Peterborough Blogs
HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
PTBOCanada Featured Post: The Summer Company Program For Young Entrepreneurs
/
Attention aspiring young entrepreneurs, the Summer Company program is back. The Summer Company program is a youth entrepreneurship program offered by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Trade, & Employment. Peterborough Economic Development has been proudly administrating the program in the Peterborough region for over a decade.
The program provides students aged 15 to 29 with the opportunity to open and operate their own summer business. Students are provided with funding, business training, and mentorship throughout the summer.
With respect to funding, successful applicants receive up to $1,500 to start their summer businesses. They are also eligible for up to a $1,500 award upon completion of the program. The business training portion of the program is provided through a series of workshops throughout the summer. Past workshop topics include: mastering social media; marketing and sales; managing business risk; networking; and taxation. The workshops are facilitated by local business professionals who are experts in their respective fields.
Students are also assigned volunteer mentors from within the community to provide them with support and guidance as they run their summer businesses. The mentors are business owners and professionals who understand the unique stresses and challenges that accompany running a small business. Students are often matched with a mentor in a similar industry. For example, past pairings include: a fire spinner with a full-time magician; a boat cleaner with one of the top 100 boat dealers in North America; as well as a promotional videographer with a media and marketing specialist.
In addition to funding, business training, and mentorship, the Summer Company program offers students several other competitive advantages. Firstly, students participate in the annual Summer Company Program Celebration otherwise known as Media Day. Media Day is an opportunity for the students to interact with local media and dignitaries and to promote their businesses. Several media outlets, including CHEX, Peterborough This Week, and the Peterborough Examiner, are invited to cover the event. Secondly, an article on each student and his/her business is featured on the Peterborough Economic Development website. Thirdly, Summer Company students have the opportunity to connect with other program participants and alumni. The annual Summer Company Training Day brings together participants from several different regions for a day of learning and networking.
Several students have been recommended for the program thus far. For example, Christina Kylie of Stellar Pixels plans to provide website design, re-design, and update services to small businesses in the community. Christina has noticed that many business owners allow their websites to go dormant by failing to regularly update their web content and security.
Christina was initially interested in the program because she is considering entrepreneurship as a career path and she wanted to gain practical work experience. Christina’s business is well aligned with her educational objectives. She is currently attending Durham College for web design. Christina can be reached at (705) 313-5563, admin@stellarpixels.ca, or @StellarPxStudio.
Students interested in the program can apply online here.
As part of their applications, students must complete a business plan, start-up budget, and cash flow forecast. The deadline for applications is May 23rd, 2014. However, students are strongly encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible as viable business plan are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Summer Company Coordinator Carrington Hickey is more than happy to answer any questions students may have and to walk students through the application process.
For more info on the program, contact Carrington Hickey, Summer Company Coordinator, at Peterborough Economic Development:
Phone: 705.743-0777, ext. 2124
Email chickey@gpaedc.on.ca
Website: PeterboroughCanada.com
Twitter: @PtboEcDev
If your business/organization is interested in a PTBOCanada Featured Post Advertorial, email sales@ptbocanada.com!
Watch: New Episode Of Peterborough Web Series "Jobless" Is Hysterical
/In Episode 2 of the terrific Peterborough web series Jobless—watch the pilot episode here—characters Adam and Mike brainstorm potential career paths and struggle to combat procrastination before divine intervention comes knocking. There are some great lines in the episode, which stars (and is co-written by) Mike Moring and Adam Martignetti. Watch for yourself...
Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.
PTBOCanada Featured Post: Hatch Ptbo
/
Many of us can work from anywhere nowadays, laptop and cellphone in hand. As with most freedoms, sometimes the flexibility of contemporary work can leave us craving structure and community. While working at home or in a coffee shop can be a delight, other times it is fraught with distractions. That was the experience of Janet Howse, winner of the 2013 Bear’s Lair and owner of The Work of Art, a start-up that markets adaptable art products for people with dementia and their caregivers.
Howse joined Hatch Ptbo, a new coworking space located in St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church (120 Murray St.). “Being a small independent start-up can be a lonely business," she says. "I tried working at home but the pull of my domestic life and lack of human interaction impaired my focus. I came to Hatch in June of 2013 to try it out. I have been here nearly full time ever since. Being a one woman show, I have really benefitted from sharing resources and skills. The space is beautiful, full of light with soaring ceilings. I feel good every time I walk through the door.”
Inspired by the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto, Hatch Ptbo is the grassroots creation of many local community builders. Opening its doors on May 31, 2013, Hatch Ptbo is an architectural beauty—a professional office filled with natural light, and a warm and welcoming space. Now a COIN social enterprise, it strives to be a dynamic entrepreneurial community which exists to promote creativity and innovation for the benefit of the community of Peterborough.
The office space is run on a membership basis with various options. Some members keep a permanent nine to five schedule, while others drop in on nights and weekends to enjoy a productive space. Office sizes also vary, with some members taking over entire rooms, and others simply using a desk and a chair; meeting rooms, lounge area, and kitchen are shared. All memberships include access to Wi-Fi, meeting rooms, kitchen, office equipment, and best of all, coworkers.
Current members include for-profit start-ups, small non-profit organizations, and freelancers who do everything from programming, graphic design, and cartography to book writing and organic farming inspections. Jo-Anne Green, Employment Development Officer, is the sole staff member running the Peterborough office of Kagita Mikam, an Aboriginal training and employment non-profit: “I really like the open concept space because I like the commotion of people around me and the chance to network and bounce ideas off others," she says. Previously, Green felt isolated in a rented basement office.
For home-based businesses, budding entrepreneurs starting out, or non-profits with short term projects but no more desk space, Hatch Ptbo is a smart option. Its flexible memberships are affordable and low commitment. Shared space is not just about economizing and maximizing space, but also about becoming part of an inspiring community that allows you to function at a higher level.
For more information on Hatch Ptbo (120 Murray St.), visit:
Website: Hatchptbo.ca
Facebook: HatchPtbo
Twitter: @hatchptbo
Email: info@hatchptbo.ca
Phone: 705.743.0238, ext. 203
If your business/organization is interested in a PTBOCanada Featured Post, email sales@ptbocanada.com!
