Business Supports and Services

TRAINING CENTRE

62 Water St. East, Little Current

The Training Centre (accessible space) can be made available to any women entrepreneur who needs a private office for a meeting, a day to work on their own uninterrupted, or host a meeting (the room can accommodate up to 8 around the board table), the seating area for a casual meeting can host an additional 8.  The training centre can provide mount dog professional lighting for video recording if required.  There is access to internet and to TV for presentations as well as whiteboard.  Access to a laptop and printer can be provided upon request.  The training centre also contains a kitchen.  Contact Barbara at 705-368-3114 to book.

 

 

Follow paro.centre on instagram to keep up to date on all the various programs they have going to assist women entrepreneurs.

 

The NOW Program is offering a choice of two HR packages (see below) which clients can apply for. Those whose applications are successful, will then be onboarded with HRdownloads from the time their application is approved, up until May 1, 2026. With HRdownloads, you can find the tools you need to complete your HR tasks and get back to doing what you love.

 For more information please see (english/french) flyers or click on https://www.hrdownloads.com/. 

Package 1) HRdrive and HR Fundamentals 

Package 2) HRdrive and HR Fundamentals and Online Employee Training 

The Brand is Female - Femmes de marque

 

The Brand is Female transforms workplace culture by fostering inclusion and equity, thereby granting women and other underrepresented leaders access to new opportunities.

The Finance Cafe

 

The Finance Cafe Podcast

Feel empowered by the numbers and the stories they create.

What if you could learn how to read the story of your business, one number at a time? What if business finance was less of a mystery?  How would that change the connection you have to your business? How would it shape the decisions you make in your company and how you feel about them?

 

 Applications are now OPEN for Cohort 4 of our Startup Accelerator Program.

Applications are now open for the Startup Accelerator program. Sign up for this 6 week, part time, virtual program specifically geared towards Canadian Women seeking to fulfill their goals of entrepreneurship.

APPLICATION ELIGIBILITY:

·     Be a resident in Canada

·     Be 18 years of age or older at the time of application

·     Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada

·     If there are two or more partners in the business, the partner applying must have a 51% minimum ownership to participate

·     Not be a commission based or franchised business

Click the button below to find out all the information about the criteria.

 APPLY NOW

**Applications close on February 29, 2024**

 

 

Go to www.digitalmainstreet.ca

For Expert Tips, SEO Stragegies, email marketing, Ecommerce for beginners, funding opportunties and more.

NEMI Public Library

 

Technical Skills Development Program

 

The Great Taste of Canada

https://www.culinarytourismalliance.com/great-taste-of-canada

The Great Taste of Canada is a nation-wide cooperative program by the Culinary Tourism Alliance as part of our national culinary and agritourism development and marketing efforts.

We’ll tell Canada’s tastes of place stories by leveraging mobile-first advertising technology Native Touch; first-to-market content creation through Localhood; and a national partnership with the Globe and Mail.

It’s all happening on canadaculinary.com. From coast to coast to coast, destinations, sector organizations, and tourism stakeholders will put their brands front and centre to amplify the foodways unique to their region.

We want you to be part of that.

Sign up today!

 

Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub

The Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) is a one-stop source of knowledge, data and best practices for women entrepreneurs.

In 2018, through a competitive process, the Government of Canada awarded Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) up to $8.62 million over three years to establish the Hub. In Budget 2021, the government committed a further $5 million to support the Hub’s work.

https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/women-entrepreneurship-strategy/en/women-entrepreneurship-knowledge-hub

Indigenous Business Navigator Services Available at ISC

 

Indigenous businesses, organizations, and communities can now access a new service available through Indigenous Services Canada: the Indigenous Business Navigator Service. This new service provides a single point of contact that connects Indigenous organizations and businesses to services and programs from different Government of Canada departments. As a one-window approach, the requestor can simply email navigator@sac-isc.gc.ca including their information and the type of help needed, and a representative will respond and help connect the client with the appropriate service or program.

