Communities Economic Development Fund (CEDF) hosted a developers’ forum at the University College of the North (UCN) on Feb. 25. During the day-long forum different presenters spoke about their businesses in regards to starting up a business and how they can help entrepreneurs. For the first half of the forum presentations were made to UCN students and in the afternoon there were stakeholder presentations.
Oswald Sawh, with CEDF, says they planned this event to get everyone together in one place. “Our main challenge is we find that there’s a lot of developers, and for a lot of them their headquarters are in Winnipeg, and due to resources they don’t come up north often. I know this day and age people have the Internet and can access information from wherever, but there are also a lot of people that would like to hear face-to-face from an organization, and be able to ask them questions.”
Monica James is the manger of aboriginal banking with the Business Development Bank of Canada, and she was one presenter. 60 per cent of her clientele are from rural settings. James was happy to travel north to show students what they offer. “When you’re speaking to students in the type of audience we had today, being able to make it meaningful to them is what is most important. Finding that one thing they can come away with, and I believe I provided some information for them when it comes to financing, when it comes to dealing with your banker, and when it comes to business development.”
James suggests if anyone is going to start his or her own business to have a clear vision on what you want to accomplish, surround yourself with the right support team and don’t be scared to ask for help.
Leann Brown, with Community Futures North Central Development, also spoke. “I thought it went well. Everyone seemed to be engaged and were taking notes. It was good to have the students learning some information on different lenders and resources out there when it comes to business.”
Brown says Community Futures wanted to attend the event because it’s always a bonus to speak to business students.
During the afternoon workshop, Brown says it was more about partnership instead of teaching what is out there for people starting a business. “We’re going to be looking at how we can partner together and what each of us are doing, services we’re providing. A lot of the banks that were there aren’t as hands-on and involved with the clients as our lending agencies are, so looking at it that way, and then promoting our businesses as well.”
Along with sharing their knowledge with students and stakeholders, James says it’s a way to network with other organizations as well. “When we come to events like this, I see these other service providers in the south, we do a lot of business together, there are familiar faces from the other organizations. It’s important not just for the audience but for the presenters as well, it’s another area to do some networking. It’s nice to come up to the north. There’s a big economy here being built.”
Brown agrees. “We have a good relationship with many of the organizations here, and that is through everyone is in this business for a reason, we want to see businesses thriving and successful people.”
Louis Riel Capital Corporation, Metis Economic Development Fund, Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce, Community Futures Manitoba, Manitoba Children and Youth Opportunities, Entrepreneurship Manitoba, and MAFRD, Futurpreneur Canada, Women’s Enterprise Centre all presented as well.
