Jul 24, 2009 - 04:30 AM
By Wenda Abel
If you've got a serious case of the summer job blues (boring job or = no job at=20 all) there's still time to make some cash for the school year ahead. = Start your=20 own summer business. Or, get a head start on creating your own summer = job for=20 next year.
How? Here are a few tips from some of this year's crop of Summer = Company=20 young entrepreneurs.
1. Start now. Tiffany didn't wait until her business idea was fully = formed or=20 even until it looked like it would 'work'. She brought her rough = 'business plan'=20 -- some broad ideas about her business running summer classes to teach = kids the=20 basics of sewing and quilting -- to Business Advisory Centre Durham way = back in=20 September 2008, long before the Summer Company 2009 program was even = open for=20 applications. Her business, Quilter's Workshop, has had full classes of = happy=20 kids eight to 12, from her start up date of July 1. The best way to = start is to=20 get started. Put your ideas and thoughts about what you'll do and how = you'll do=20 it down on paper now.
2. Do your homework. April was passionate about her idea for a = selling a=20 different kind of street food. But, after talking to some people about = it, she=20 realized there might be some special permits and licenses she'd need = before she=20 could set up her stand to sell her unique and delicious Chinese crepes = at a mall=20 location as she'd planned. She did some research and found that the = complex=20 rules and regulations would cause delay in her start-up. After talking = with the=20 Summer Company coordinator at BACD, April changed her ideas slightly and = decided=20 to sell her crepes at summer outdoor events and street festivals where = the=20 licensing requirements are taken care of by the organizers. Voila. This = summer,=20 Beijing Creperie is serving up a very tasty storm.
Before you put your ideas into action, talk to your friends, family, = and=20 other business people you know. Talk to people you think might be your=20 prospective customers. Tell them what you want to do. Get their feedback = on the=20 potential of your idea, what price they would pay, how they think you = could=20 promote your business. Ask questions. Check out internet business sites. = It's=20 called market research. You can start yours by visiting http://www.bossmaker.ca/ for more=20 information on how to plan and start a business. 3. Be flexible and coachable. David, a talented artist, creates = awesome=20 paintings using a special resin that gives them a unique 'glow'. At = first, he=20 intended to sell his paintings and the special resin through his website = on the=20 Internet. It was a great plan, but it would take too long to build the = online=20 presence to ensure enough income from his business for school in the = fall. The=20 Summer Company coordinator suggested he sell his paintings at summer art = shows=20 and arts and crafts sales. David was open to the coaching and has taken = a slight=20 'detour' in his business direction, selling his work in art shows and = galleries=20 while building the online traffic for his website that will provide = additional=20 income while he finishes his final year at university. Art Resin is a = business=20 that will be successful well beyond the summer of 2009. Be open to feedback and advice. Consider ideas and information from = your=20 customers and other business contacts carefully and be willing to change = what=20 you are doing and the way you are doing it. The most successful = businesses grow=20 and evolve by responding to the business environment, and especially the = customers. 4. Never give up. The big festival in Muskoka was supposed to be the = big=20 money-making event for Jessica's Pebble Patch Jewellery. But only a = fraction of=20 the expected visitors turned out for the weekend event. The revenue she = expected=20 for July (and needed to make more product for upcoming shows) didn't=20 materialize. Jessica was discouraged for a day, then put her thinking = cap on and=20 did some financial problem-solving. She's made plans for parties and = more venues=20 that promise to add to her income substantially.=20 Stuff happens, in business and in life. When you hit a bump in the = road, you=20 can always find a way to go over it or around it. What leads to success = is to=20 keep on going.=20 So if you think you've got a good idea for a summer business, get = started.=20 Who knows where the road will lead you? For more information on Summer Company and the student businesses = featured=20 visit http://www.bossmaker.ca/ = or call=20 905-438-4008, ext. 226. Wenda Abel is the young entrepreneur program manager at ACD Business = Advisory=20 Centre Durham. She is coordinator of the Summer Company program for = student=20 entrepreneurs sponsored by the government of Ontario.=20 Recommend :
3. Be flexible and coachable. David, a talented artist, creates = awesome=20 paintings using a special resin that gives them a unique 'glow'. At = first, he=20 intended to sell his paintings and the special resin through his website = on the=20 Internet. It was a great plan, but it would take too long to build the = online=20 presence to ensure enough income from his business for school in the = fall. The=20 Summer Company coordinator suggested he sell his paintings at summer art = shows=20 and arts and crafts sales. David was open to the coaching and has taken = a slight=20 'detour' in his business direction, selling his work in art shows and = galleries=20 while building the online traffic for his website that will provide = additional=20 income while he finishes his final year at university. Art Resin is a = business=20 that will be successful well beyond the summer of 2009.
Be open to feedback and advice. Consider ideas and information from = your=20 customers and other business contacts carefully and be willing to change = what=20 you are doing and the way you are doing it. The most successful = businesses grow=20 and evolve by responding to the business environment, and especially the = customers.
4. Never give up. The big festival in Muskoka was supposed to be the = big=20 money-making event for Jessica's Pebble Patch Jewellery. But only a = fraction of=20 the expected visitors turned out for the weekend event. The revenue she = expected=20 for July (and needed to make more product for upcoming shows) didn't=20 materialize. Jessica was discouraged for a day, then put her thinking = cap on and=20 did some financial problem-solving. She's made plans for parties and = more venues=20 that promise to add to her income substantially.=20
Stuff happens, in business and in life. When you hit a bump in the = road, you=20 can always find a way to go over it or around it. What leads to success = is to=20 keep on going.=20
So if you think you've got a good idea for a summer business, get = started.=20 Who knows where the road will lead you?
For more information on Summer Company and the student businesses = featured=20 visit http://www.bossmaker.ca/ = or call=20 905-438-4008, ext. 226.
OSHAWA -- Thick black smoke could be seen = as far away=20 as Pickering as a fire burned at a south Oshawa industrial = complex. The=20 fire broke out at 1123 Farewell St., just north of Oshawa Harbour Road = shortly=20 before 9 a.m.
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