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New entrepreneur

Why Consider Entrepreneurship?

To become a successful entrepreneur, you need good business planning,  an innovative spirit, and the ability to take risks. It is a lot of work, but there are many benefits to being your own boss.

You Can Put Your Own Ideas to Practice

Being your own boss can allow you to develop your ideas, be independent, and give you freedom of action, whereas working for someone else can limit your creativity and dynamism. As an entrepreneur, to ensure the success of your business, you can use your time and energy creatively to put your ideas to good use.

You Can Decide on What Type of Business You Want

Your business should reflect your experience, interests, and knowledge. Before you put too much work into your business, make sure that the field you choose is the right one for you. You must consider your hobbies and interests as well as your work experience.

You Make the Decisions for Your Business

Starting your own business can be risky. However, combining passion and perseverance along with innovative thinking can only work in your favour. Self-confidence and the ability to base decisions on previous knowledge and experience can only lead to the success of your business. Nonetheless, respecting the limits of your abilities and having the power to ask for help from experts or your own knowledgeable staff  can prove indispensable to making the right business decisions and growing your business.

You also have the opportunity to establish the policies for your business and give them a tone that fits well with your personal culture and values. This can be a significant advantage over working for another business where you will have to follow policies that may be difficult to accept or compromise your personal ethics.

You Can Choose the Location of Your Business

If a long commute to and from work is no longer desirable, or if your family is planning to move, this may be a good time to consider starting your own business. You can choose a location that suits your needs, whether it is working from home or close to home. Alternatively, you could take the opportunity to travel and visit new places. You may also choose to settle downtown or outside a city to avoid the daily traffic. However, even if you have flexibility in choosing a location, you also need to consider the needs of your potential customers, as you could loose them by choosing the wrong location.

You Have the Potential to Earn More

As an entrepreneur, you have the flexibility to set your own working hours and make the most of your earning potential. Usually, this success is the result of hard work and long hours. If your business is a success, you will probably make more money than you would have as an employee.

However, the downside is that there is no guarantee of salary compensation, and your hard work can cut into the time you have available for personal and family obligations.

You Can Take Part in All Your Business' Activities

Running your own business can be a tremendous source of satisfaction and pride. You will be able to see your business flourish from the moment it was born.

However, you are responsible for the initial investment in your business and its day-to-day running costs. You may also have to do some administrative tasks for which you are not trained, such as purchasing and accounting. Do not hesitate to seek professional help for certain management tasks, and concentrate on the areas where you can contribute most.

You Can Turn the Business Into a Family Asset

Being a business owner sometimes means being able to offer your children and other family members a job to help finance their future. It is an opportunity to teach them valuable skills and spend more time together. Depending on your children's career aspirations, you may be able to leave the business to them when you retire. A family business can also provide employment for other family members who may be unemployed or underemployed.

Still Not Sure?

Take the Entrepreneurial Potential Self-Assessment to see if entrepreneurship is right for you.

If you are starting, expanding or buying a small business, apply for training, mentoring, and a grant through Starter Company Plus.

Starter Company Plus Program

Starter Company Plus is a grant, training, and mentoring program for starting, expanding or purchasing a small business in Prescott and Russell. Here is what the program has to offer: 
  • Get one-on-one advice from a Small Business Enterprise Centre Advisor;
  • Participate in business workshops, seminars or networking events;
  • Explore topics ranging from writing a business plan to marketing campaigns and budgeting; 
  • Talk to a mentor with experience in starting, expanding or buying a small business; and
  • Apply for a grant of up to $5,000. 

Eligibility

Here are the eligibility criteria for this program:

  • Be 18 or older at the time of application;
  • Propose a new business, expand an existing business, or buy a business in Ontario;
  • Not attend school full time nor return to school;
  • Be a resident of Ontario and Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
  • Not be enrolled in other provincial employment or self-employment related programs that may or may not include financial assistance;
  • Not be enrolled in other professional training and funding programs for the self-employed offered by government-funded organizations; and
  • Not have already received a grant from the Starter Company Plus Program.

For more information about this program,  please visit the website of the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

To be part of the program

The next application period will be launched in the summer of 2025. If you have any questions, please contact Liza Langevin by phone at 613-675-4661 or by email [email protected]. Please note that spaces are limited.

