CORNWALL, Ontario – From farming to Freezies and from filming to writing there were all sorts of new business ideas on display from Cornwall’s future entrepreneurs.
Nine students this year are taking part in the Summer Company program which officially launched on Friday, June 30 at the Civic Complex.
The program is funded by the Province of Ontario and is run through Cornwall’s Business Enterprise Centre.
Each participant is receiving $3, 000 in start-up funding and mentoring from local business leaders.
“We are excited for our young entrepreneurs,” said Candy Pollard of the Business Enterprise Centre. “Each one had an idea and the drive to create a business and marketing plan. Now that school has finished for the summer, they will be moving full speed ahead to put their marketing plans into action and gain customers.”
One such young entrepreneur was Frederick Lariviere, 18-years-old and a recent graduate of La Citadelle high school.
He had the idea to sell Freezies during the summer at pools and events after the success of a Freezy sale he helped organize at his school while he served on student council. He is using his start-up capital to get an electric scooter, a cooler and a trailer and plans on hitting up all of the hot events this summer. His jumbo Freezies will be available for one dollar.
Another summer company had to have their product penned in. Katie Atkin, a 17-year-old graduate of Char-Lan DHS is raising local, organic sheep with her summer company funding.
“The selling point is that it is local and people want to support local,” she said.