​Three local entrepreneurs get boost from Starter Company Plus program

Three local entrepreneurs are among the seven in Bruce County who received business training and a collective financial boost of $35,000, thanks to the Starter Company Plus program offered by Bruce County economic development.

Funded by the Government of Ontario and administered by the county, Starter Company Plus provides aspiring or experienced entrepreneurs in the county with eight weeks of business training to help them launch a new business or expand an existing one.

The program provides business training, mentoring and grant opportunities up to $5,000 for eligible participants to launch a new business or expand an existing business in the county.

To participate in the Starter Company Plus program, each entrepreneur needs to successfully:
 

• Complete an eight-week training program, including mentorship and workshops
• Complete a business plan
• Perform a cash flow analysis
• Present a business pitch to the grant review committee

“The Starter Company Plus Program presents a remarkable opportunity for both new and established business owners, enhancing our community’s economic growth,” says Jeffrey Loney, Bruce County’s manager of economic development. “This program nurtures collaboration among budding entrepreneurs and provides invaluable access to funding, local business experts, resources and services.”

Congratulations to the seven grant recipients of the program:
 

• Laura Hackett - Revive and Heel - Lucknow
• Tori Hamilton - Attuned Therapy + Wellness - Kincardine
• Will Haney - Northern Sustainable Farms - Tiverton
• Robert Blank – Artefact Landscapes - Southampton
• Nick Veenstra - Saugeen Valley Media - Paisley
• Cassidy Radic - The WOMB - Walkerton
• Tyler Knechtel - Junction 4 & 19 - Walkerton

Since its launch in 2017, the Starter Company Plus program, delivered through Bruce County’s Business to Bruce program, has provided grant funding to 62 entrepreneurs.

The program is designed to provide business training for entrepreneurs from aspiring to experienced, aged 18 and over in Bruce County, who are launching a business or expanding an existing business (operating for five years or less). To stay up-to-date on programs and workshops offered by Business to Bruce, sign up for E-mails at www.businesstobruce.com.