The Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre has announced the 12 local entrepreneurs selected to participate in the fall 2021 intake of the Starter Company Plus program.
Funded by the Government of Ontario, the program provides aspiring or experienced entrepreneurs in the City and County of Peterborough with five weeks of business training to help them launch a new business or expand an existing one. At the end of the program, six of the entrepreneurs will each receive a $5,000 grant based on the overall strength of their business plan and business pitch.
“This group of entrepreneurs are all subject and content experts,” says entrepreneurship officer Hillary Manion, who oversees the program for Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, in a media release. “Many come with years of experience in their chosen fields and are now turning it into their own small business.”
The 12 entrepreneurs and their businesses are:
- Amanda O’Rourke of Belmont Farmstead in Havelock, a small-scale farm and nursery growing ecological seedlings for home gardens and businesses, specializing in heirloom vegetable plants, culinary and medical herbs, and edible flowers.
- Angela McDonald of The Florest in Peterborough, offering fresh-cut flower bouquets with a selection of blooms.
- Brad Carson of Toureka! in Peterborough, a mobile app and web-based platform that allows organizations of any size to offer their event-based tours in a brand new way.
- Caitlin Smith of ReCreate Space in Peterborough, a professional organizing company helping residents and small businesses of Peterborough & the Kawarthas get more organized!
- Dawn and Lea Call of O & D’s Fork in the Road Country Market in Lakefield, a unique upscale shopping experience offering fresh, wholesome, and local products.
- Dreda Blow and Bruno Merz of Showmakers Ptbo in Peterborough, a musical theatre program for children all about making a show.
- Jolene and Shawn Morris of Trim Time in Peterborough, a family-run business offering mobile cannabis trimming and processing at your home.
- Kate Suhr of Voi-sings in Peterborough, an independent voice-over business launching in winter 2022.
- Lynda Todd of Vision Imports Ltd in Peterborough, a manufacturer and distributor of keyboards and mice that can be disinfected and cleaned.
- Patrick and Deanna Leahy of Leahy Farm (final name to be determined) in Douro-Dummer, a family farm that offers locally processed meat (beef, chicken, lamb, and turkey) as well as eggs from pasture-raised hens, with priorities of environmental sustainability and animal quality of life.
- Rob and Denise Driscoll of Northern Cottage Comfort in Havelock, offering cottage furniture and designs constructed from recycled materials, including farmhouse benches, shelving, centrepieces, and seasonal signs.
- Travis Berlenbach of Trip Taco in Selwyn, the Peterborough area’s first and only taco truck inspired by flavours from around the world and offers a fresh and unique spin on a favourite.
“On our first day, as the group introduced themselves, we heard from participants who were not willing to give up on their passions because of the pandemic,” Manion says. “They have adapted and created new businesses that allow them to continue to do what they love while offering products and services to their community.”
All Starter Company Plus workshops this fall will take place online, with classes focusing on marketing and business practices that have proven successful as well as financial acumen and mental well-being.
For more information about Starter Company Plus, visit peterboroughed.ca/starter.
