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Programs aimed at student entrepreneurs
The Brampton Guardian
Friday July 18 2008
By Roger Belgrave, Staff Writer
Top finishers in a secondary school entrepreneurship program call BizPlan included, from left, Anielle Huston, Mayfield; Rosemary Reid, Notre Dame; Tiffany Yan, St. Marguerite d'Youville; Matt Bowman, Turner Fenton; Alexandre Nguyen, St. Marguerite d'Youville and Alessandra Soda, St. Marguerite d’Youville. Missing for the photo was Samantha Gupwani, also from St. Marguerite d’Youville.
 
BRAMPTON - Young entrepreneurs with some solid business ideas are profiting from partnerships between local business and the provincial government.
The Brampton Small Business Enterprise Centre’s BizPlan and SummerCompany programs use funding and resources from the Ontario government and local business community to promote entrepreneurship amongst Brampton’s youth.
BizPlan is part of the Ontario government’s Secondary School Business Plan competition open to the province’s high school and post secondary school students. Competitors are required to develop business plans for a small business. Members of the business community judge plans and winners receive prizes and a chance to compete in regional competitions.
Local winners qualify to compete in the regional finals for southwestern Ontario. Regional winners will go on to compete at the provincials.
Two teams from St. Marguerite d’Youville Secondary School tied for grand prize in this year’s local BizPlan competition.
Alessandra Soda’s and Samantha Gupwani’s idea for Tesori, a jewelry boutique specializing in precious materials with a cultural meaning took top honours. Also taking the grand prize were Alexandra Nguyen and Tiffany Yan, who developed a plan for Miwa Sushi, a restaurant providing authentic and high quality sushi encouraging good environmental practices.
Bramalea City Centre awarded each of the winning teams $1,000 in mall gift cards.
Third place was claimed by Turner Fenton Secondary School student Matt Bowman for his plan for a home-style bar and grill called The Corner of Main and 10. He received $250 in mall gift cards.
Some students are also turning business ideas into operating companies under the SummerCompany program. This is the eighth year the provincial government has offered the program, which gives students aged 15 to 29 hands-on business training, mentoring and up to $3,000 to start and run their own summer business with support from the enterprise centre and members of the local business community.
This year, more than 150 applicants submitted business plans for the program. Eight young entrepreneurs and their ideas were selected to receive funding and ongoing mentorship support: Karl Edmond, Caledon Hills Art Gallery; Danielle Houston, Dani’s Dance Explosion; Chris Heysel, Swim With Chris; Dan Maggio, Maggio Lawn Care; Raman Mann, Sweeps; Martin Mihal, Allcoat Painting; Rosemary Reid, Magically Inclined.
Mann, another St. Marguerite d’Youville Secondary School business student, created a student cleaning service. She and other students at the school involved in another competition would spend Saturdays at school conducting market research and preparing business plans.
“I am incredibly proud of her because she showed up to school every Saturday morning since September to work on this business,” said Business Teacher Diana Prior. “She would stay for hours learning how to forecast finances, methods of promotion and understand her target market.”
Prior said the school has been involved in the competition for the last five years. She has noticed an improvement in student self-esteem as well as business acumen.
“This isn’t just an extra-curricular it is academic,” Prior added. “The students are learning business concepts and applying them to real-life setting, doesn’t get any better than that.”
Mann theorized her entrepreneurial spirit and passion might be genetic. Both her parents are self-employed. Dad is a trucker and mom operates a restaurant.
The independence and idea of controlling your own professional fate is appealing to the Grade 12 student.
“Before I wasn’t sure whether I could do it myself,” she confessed.
Her fledgling business created for the competition and currently operating with five regular clients, is proof she is a capable young woman. According to Mann, she is no longer shy or apprehensive about voicing opinions.
“Before I was nervous to approach people, now I’m not as nervous,” she said.
It has been a positive experience with plenty of challenges, some sacrifice and rewards.
“It wasn’t easy, but at the end it was worth it,” she said.
Regular assistance and feedback from an established and experienced businessperson has also been helpful in understanding the business world, she added. Next fall, the 18-year-old is planning to attend York University where she is enrolled in a marketing program. The teenager has aspirations of owning a restaurant some day.
More information about the SummerCompany program is available through the Brampton Small Business Enterprise Centre at 905-874-2650 or online at www. sbe.gov.on.ca/summercompany.
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