A financial boost has been announced for seven entrepreneurs in Perth County and Stratford.
The Stratford Perth Centre for Business presented a total of $35,000 to new businesses in the health and wellness, auto, design and tech sectors.
The Starter Company Plus Program offers provincial funding of up to $5,000 for each recipient, plus ongoing mentorship and support.
The entrepreneurs received eight weeks of business education including development, marketing, finances, and branding.
Then they presented their plans to a panel of community stakeholders.
“The $5,000 investment will ultimately help these businesses succeed,” says Laura MacDougall, business advisor at the Stratford-Perth Centre for Business. “The entrepreneurs will use this money to hire staff, invest in technology and expand their operations.”
The Starter Company Plus program will continue in the Stratford, St. Marys and Perth County area through March 2019. A call for applications for the next cohort will be announced this fall.
“The investment the Stratford Perth Centre for Business has made is incredibly important to the local economy,” said Joani Gerber, CEO of investStratford. “Supporting our entrepreneurs directly means they can employ people, buy inventory, equipment and continue to generate prosperity in our community.”
The Stratford Perth Centre for Business is the Regional Grant Administrator of the Starter Company Program and operates as a department of investStratford in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. In collaboration with the province of Ontario, the Stratford Perth Centre for Business is responsible for governing the operations of the Starter Company Program, including: the establishment of a Grant Review Panel, management, oversight and disbursement of all Starter Company submissions and allocation of micro-grants across the wider Perth County region encompassing Stratford, St. Marys and the four lower tiers.