Community Futures Peterborough has revealed the 21 local businesses that will be participating in the first cohort of a revamped Starter Company Plus program.
The not-for-profit organization assumed responsibility for delivering the provincially funded entrepreneurial training program earlier this year, after Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) announced it would be dissolving at the end of 2024.
At a media event in the lobby of the Venture North building in downtown Peterborough on Friday morning (October 25) at the end of Small Business Week, Community Futures Peterborough announced the entrepreneurs that would be participating in the six-week program. Upon successfully completing the program, the entrepreneurs will receive up to $5,000 to start or grow their businesses.
“The Starter Company Plus program is vital for aspiring entrepreneurs,” said Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith. “Offering training, mentoring, and guidance, along with grants, will ensure individuals have the necessary support to expand their businesses, creating new opportunities to turn their ventures into successful enterprises.”
The entrepreneurs selected for the program represent a wide range of small businesses located in both the city and county of Peterborough:
- Kerrie Davis of Davis Orchards (Douro-Dummer)
- Chris Duff and Ashley Foreman of Duff Acres (Otonabee South Monaghan)
- Amanda Slade of EmpowerMind Coaching (City of Peterborough)
- Jennifer Ducker of Hair Apothecary (City of Peterborough)
- Susan Tung of Hanoi House (City of Peterborough)
- Heather Litster of Heather’s Holistics (City of Peterborough)
- Deborah Howarth of High Spring Trading Post (Havelock-Belmont-Methuen )
- Jodi Forestell of Jodi-Lee Nutrition & Wellness (Trent Lakes)
- Kayla Le Franc of Kayla Le Franc Photo (Otonabee-South Monaghan)
- Owen Walsh and Sam Sayer of Love you, Mean it (City of Peterborough)
- Elena Thomas of On Point Custom Catering (City of Peterborough)
- Zach Washburn of Pies by Zach (City of Peterborough)
- Jamie Seed-Binnie of Scooter Heating & Air (City of Peterborough))
- John Stewart of Showbile Media (Cavan Monaghan)
- Jody Allen of Smash Courts (City of Peterborough)
- Adam Atkinson of Stormlight Engineering (City of Peterborough)
- Ashley Woollacott of Summer Soul Yoga & Wellness (City of Peterborough)
- Taylor Wilkes of Tailored Together (City of Peterborough) )
- Shaoling Victoria Wang of T-Elle Boutique by VSL (City of Peterborough)
- Tiffany Lennox of The Doggery (City of Peterborough)
- Emily Berardi and Tara Mansfield of TE Media & Design (City of Peterborough)
“Over the next six weeks, this talented group of entrepreneurs will receive expert advice in classroom-style sessions tackling subjects such as creating a standout brand for their business and mastering their financials,” said Devon Girard, executive director of Community Futures Peterborough.
“This revamped program has been specifically designed to support these entrepreneurs to successfully start and grow their businesses and we cannot wait to see them soar.”
The selected entrepreneurs represent a mix of both new and existing businesses.
“We are so thrilled and excited to be chosen for this program — such an amazing opportunity for us as a new business,” said Jody Allen of Smash Courts, a 24-hour pickleball court in Peterborough that also sells pickleball gear.
“I know that it will help me grow as a small business owner, meet new people, and contribute to the thriving community of Peterborough,” said Otonabee-South Monaghan photographer Kayla Le Frank.
“This grant will empower us to further our mission of promoting wellness and well-being, while helping to build a stronger, more connected community in downtown Peterborough through yoga, Pilates, and reformer practices,” said Ashley Woollacott of Summer Soul Yoga & Wellness in Peterborough.
Earlier this year, the Ontario government announced it was investing an additional $4.8 million over the next two years to expand the program, increasing the total funding to $6.5 million per year.
Over the past five years, Starter Company Plus has supported over 5,500 small businesses in Ontario, resulting in the creation of more than 6,300 jobs.
The Starter Company Plus program is delivered through the province’s Small Business Enterprise Centres. In advance of the dissolution of PKED, which previously delivered the Small Business Enterprise Centre program for the city and county of Peterborough as the Business Advisory Centre, Community Futures Peterborough assumed responsibility for the program. In addition to provincial funding, the Business Advisory Centre receives operational funding from the city and county.
Community Futures Peterborough is funded by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), as part of the Community Futures Program, to support small businesses in the city and county of Peterborough with flexible financing. Since 1985, it has invested more than $42 million in over 1,300 small businesses.
As the new home of the Business Advisory Centre, it is the first Community Futures organization to partner with the Ontario government to deliver a provincially funded program.
For more information about Community Futures Peterborough, and to download the recently relaunched Business Advisory Centre’s Small Business Toolkit, visit cfpeterborough.ca.