Connecting Indigenous businesses and organizations with the right services and programs that fit for them, while making various Government of Canada departments more accessible, will help strengthen economic development options and open more windows of opportunity. Read the full news release to learn about the departments involved in this new service and more

 

Innovation Advisors

If you’re incorporated, ready to grow or scale, looking to create a new product, service or process — or just looking for advice — you might be eligible to connect with an Innovation Advisor.

Innovation Advisors are former entrepreneurs who understand what it takes to grow a business. They can leverage their extensive network of contacts to help you find, and take advantage of, all of the government programs and services at your disposal — from financing to technical advice to foreign market expertise.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

 

We’re the virtual assistant business that connects you with the right talent so you can delegate and save time, confident your projects are in the capable hands of our talented virtual assistants.

Our highly skilled Canadian and American virtual assistants can help with:

Administrative tasks such as calendar management, email management, scheduling meetings, scheduling appointments, answering phone calls and booking travel arrangements.

Bookkeeping tasks such as data entry, invoicing and reconciliations.

Social media management & social media marketing such as managing social media accounts and content creation.

Marketing support such as email marketing, press releases, creating content such as blog posts, copy-editing, publishing and graphic design.

Sales & customer service support, and many more virtual assistant tasks!

Whether you’re looking for one general administrative assistant or multiple part-time or full-time remote team members, our virtual assistants have your back.

 

Transform your Next Presentation with these Five Surprising Facts

MAKE YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION MEMORABLE

These are hosted twice monthly – for future date links please go to the calendar on this website

Monday pm (Pacific time) – https://monday-pm-webinars.eventbrite.com

Thursday am (Pacific time) – https://thursday-am-webinars.eventbrite.com

 

 

 

Are you looking for employees?

The Youth Job Connection program is looking for new partnerships with employers!

Let us help you with your recruitment efforts by referring qualified young workers from the Youth Job Connection program.  If you’re an employer and are interested in learning how the program can help you build your workforce, contact us at 705-368-3194 (Manitoulin)

705-869-4113 (Espanola)

Cambrian College Little Current Campus

 

Whether you want to amp up your confidence or presence in front of a group, amp up the organization of your presentation, or amp up your slides, this free 45-minute session could be for you.

BOOK YOUR FREE AMP UP SESSION

MAKE YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION MEMORABLE

 

We are proof a more beautiful world is possible.
We are an alternative economy with trust as our core currency.
We are a working model of regenerative capital.
The collective genius of our community guides us.
We hold space for the circulation and iteration of new methods, bold experiments, and eye-opening discoveries that power our path to the new economy.

Members (“Activators”) choose their own form and level of engagement, and adjust it at any time.

Activators determine the best fits for our Venture program, based on their individual intuition and judgment.

Selected Ventures work closely with the community to get the resources they need to reach their goals.

Our frameworks, stories, and lessons can be freely shared by and with anyone.

 

 

 

Reimagining Insurance

Are you hosting an event, attending at a market or festival and need one off insurance.  I have used DUUO and it is excellent and easy to use.  Barbara.

In a digital economy filled with limitless possibilities, we like to think of ourselves as enablers for a new breed of Canadians.

That’s why at Duuo we’re always striving for that perfect mix of innovation and simplicity.

Our goal is to make purchasing insurance the easiest item to cross off your to-do list. With our digital, on-demand insurance platform, we’re making it easy to purchase a broad range of insurance products in minutes.

Get out there and be bold! We’ll provide the peace of mind.

LINK TO DUUO WEBSITE

 

Business Benefits Finder

 

Find the right programs and services, whether you’re starting out or scaling up.

A series of easy drop down selection boxes to get you to what you need

LINK

Ontario Business Registry

 

 

Overview

Online government services are critical, not only to individual citizens, but also to businesses and not-for-profit corporations of all sizes.

