Woodstock & Area Small Business Centre is at 453 Dundas in Woodstock
By
Mark Schadenberg
Whether
your small business has existed for several years or if you have a great idea
for a new business locally, the Woodstock & Area Small Business Centre
(WASBEC) at 453 Dundas Street (539-2382) should be your destination.
I
noticed that small business adviser Christine Smith was the guest on a recent
Rogers TV show Daytime Oxford and her topic of discussion with hosts Sarah and
Jerry Acchione was wide ranging, but concentrated on available grants for an up-start
summer business for youth (Under 29). The grant program is called Summer
Company.
I’ve
written about this resource centre previously, but with new ideas always on the
horizon, I thought it appropriate to look at the grant availabilities.
Upon
entering the front door of WASBEC, two things are seen immediately – tons of
brochures and info pamphlets, and also an entire wall of business cards. The
shelves full of cards of successful local business people could be your library
in finding a mentor for your ideas. A flourishing business requires a Realtor
(me), an accountant, lawyer, technology adviser, web designer, print shop, and of
course many courses to sign up for which teach about advertising and marketing,
social media, day planning, and clientele building.
Guest
speakers and one-day seminars are just one of many avenues to consult with
WASBEC about attending.
SUMMER
COMPANY
While
it’s the provincial ministry of Economic Development & Growth which creates
the grant dollars for the Summer Company initiative, it’s WASBEC which
administers their available monies and decides where the best destinations for
the grants could be.
When
I stopped by the office earlier this week, Smith noted that the local office
has had many successes in recent years, and thereby have actually received a
larger pool of available funds for the summer of 2017.
Read
the links at www.woodstocksmallbusiness.ca and
read the attached flyer, but the many qualifications for the program include
anyone up to the age of 29 who is returning to school in the September. In
other words, the resources are not just a possibility for someone defined in
the under-20 age bracket. Summer Company does require a modestly-organized business
plan, but WASBEC will assist in that process. The proposed business must also
create a full-time job for the applicant for up to 12 weeks, and simply can’t
be part of a current family business.
The
start-up fund does not represent a financial windfall as an accepted
participant in the program receives $1,500 now and could be eligible for $1,500
more in the fall.
The
application deadline is quickly approaching, so bring your ideas to WASBEC
today.
As
a Realtor I use the words Discussion, Determination, Direction, Destination.
WASBEC
talks about Mentoring, Connecting, Exploring and Succeeding.
If
you’re thinking about a summer landscaping job or maybe want to work toward a
career in photography or other services, WASBEC might be a great group to
contact.
NETWORK
BREAKFAST
If
your small business has existed for many years, consider attending the two
monthly networking breakfast events at Ody’s restaurant at Quality Hotel &
Suites – 8:30 a.m. on the first Monday and second Tuesday of each month.
If you have a large existing company and you're considering Woodstock to be a great place to do business contact Brad Hammond and Len Magyar at the city's economic development office and through www.cometothecrossroads.com
I
believe the WASBEC site is currently under construction.
FACEBOOK:
SBEC Woodstock
EMAIL:
smallbusiness@cityofwoodstock.ca
www.markroyallepage.blogspot.com is:
Mark Schadenberg, Sales
Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist
(SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
Independently Owned & Operated, Brokerage
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland
Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . .
Destination
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