CNW Group | ONTARIO MINISTRY OF SMALL BUSINESS AND = CONSUMER SERVICES | Ontario Helps Students Start Their Own = Business

Attention News Editors:

Ontario Helps Students Start Their Own Business

    <<
    McGuinty Government's Summer Company Program Provides Opportunities =
For
    Youth
    >>

    TORONTO, Feb. 24 /CNW/ -

    NEWS

    Ontario students, who hope to find a summer job they love, will have =
a
chance to be their own boss this summer thanks to the Summer Company =
program.
    Summer Company is a unique program which assists young entrepreneurs =
with
starting and running their own eight to 12-week business over the =
summer. The
program provides practical hands-on business training, mentoring and the
essential business skills they need to thrive. The government expects to
accept between 300-400 students into the program in 2009.

    <<
    Key elements of the Summer Company program are:
    -   Students between the ages of 15 and 29 are qualified to apply
    -   Students can receive up to $1,500 at the start, and up to an
        additional $1,500 on successful completion of the program
    -   Application
        (htt=
p://www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/youth_summerco_en.jsp)
        deadline is May 4, 2009 (or earlier if the program is
        oversubscribed).
    >>

    QUOTES

    "Summer Company gives our young people the practical, hands-on =
knowledge
and experience they need to view entrepreneurship as an attractive and =
viable
career choice," said Harinder Takhar, Minister of Small Business and =
Consumer
Services (h=
ttp://www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/about_bio_takhar_en.jsp).
    "Summer Company was a great opportunity to help turn my business =
idea
into a reality," said Joseph Moncada, a 2006 program participant and =
current
owner of the Sweet Tooth Candy Emporium network. "It introduced me to =
new
marketing connections that have endured. I am proud to have been part of =
a
leading youth entrepreneurship program such as Summer Company."
    "I don't think there has ever been a better time for programs like =
Summer
Company," said Carol Ann Walker, Executive Director of Business Advisory
Centre Durham in Oshawa. "We're seeing a tremendous increase in interest =
from
youth this year. I think they realize that Summer Company has a lot to =
offer
besides the funding."

    <<
    QUICK FACTS

    -   Students who participated in the program from 2001-2006 =
generated an
        estimated $11.4M in revenue in 2007
    -   Summer Company program has supported almost 2,000 students since =
2001
    -   In 2008, a record number of 368 students completed the program
    -   Small and medium-sized businesses represent 99 per cent of all
        businesses in Ontario.

    LEARN MORE

    Summer Company interviews and B-roll clips
    (http://cnw.pa=
thfireondemand.com/viewpackage.action;jsessionid
    =3DAC6922A28AB0A174E652A996A47B0437?packageid=3D144)
    are available.

    Read Summer Company Yearbooks
    http://www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/youth_summerco_yearbook_en.j=
sp
    and success stories.
    http://www.ontariocanada.com/ontcan/sbe/en/youth_summerco_succes=
s_en.jsp

    Find out about the Ontario government's other youth programs.
    http://www.youthjobs.gov.on.ca/<=
/A>

    =
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=

                                              =
ontario.ca/small-business-news
                                                      Disponible en =
fran=E7ais


    BACKGROUNDER

                         SUMMER COMPANY PROGRAM 2009

    The Summer Company program gives students the chance to run their =
own
business with limited risk and the potential to earn and learn more than =
they
would at another summer job. With Summer Company, students create their =
own
job that no one else can apply for.

    ELIGIBILITY

    -   Students between 15 and 29 years old as of April 30, 2009
    -   Must be currently a student and returning to school in the fall =
of
        2009
    -   Proposing a new sole proprietorship or corporation in Ontario =
that
        they plan to operate independently from relatives
    -   Cannot be a previous recipient of Summer Company funding
    -   Go to Summer Company website
        (htt=
p://www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/youth_summerco_en.jsp)
        for more detailed eligibility criteria.

    SELECTION PROCESS

    -   Students are selected through a competitive process - =
applications
        reviewed and evaluated by their local program provider and the =
local
        business mentoring group (successful business people who =
volunteer to
        assist students in making their summer experience a reality)
    -   Program provider can be either a Small Business Enterprise =
Centre or
        a non-profit organization delivering the Summer Company program =
in
        each area
    -   Business plan must be submitted with application
    -   Students can contact the program provider at any time during the
        application process and get help with their application
    -   About 300-400 students will be accepted in 2009
    -   Application
        (htt=
p://www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/youth_summerco_en.jsp)
        deadline is May 4, 2009 (or earlier if the program is full).