Recipients of the 2024-25 Starter Company Plus program

$40,000 in Grants for Local Business Owners

The Prescott and Russell Entrepreneurship Centre is proud to present the eight recipients of grants from the 2024-25 Starter Company Plus program:

  • Marc Dion – Marc of-all-Trades (Russell);
  • Valérie Bédard – Studio Paramédical (Hawkesbury);
  • Guy Mayer – Mayer Industrial Warriors (Hawkesbury);
  • Donna Guerin – Le Saphir esthétique (L’Orignal);
  • Laura Beauchesne – Soil & Green (Vankleek Hill);
  • Edwige Agoi Colette Ainhin – IEI Collections (Wendover);
  • Kelly Bragg – Ruby Treats (Alfred); and
  • Jordan Brookes – Digital Memoirs Canada (St-Isidore).

For further information, please consult the press release.

Summer Company Program for Students

With the Summer Company Program, you can get:

  • Start-up funds of up to $3,000 to launch a new summer business; and
  • Advice and mentoring from local business leaders to help get your business up and running.

Learning to run your own student business is one of the best summer jobs you can have. You get to the chance to be your own boss while learning the skills required to manage a business. Sales, marketing, invoicing, bookkeeping, customer relations, and networking are just a few of the highly useful skills you will learn.

Eligibility

You could be eligible, if you:

  • Attend a high school, a college or a university;
  • Live in Ontario;
  • Are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
  • Are between 15 and 29 years old (if under 18, a parent or guardian must sign the agreement);
  • Are not already running a business;
  • Are not working at another job or going to school for more than 12 hours a week during the program; and
  • Are returning to school after the program.

Please note that previous recipients of Summer Company grants are not eligible. For more information, please visit the website of the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

To be part of the program

The application period for the Summer 2025 cohort is now closed. The application deadline was May 17, 2025. Spaces are limited and fill up quickly, so we encouraged you to apply as soon as possible by completing the admission form for the Summer Company Program.

For any questions, please contact Liza Langevin at 613-675-4661 or by email at [email protected].

Recipients of Summer Company 2024

LEVAC RENOVATION - WILLIAM FISET

William Fiset, along with his two friends Jolan Nadeau and Alex Levac, started a small renovation business, Levac Renovation. All students from the Embrun area, they joined forces to offer construction services. Resourceful and unafraid of a job well done, the three students have distinguished themselves through their renovation skills and strong work ethic.

HERO EXPERT - ÉLISSA HOULE

Élissa Houle is a 22-year-old student from L’Orignal. Covering the entire Prescott and Russell region, Élissa has enjoyed great success this summer with her in-home swimming lessons. The goal of her company, Hero Expert, is to teach young people essential skills so they can swim safely. With her certifications, she has provided an important service to the community by teaching children as well as people with special needs. She will continue to offer her services next summer and is already thinking of expanding her business due to high demand.

MASSCLEAN - JACOB MASSICOTTE

Jacob Massicotte is an 18-year-old student from Hawkesbury. Entrepreneurial by nature, Jacob launched a small residential and commercial window cleaning business. His company, MassClean, has been successful, thanks to a contract to clean windows in some local schools. Jacob has equipped himself with quality equipment to achieve better results.

THE WOOD NOOK - BENJAMIN PARENT

Benjamin Parent is a 16-year-old student from East Hawkesbury with a passion for crafts. Skilled with his hands, he began making wooden objects and furniture at home. Proud to serve his community with his small business, The Wood Nook, Benjamin has distinguished himself through his originality and creativity.

ALL CLEAN CARS CLUB - PALACE PETE

Palace Pete is a 19-year-old from Vankleek Hill and a car enthusiast. With an eye for cleanliness, he started a small business offering car detailing services. He provides interior and exterior vehicle cleaning services. Palace is proud of the quality of his services when his customers are pleased. Despite his return to school, he will continue his small business called All Clean Cars Club.

DOG WAUGHKERS - DAHLIANNE WAUGH

Dahlianne Waugh is an 18-year-old student from Clarence Creek. Passionate about animals and their well-being, she will be studying veterinary medicine in 2024. Her love of animals gave her the idea of starting a dog-walking business, Dog Waughkers. Dahlianne persevered over the summer and was able to diversify her services by adding pet sitting.

Summer Company 2024 photo