Four budding entrepreneurs are getting some real-life, hands-on experience in running their own business as part of the 23rd annual Summer Company Program.
Hannah McInnis, Logan Mitchell, Keogh Scott and Zyler Morningstar are he four Lambton County youth selected to participate in this year’s iteration of the long-running annual program – a joint initiative between the Economic Partnership and the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade. It’s held over 12 weeks.
Participants selected for the program –high school and post-secondary students between 15 and 29 – receive a $3,000 grant to launch their business as well as mentoring and training both in-person and online.
The program’s purpose is to encourage young entrepreneurs to turn their business ideas into reality, providing invaluable experience and relevant information to give them the confidence to create and manage a business.
The young people are introduced to concepts such as marketing, how to manage budgets and how to successfully grow a business in a very low-risk environment, said Chantelle Core, SLEP’s Business Enterprise Centre’s manager.
The aim isn’t to get students to drop out of school, but to familiarize them with the basics of owning their own business so that entrepreneurship can become a tangible alternative for them in the future, she said.
“We want to plant a seed now that entrepreneurship is an option, so that down the road when they’re established in their career and they have an idea, they can reflect back and remember that they can be self-employed, they can start a business and they can be job creators in the community. That’s the goal,” Core said. “It’s a long game the province is playing to plant that seed early and give these youth resources and experience so that they’re confident when they’re at the right life stage to pursue it.”
“It’s really rewarding to watch them grow as entrepreneurs and start to see the puzzle pieces come together about how the decisions they make impact their business.”
While COVID-19 caused major disruptions elsewhere, the program kept on ticking all throughout the pandemic, Core said.
“It didn’t affect the program much at all, actually,” she said. “The only thing that was affected was the meetings and we pivoted to virtual. It actually worked so well that we’re going to maintain it going forward – with the age range and with the entrepreneurs being spread out around the county, it’s not necessary for them to come to our office all the time, so we’re offering hybrid meetings this year.”
Over the past two-plus decades of the program running in Lambton County, scores of program participants have used their training and experiences to foster growth in the county, Core said.
“We have quite a few success stories and each one is unique,” she said. “Some (participants) didn’t continue their business, but the way they’ve been able to leverage that experience to become incredible employees and be really driven and work their way up the corporate ladder because they have that mindset of entrepreneurship, that’s been incredible. In other instances, they’ve maintained and grown their businesses, or pursued other business ideas.”
In addition to running a business and receiving ongoing support, participants will also be able to partake in networking opportunities with other entrepreneurs and participants from past years, in order to further broaden their awareness, Core said.
The program is a wonderful opportunity for business-minded youth and the earlier they apply, the better, she said.
“I would encourage students who are interested in the program to reach out early, even in the winter in February, to start talking about their ideas because the program can fill up fairly quickly,” she said. “It’s a great idea to start talking with us early so we can help develop their ideas.”
For more information about the Summer Company Program, visit www.sarnialambton.on.ca/starting-a-business/summer-company or contact Chantelle Core at [email protected] or by phone at 519-332-1820.
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This year’s four youth businesses include:
My Nurtured Self (Hannah McInnis) – An environmentally-conscious, hand-crafted and poured body care and candle brand. Products are created using raw materials from local Canadian businesses in mind, with McInnis aiming to cater to those who crave sustainable alternatives in their daily routines – products will be available in local markets over the summer.
Zyler’s Lawn Car (Zyler Morningstar) – A Corunna-area lawn care company to help those in need of yard, lawn and garden maintenance including services such as grass cutting, fertilizing, lawn rolling and raking/bagging leaves. The company has been operating since May and will run through to the beginning of October.
79 Below (Logan Mitchell) – A mobile ice cream and frozen treat stand driven through the streets and parks of Watford by owner Logan Mitchell. Providing both a nostalgic experience for the older crowd and excitement for children, 79 Below will be the only fully-stocked, mobile ice cream service to operate in Watford this summer, and will run until mid-September.
KS Lawncare (Keogh Scott) – A Sarnia-based lawn maintenance and yard cleanup company specializing in grass cutting, trimming, spring cleanup and fall cleanup of leaves, Scott started up KS Lawncare in early May and plans on offering his wide variety of services until the end of September/early October.