Community Futures Development Corporations and Small Business Enterprise Centres
Community Futures Development Corporations can provide a loan of up to $150,000 to start or grow small businesses in Northern Ontario or rural Southern Ontario. They also provide access to business training and planning support. The purpose of these centres is to specifically cater to the localized needs of each community.
Small Business Enterprise Centres offer the Starter Company Plus and Summer Company programs.
Are you an entrepreneur who is starting, growing or buying a business? Through Starter Company Plus, you could be eligible to apply for this mentorship and training program. Once participants have completed this program, they may be eligible to apply for a micro-grant of up to $5,000 to put towards the business.
Summer Company will provide accepted students mentoring, business training and up to $3,000 in funding to start and run their business for the summer. The Small Business Centre will assist you in the development of your business plan and throughout your business operations during the whole summer.
The Small Business Enterprise Centres also provide free consultations with a qualified business consultant, internet and computer access for business research and planning, review of business plans, consultations through a lawyer/accountant referral service, up-to-date, leading-edge information geared to the needs of the entrepreneur, access to current resource materials, including directories, trade indexes and books that entrepreneurs can peruse on-site, workshops and seminars, guidance on licenses, permits, registration, regulations and other forms and documents required to start and build a business, import and export information, information on patents, copyright and trademarks, and mentoring and networking opportunities.
See Partners page for listing and contact information for Community Futures Development Corporations and Small Business Enterprise Centres in Simcoe County.