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Durham students ready to be their own bosses

Local organization recommends 20 student businesses be funded by the provincial government
May 26, 2009 - 04:30 AM

By Melissa Mancini

DURHAM -- Youth in the region have caught the entrepreneurial spirit.

It's almost summer, which means it's also the start of Summer Company, a program co-ordinated by the Business Advisory Centre Durham and funded the Ontario government. The program helps students ages 15 to 29 start their own companies. It gives participants up to $3,000 to help cover business start-up and training so they can start a business during their time off from school instead of getting a traditional summer job.

Summer Company not only provides cash to start up businesses but also gives the new business owners training and a seasoned mentor to help them succeed.

This year, the advisory centre recommended 20 students be admitted into the program. If all the recommended entrepreneurs are approved by the Ministry of Small Business and Consumer Services, then this year the program will have more participants than ever in Durham. In 2008, the program had 13 participants. In 2007, seven students ran their own businesses while they weren't in school.

Part of the reason for the increased recommendations is the Ministry allowed the centre to submit more viable possible business owners for consideration, executive director Carol Ann Walker said.

But there are other reasons more students are coming up with better business plans, she said.

"The job market has been trimmed considerably," she said. "So what better alternative than to start your own company?"

And obviously area students agreed and seized the opportunity. The program had a 50-per cent increase in applications this year compared to 2008.

Another reason Ms. Walker said she believes the program has grown is the outreach the centre does to local high school entrepreneurship classes.

"We have good partnerships with the high schools and students can utilize BACD resources to create their business plans," she said.

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