To serve Ontario better, we are launching the Ontario Business Registry, which will offer simpler, faster, and more convenient access for organizations that are registered, incorporated or licensed to carry on business in Ontario.

This new online registry will be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and will make it easy to interact with the government. Businesses and not-for-profit corporations will be able to complete over 90 transactions through the new online registry, including registering a new business and dissolving an existing one.

Sign up and stay up to date with information about the new business registry.

Sign up

 

10-Week Farm to Retail Program

Community Garden

The aim of this 10-class program is to provide entrepreneurs who may also be small or medium-sized farmers and food product owners the knowledge, skills and networking opportunities to turn their recipes into retail-ready products.

Learning Objectives:

  • Develop the skills and knowledge of how to turn a small-batch recipe into a scalable recipe for large-scale production, for retail sale
  • Explore opportunities for and application of sustainable food business practices
  • Understand the basics of the psychology of food branding, purchasing behavior and best practices for building a food-specific marketing strategy
  • Understand and apply principles of food packaging and nutrition labeling requirements as per Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Increase understanding of principles of food safety and safe food production techniques
  • Learn the methods behind scaling a small batch recipe into a scalable recipe formulation
  • Entrepreneurs will leave with the basic knowledge to be able to finance, package, label, brand and market their own food product.

Program Delivery:

This is a live (never pre recorded) workshop held completely online via Zoom. Each class is 2.5 hours in length and can run for any 10 days of your choosing at your preferred time.

 The classes involve live question and answer periods as well as direct interaction between the cohort of entrepreneurs and our food industry expert speakers.

​More Details:

  • Receive a FVP Certificate of Completion!

  • Lifetime access to a private community of food/beverage entrepreneurs with resources updated regularly

 

 

Tourism SkillsNet North (TSNN)

In collaboration with Ontario Tourism Education Corporation, Destination Northern Ontario, Nature and Outdoor Tourism Ontario, District Social Services Administration Boards and Northern Ontario Workforce Planning Boards, Tourism SkillsNet North (TSNN) is designed to identify specific workforce labour gaps, train up to 200 potential employees and match them with available job opportunities within Northern Ontario’s tourism sector.

Qualified employers will be eligible for a 50% wage subsidy up to $5,000 per employee.

Each organization is eligible to receive a maximum of 10 employees.  However, it is encouraged to have as many employees trained as possible.

Unfortunately family members of employers are not eligible for the Tourism SkillsNet North program.

LINK to information

 

 

Women Entrepreneurship Strategy

The full and equal participation of women in the economy is not just the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do.

Studies show that by advancing gender equality and women’s participation in the economy, Canada could add up to $150 billion in GDP. Only 16% of Canadian small and medium-sized businesses are owned by women, and the Government of Canada is working to change that.

The government is advancing women’s economic empowerment with the first ever Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES), a more than $6-billion investment that aims to increase women-owned businesses’ access to the financing, talent, networks and expertise they need to start up, scale up and access new markets.

LINK to information

canadian agricultural partnership

The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a $3 billion five-year (2018-2023), investment by federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governments to strengthen and grow Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector with:

  • simplified and streamlined programs and services that are easier to access
  • improvements to programs that help you manage significant risks that threaten the viability of your farm and are beyond your capacity to manage
  • $2 billion in FPT cost-shared strategic initiatives
  • $1 billion for federal activities and programs

 

Click here for the link

Sustain Ontario

Sustain Ontario is the outcome of a two-year process led by the Metcalf Foundation that brought together groups working on food and agriculture issues in Southern Ontario. Participants in the discussion led by the Metcalf Foundation identified a need for collaborative policy and advocacy work at the provincial level. In 2009, Sustain Ontario hired its first director and has since been the unifying voice for food and farming interests across the province. In 2015, after a period of strategic visioning, Sustain Ontario became an incorporated not-for-profit organization. As a not-for-profit, Sustain has the freedom to take action as an independent organization, with the ability to provide additional member benefits, such as advocacy, that we wouldn’t have been able to do as a full charity.

