Community Futures Peterborough and Scotiabank have announced applications are now open at communityfuturespeterborough.ca/scaleup/ for the 2024 ScaleUP program designed to help Peterborough-area businesses grow.
Community Futures first piloted the program in 2022 to address a gap in available training for local entrepreneurs, since most training was only focused on the startup growth stage. Six local women-led businesses participated in the pilot program, which delved into the topics of financial management, supply chain optimization and best practices, people management, crisis management, organizational design, and good governance policies.
In 2023, Community Futures joined forces with Scotiabank to present a redesigned ScaleUP program, which saw nine Peterborough-area entrepreneurs graduate from the eight-week program in October: Robyn Jenkins of Charlea’s Riverside Gardens, Tracy Logan of Logan Tree Experts, Angela Jones of Lakeshore Designs, RJ Kayser of Flow Spa, Robyn Ivory of Indigenously Infused, Brett Pritchard of The 3D Shoppe, Kollene Drummond of Well Grounded, Matt Anderson of Chemong City Greens, and Jena Trimble of Zen Home and Cottage Cleaning Service.
“Business owners in the city and county continue to tell us they want access to tools and programs to support the growth of their operations,” says Community Futures executive director Devon Girard in a media release. “We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome back Scotiabank as a partner to bring this program to entrepreneurs in our community.”
“We’re proud to be partnering with Community Futures Peterborough to continue supporting ScaleUP,” adds Chris Skinner, Scotiabank’s vice president for central east Ontario. “It’s a program that closely connects with our own values, supporting our community by empowering entrepreneurs to grow their business and reach their goals.”
The 2024 ScaleUP program will welcome another cohort of entrepreneurs this spring for a revamped program, once again led by industry consultant Diane Richard and a team of regional experts, that focuses on building a business plan for sustainable growth.
In a mix of classroom sessions and one-on-one strategic consultations, participants will focus on expansion planning, setting key performance indicators and strategic goals, personal leadership, people management, and financial management. The program will finish with a growth plan for sustainable expansion customized for each participant.
Applications for the 2024 ScaleUP program are open until Tuesday, April 2nd for entrepreneurs located within the city or county of Peterborough.
For more information and to apply, visit communityfuturespeterborough.ca/scaleup/.
Providing small businesses in the city and county of Peterborough with flexible financing, Community Futures Peterborough is a not-for-profit organization funded by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), as part of the Community Futures Program.
The Community Futures Program supports 60 Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) in Ontario — 36 in southern Ontario and 24 in northern Ontario — that offer free business counselling, loans for start-up and expansion of small business, strategic planning on local projects, and community economic development in rural areas.
“Investing in programs like ScaleUP will provide the support and resources to entrepreneurs in rural communities that will support them as they scale-up, grow, and thrive,” says Filomena Tassi, the minister responsible for FedDev Ontario. “Our government’s commitment to the Community Futures Program has helped pave the way for economic growth in southern Ontario’s rural communities.”
