year is up at the Welcome Centre, the entrepreneur can relocate the business to one of the community's storefronts.

 Burk's Falls is partnering with ACED (Almaguin Community Economic Development), the Community Futures Development Corporation, The Business Centre and the Women's Own Resource Centre to bring Win This Space to the community.

 The Town of Uxbridge is the birthplace of the Win This Space program.

 Several years ago, the community's local Business Improvement Association held the first Win This Space competition with the dual goal of not only filling empty storefronts but also inspiring people to become entrepreneurs.

 The Uxbridge BIA won in the category of "Business Retention and Expansion" at the Ontario BIA Achievement Awards Conference held in 2014.

 The Burk's Falls Win This Space competition is open to any Canadian who is at least 18 years old.

Rocco Frangione is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the North Bay Nugget. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.