Youth Entrepreneurship

For many years, Community Futures has offered comprehensive business development support to aspiring young entrepreneurs. Having youth oriented resources is especially important right now given the disruption that COVID-19 has created for young entrepreneurs.

Community Futures is able to enhance its valuable one-on-one counselling and business development workshops to help more aspiring entrepreneurs to assess their readiness for entrepreneurship, assess their business idea, prove their market and realistically map out their business opportunity and ultimately launch their venture.

Youth entrepreneurship support is well developed and tested under the Youth Means Business pilot program and, more recently, the Youth Entrepreneurship Program which ended March 31, 2022. These programs have resulted in many long term success stories in our community.

Thanks to support from community partners like Kelowna Jaycees who generously helped establish the Rene Bourgault Business Development Bursary to help fund aspiring young entrepreneurs ensured that many young entrepreneurs had improved success and support to start new businesses in the Central Okanagan while we awaited new program funding. Community Futures will continue to support the Rene Bourgault legacy by continuing to offer sponsorship to those that need it most.

How Community Futures supports young entrepreneurs:

Aspiring young entrepreneurs can recieve support around early stage business idea exploration and entrepreneurial assessment through one-on-one coaching, as well in-class training through the Opportunity Readiness Workshop, both at no charge.

After early stage exploration, young entrepreneurs can attend the Business Plan Development Program for aspiring entrepreneurs to help them research and develop their business idea, write their business plan, and launch and implement their business. Participants will receive 6 weeks of extensive support and training, both in an online classroom environment, and with one-on-one support to help them develop a comprehensive business plan, focusing on operations and management, market research, marketing strategies, customer exploration, pricing, and cash flow forecasting.

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How do I apply?

STEP 1: Interested youth can begin by calling Community Futures for an intake interview. Please call Ali Brent at 250-868-2132 ext. 224 for more information.

STEP 2: Once eligibility is determined, participants will attend the Opportunity Readiness Workshop to help them assess the feasibility of their business idea and their own entrepreneurial skills and opportunity. 

STEP 3: Participants submit an application outlining their business opportunity and research completed so far. A final interview is scheduled and, if approved, participants begin the 6 week program.

STEP 4:  Prepare to launch and grow your business! 

To get started, call:

Ali Brent, Program Manager
250-868-2132 ext 224
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Participant Testimonials

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"Through the program I was able to build a business plan that helped me have clarity on what it is my business offers and ground my vision into achievable parts...For me, the greatest value in the program was taking the business off of my shoulders and creating something that can stand on its own. I still have a long way to go to create all of the systems and organizations I mapped out in my plan but I’ve kept close contact with mentors from Community Futures to continue the momentum and keep building on the right path."

Maddie Devlin
Gaia Smiles

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"The Community Futures Youth Entrepreneurship program helped me not only launch and start my business, but gave me the knowledge, confidence, and resources to be a successful business owner in my community. The lessons are valuable, and taught by brilliant mentors from my own community, all with lots of experience and ideas to contribute to the success of one's business...you can tell they really care about your personal success and business ideas. From the topics covered, to the lesson plans, to the course materials, this program truly encompasses what you need to launch your business."

Kendall Schultz
BeeCurious Hives

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"Community Futures is a really awesome organization and the youth entrepreneurship program has been a phenomenal experience for me. I've learned so much to start and run a small business, and I'm looking forward to growing my business while improving our community. Not only have I learned a lot but it has boosted my confidence and forward thinking. I really appreciate this opportunity and the fact that it's a local organization is even more awesome!...It's an extraordinary opportunity and really important for someone getting into running a business."

YEP Participant
July 2021

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"The Youth Entrepreneurship Program helped me to take all the ideas in my head, and put them on paper in the form of a business plan. Creating the business plan helped me gain clarity, build a solid foundation to work from, and a direction to work towards which for me, was the hardest part; not knowing where to start. It was also so great to be surrounded by other likeminded entrepreneurs who could empathize and offer support. The program gave me so much valuable knowledge, assistance, and helped me build confidence in my business, and personally. I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone who is interested in starting their own business!"

Kailee Duggan
Kailee McGuire Music

 

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