    AFTER BEING ACCEPTED

    -   Once students are accepted to the program, they receive an award =
of
        up to $1,500 in early summer to help with business start-up =
costs,
        and up to $1,500 in the fall after successfully completing the
        program and returning to school
    -   Students receive a minimum of 12 hours of hands-on business =
training
        from the Ministry of Small Business and Consumer Services' =
program
        providers, plus a mentor to offer advice on running the business
    -   Students must run their business for a minimum of eight weeks. =
For
        Summer Company administration purposes, businesses end before =
Labour
        Day.

    WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP

    -   Summer Company is co-ordinated and delivered through Ontario's
        network of 57 Small Business Enterprise Centres (SBECs)
        (ht=
tp://www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/st_sbec_loc_en.jsp)and five
        non-profit organizations across the province.

    OTHER YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS IN ONTARIO

    -   There are a number of youth entrepreneurship programs for young
        entrepreneurs in Ontario, including: Summer Company
        (htt=
p://www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/youth_summerco_en.jsp),
        Future Entrepreneurs
        (http:=
//www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/youth_future_en.jsp), the
        Ontario Secondary School Business Plan Competition
        (h=
ttp://www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/youth_schoolcomp_en.jsp),
        Ontario Global Edge
        (h=
ttp://www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/youth_global_en.jsp)and Youth
        Entrepreneurship Partnerships
        http://www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/en/youth_partnerships_orgs_en.j=
sp
    -   Summer Company is part of the government's Youth Opportunities
        Ontario. For information on other youth programs, visit Youth
        Opportunities Ontario (http://youthjobs.gov.on.ca/e=
ng.html).

    SUMMER COMPANY 2008 PARTICIPANTS SPEAK OUT

    A recent survey showed that 99 per cent of Summer Company =
participants
would recommend the program to a fellow student. Here's why:

    "Summer Company is a great opportunity to get mentorships. And =
you're
    working with other entrepreneurs, so you get a support network. =
You're
    not alone. You can share stories and experiences."
    -   Anthony Condello, home painting business, Hamilton

    "The staff at the business advisory centre asked me what sort of =
mentor I
    would like. Then they went out and got Jeff Zakoor, a professor in =
sports
    management at Durham College. He's an expert, and he was always =
there
    when I needed advice. It was great."
    -   Matthew Bourgeois, goaltending school, Durham

    "The people at the business centre in Guelph were very helpful to =
us.
    Their encouragement and advice was crucial. We learned a lot, and =
the
    money I made was a big help for school this year."
    -   Nita Heeg, produce delivery business, Guelph

    "The start-up money was very important for my business. I had to pay =
in
    advance to attend the craft shows, pay for insurance, and buy a =
banner
    and a tent. And of course I had to buy my raw materials, fabric and
    glass, to make the jewellery."
    -   Jen Van Herten, custom jewellery business, London

    "I met my best customer at a Summer Company meeting, where the =
students
    share issues and ideas. She was running a drama camp through Summer
    Company, and I supplied her with costumes all summer. It was great! =
I
    even got to make a Shrek costume."
    -   Rebekah Weisz, custom costume business, North Bay

    "It's a very productive program in terms of creating entrepreneurs.
    Eleven of my 12 Summer Company students from 2008 are going ahead =
with
    their businesses."
    -   Kristel Manes, Small Business Advisor, Guelph-Wellington =
Business
        Enterprise Centre

    "Summer Company has a lot to offer besides the funding. The =
one-on-one
    training and education they get from our staff and the mentors will =
help
    them build the life skills they need for any career path."
    -   Carol Ann Walker, Executive Director, Business Advisory Centre =
Durham

    =
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=

                                              =
ontario.ca/small-business-news
                                                      Disponible en =
fran=E7ais
    >>

For further =
information: Sarbjit Kaur, Minister's Office, (416)
326-1949; Sue Carroll, Communications Branch, (416) 326-7480