Can't find work? Make your own

Vaughan

By: Teresa Latchford

If you had trouble getting a summer job, next year, consider starting your own business.

Applications for the Summer Company program flooded in and students from across York Region got grants to help with start-up costs. The application process for the program, which offers students up to $3,000 in grants, business training and mentorship, included submitting a business plan and cash flow report.

Dana Whiffing, 20, jumped at the opportunity to run a digital photography enhancement business, Bear Prints Digital, for the summer.

“I wasn’t interested in having a typical summer job this year,” she said in her family’s Newmarket home. “I wanted something fun and educational, something different.”

Before being accepted by the program, she had to devise a business plan. After some research into what a plan entailed, she submitted it to the region and was one of seven applicants receiving $1,500 to get her business going.

Upon completion of the program she receives another $1,500, which goes toward her schooling when she returns to the Durham College dental hygienist program this fall.

The grant funds were provided to the region’s four small business enterprise centres, which serve all nine municipalities, by the province, small business consultant Jim Nicholson said.

“Before the students are even accepted into the program, we have them working in a business frame of mind during the application process,” he said.

Throughout the summer, student entrepreneurs receive 12 hours of training, during which they learn about everything from bookkeeping to marketing to taxes.

Every two weeks, students meet with each other and business mentors. Students must also keep in daily contact electronically and onsite visits are conducted periodically.

“The job market is soft and it is handy to have a business of your own in your back pocket,” Mr. Nicholson said. “It gives the students a little security if they can’t find a job right out of college or university.”

The Summer Company program not only lets students slip on a pair of entrepreneurial shoes without a huge risk, but also allows them to take away business skills they can use in any aspect of their lives, he explained.

“There have been students in the past who have made $40,000 in one summer,” he laughed. “Sometimes, they make more than me.”

In Richmond Hill, Thomas Brown, 16, found the program by browsing the Internet. He submitted a business plan for Platinum Lawn Care and Landscaping and got a grant.

“I chose the name because when you hear platinum, you think high class,” he said. “Which is what I try to offer customers.”

He admits he revised his business plan six times before being satisfied with the results. He is a person who enjoys being outdoors and many people want to contract out yard work because they don’t enjoy the task.

“I see about 12 clients a week,” Mr. Brown said. “The hardest part of the whole process is getting new clients.”

By troubleshooting with mentors, he has been able to develop a client base. The program let him discover what goes on behind the scenes of a business, adding there is much more administration than he originally thought.

So far, he has enjoyed exploring the world of business.

“It gives me flexibility and I don’t have to work under anyone else,” he said. “People talk about job security all the time and this is as secure as it gets.”

Anita Chiu, 22, of Markham decided to take a shot at making a profit on her ability to design web pages.

She took one course when she was in high school that taught her the basics of web design, but she enjoyed the task so much, she continued to teach herself by reading books and research on the Internet.

“I have enjoyed the process and have learned so much,” she said. “I think it is a great opportunity, especially because of the grants and mentorship.”

After starting Ipacs Designs Solutions, Ms Chiu found it most difficult to market since she had no previous experience. But again, with the help of her mentors and fellow students, she was able to overcome the obstacle.

For more information or application forms, search the term Summer Company at www.york.ca

 

http://www.yorkregion.com/article/40718