Link to Website

Meat & Poultry Canada

Meat & Poultry Ontario

Meat & Poultry Ontario is proud to lead and grow our industry. Through our innovative services we bring recognized leadership, meaningful connections and practical insights to our members and Ontario consumers. We are relentlessly focused on helping Ontario’s butchers, meat processors and their suppliers connect with markets (and one another) so they can grow their business and our sector of independent meat processors.

Meat & Poultry Ontario is energized by the changes coming. Working with and for our members, we will continue to develop tools and programs that allow innovative and creative butchers to connect with consumers in Ontario and across Canada.

 

Link to Website

INDIGENOUS BUSINESS ADVISORY PROGRAM

Indigenous Tourism Ontario (ITO)’s Indigenous Business Advisors (IBA) Program will assist Indigenous tourism businesses throughout the province to improve sustainability and resiliency and encourage success within their operations. This innovative training, coaching and mentoring model ensures that Indigenous tourism businesses have the support required to survive the COVID-19 storm, thrive post-pandemic, and ultimately increase market-readiness. The IBA Program uses a relationship-focused approach whereby businesses receive one-on-one support from industry leading Indigenous tourism professionals. This innovative program will be the first of its kind in Canada, and will set precedence through providing direct, one-on-one support to help businesses succeed.

foodpreneur advantage

 

 

Foodpreneur Advantage – New Seminars starting!

Foodpreneur Advantage is a regional collaboration of Small Business Enterprise Centres, made possible by generous support from Libro Credit Union, and FedDev Ontario. Whether you are starting your food venture, or ready to expand and scale your operation, this is the place to start.

 

Check out the Foodpreneur Advantage Website 

 

 

Women of Ontario Social Enterprise Network

The Women of Ontario Social Enterprise Network (WOSEN) works to unleash the entrepreneurial energy and capacity of women who have solutions that put people and the planet first. Together, we are redesigning how business supports are provided so these entrepreneurs can build the skills, make the connections, and receive the coaching needed to achieve their missions.

WOSEN is dedicated to equity and inclusion as we seek to support women* entrepreneurs from underserved and underrepresented communities. This includes Indigenous women, women in rural or remote regions, racialized women, newcomer women, LGBTQ2+, women with disabilities.

*“Women” includes ALL women; programming is also inclusive of Two-Spirit and non-binary/genderqueer individuals.

Link to WOSEN Website for more details

 

 

Canadian Small Business Women

Canadian Small Business Women (CSBW) exists because of people like YOU! Identifying that a need existed and understanding how best to access the tips, tools and resources your business will need to make it a success, Dwania Peele launched Canadian Small Business Women to help bridge the gap between your dreams and reality. As an immigrant herself, Dwania knows and has lived the immigrant experience and created CSBW to help pave the pathway to a profitable business for other women – just like her and just like YOU!  

Link to Canadian Small Business Women Website for more details

Rhyze Ventures

Transformational Change for Women-led Business

Push your leadership & your business to the next level

Rhyze Ventures is a custom-designed program created by women entrepreneurs, for women entrepreneurs. We have crafted a balance of in-class learning, practical hands-on project work, mentorship, and peer-to-peer networking to address your biggest business challenges, push your boundaries, and see you through to implementation.  There are five sessions in the series.  Check the website link to see when the next open period is.

Tourism & Hospitality Emergency Recovery

As the tourism and hospitality sector shifts to recovery, collaboration has never been more important. The Tourism and Hospitality Emergency Recovery (THER) initiative, led by OTEC, is working with partners across Canada to develop real solutions to rebuild our sector and attract new workers. THER is actively welcoming new partners to the initiative, learn more LetsGetReady.ca.

