• Victor Schukov

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Want to be your own boss?

posted by Victor Schukov at 8h41

In these shaky economic times, it’s nice to know that there’s a one-stop-shopping resource that can help you turn your life around or provide you with an alternative source of income.

The Centre Local de Developpement de l’Ouest-de-l’Ile/West Island (CLD) is a non-profit support centre financed by the municipalities of the West Island, agglomeration of Montreal and the Quebec government. Its mission is to promote the economic growth of the West Island.

Anna Giampa is a senior adviser for West Island Development Business Start-ups, at the CLD in Pointe Claire:

“I work with aspiring West Island entrepreneurs who need help to get a project off the ground. We provide technical support in the areas of feasibility studies, business plan development, market research and general “guidance” and help to develop their project. We are the largest CLD of 18 on the island catering to specific districts.”

The CLD is also affiliated with the Young Promoters program (for ages18-35) by the Services d’Aide aux Jeunes Entreprises du Montréal, a management organization that promotes the start-up of small and medium businesses for youth.

“We can give a grant, normally averaging $6,000 but ranging between $3,000 and $10,000. One of the conditions is that you have to come up with a well developed business plan, which we can help you with.”

Another program is self employment :

“If you are eligible for employment insurance, if you’ve lost your job or if you’re on maternity leave or if you have been on EI for the last four years, you may be eligible for the equivalent of what you would receive on EI under this program, so you can start your business. The goal of the program is that by the end of the 52 weeks you will have created a job for yourself.”

The CLD provides access to a wide range of helpful partners that includes Investissement Québec, Emploi Québec, Canada Economic Development and the National Research Council of Canada.

“We will do the research and help you figure out if there are any available programs that you can use in starting your business. Most people who come here are referred by someone else. Our services are completely free, so anyone who is interested in starting a business and doesn’t know what to do about it can come to us for a one-on-one. We’re here to help them with their business plan and, whether their idea is viable, guide them in terms of financing and introduce them to the range of government grants.”

The newly re-launched Entrepreneurship Seminars & Workshops program covers all the basic aspects of new-venture creation and management:

The daytime Basic ENTrepreneur seminars (BENT) are held November to February (fall/winter program) and March to May (spring program):

Project: Idea Validation, What is Entrepreneurship, Business Plan, Managing the Start-up

Industry and Market: Evaluating Feasibility, Market Research

Legal and Accounting: Setting up Your Business

Business Plan: Writing an Effective Business Plan, Preparing Financial Projections

Financing: Financing Alternatives

Completely new additions are nine evening Complementary ENTrepreneur seminars (CENT) spread out between November and May:

Marketing Plan,

Retail and Service Businesses,

Promotional Tools,

Launching a Non-profit Organization,

Basic Bookkeeping,

Intellectual Property, Contracts and Agreements,

Business Plan Workshop,

Managing Growth,

And each complementary seminar is given by an interesting guest speaker like (the seminar I attended) e-Commerce with the celebrated Don Wayne Patterson speaking on how to start a successful business on eBay.

The complete BENT package of all 10 courses is only $100 or $15 per seminar.

In addition to Anna, there are four industrial commissioners who deal with existing businesses, mostly manufacturing, to help them grow; one deals specifically with real estate, acting as the go-between for companies looking to expand to the West Island, putting them in contact with the property owners, and getting them through the process of municipal issues, permits, etc. The CLD even has specialists in retail business and in non-profit.

Anna, an MBA who also teaches an undergrad course called Entrepreneurship at Concordia’s Faculty of Commerce, says: “I’d like to emphasize the experience that our team has. Whatever stage people are at in their process, we are here to help them. There are new and exciting things happening here, so we would like more people to know who we are.”

Got an idea? Want to be your own boss?

For more info, contact:

Centre Local de Developpement de L’Ouest-de-L’ile/West Island

207 Place Frontenac, across the street from the YMCA

Pointe,Claire, 514-426-2888

www.cldwi.com