Restaurants, hotels and attractions are hiring. Thinking about a new career in tourism and hospitality?
Want to enhance your skills? Need support to kick-start your business recovery?
An exciting career is waiting for you.

Government of Canada

Business Benefits Finder

Find the right programs and services, whether you are starting out or scaling up.

 

Click here for the link

HR Principles for Small Business

“Effective People Management – Valuing Your Greatest Asset is a quick and easy read, but the advice in these articles has the power to help you grow your leadership skills, resulting in a happier, healthier team and an increased bottom line” 

To download a copy of this informative eBook written by business writer Ingrid Vaughan, please visit the Trenval home page at https://trenval.ca

BizPal Ontario

The Permit Finder

Find the permit you need for your business

 

Click here for the link

Start up Canada

We connect Canada’s entrepreneurs with the tools, community, and support they need to start and build their businesses.

We know that Canada’s aspiring entrepreneurs have the talent, passion, and drive to succeed in today’s economy. We want entrepreneurs to manifest their own vision, faster

 

Click here for the link

EXPORTING Learn how to sell outside of Ontario

Ontario helps companies make business connections both internationally and across Canada. We can help your company sell to new markets by providing the expertise and contacts you need to grow your business.

The Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade helps Ontario companies expand their business within Canada and globally. The Digital Export Market Development Initiative (DEMDI) helps new and existing exporters in Ontario use digital tools to continue to create business partnerships and opportunities. We also have export specialists living and working in important international markets who help arrange local business connections for Ontario companies.

Link to the website

Questions about exporting? Contact us at trade.officer@ontario.ca.

indigenous entrepreneurs aged 18-39

At Futurpreneur Canada, we support Indigenous entrepreneurs aged 18-39, helping them launch or buy their own business. With up to $60,000* in financing, an expert mentor for up to two years, and access to resources, we’re here to help young entrepreneurs bring their business plan to life.

Take the first step in turning your dream into reality. Contact us today.

PARO

 

PARO‘ is Latin for “I Am Ready“ – A support organization for any woman entrepreneur in Ontario

Recipient of “ International Peace Award for their efforts in support of women living in Canadian Communities during Covid19”

As we shift into the ‘New Normal,” all of PARO’s amazing programs and services have stayed the same – we have just shifted our approach to delivering our services to you! PARO Zooms  around Ontario giving women money and business supports!”  From access to the GoForth program to ensure you have all the skills you need to run a business, the B2B Database listing for your business, JetSetter and other programs, any women entrepreneur can be assured the support and information they need is available through a PARO Business Growth Advisor.

Paro offers a 3 pillar program 1) Growing Women’s Companies, 2) Accessing New Growth Opportunities 3) Expanding Access to Export Markets

PARO also offers a Wednesday on-line seminar series with speakers providing a series of information and education for your business.  You can check out the upcoming Wednesday topics on this website under the events calendar

cambrian College

Youth Entreprenurship Development Iniative (YEDI)

 

Are you a YEDI, a youth that wants to start your own business? Cambrian College’s has a program available for youth between the ages of 18 and 30 who want to start their own business, are unemployed, or out of school. 

You can register by contacting judy.mcculloch@cambriancollege.ca

 

made in ontario branding

1 year old and 750,000 strong…

Ontario is home to some of the world’s greatest manufacturers, representing 750,000 workers.

For generations, Ontario manufacturers have designed, created, and assembled innovative products, such as cars, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, technology, clothing and more right here, every day.

Support Ontario Made.  Get your Ontario made products listed and branded with the Made in Ontario brand.

NOW program

Northern Ontario Women

 

With only 16% of Canadian businesses being owned/led by women, the Government of Canada recognizes that advancing women’s economic participation in the economy is good for the country’s bottom line and has set the goal of doubling the number of women-owned/women-led businesses by 2025.

The NOW Program (part of LAMBAC) not only provides some funding opportunities but also provides access to free support services.