Watch the video above: a new campaign in Saskatoon is helping young entrepreneurs turn ideas into reality.
SASKATOON – Forget the office or the board room, for today’s entrepreneurial generation, coffee shops are where ideas are born and brought to life.
That is where the Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) is taking their latest campaign called “Owners Wanted”.
Experts are stationed in cafe’s providing direction and advice to young entrepreneurs.
“It’s a very unstructured, informal, relaxing, cosy environment making people feel comfortable about actually, you know, putting words to the concepts that have been in their heads so long,” said CYBF Saskatoon Director, Taunya Woods-Richardson.
Landa Houliston started Compass Career Support just last month, a business focusing on career and personal planning for people in their 20s.
“The tremendous mentorship provided through CYBF has really helped me take my idea and put it into something real,” she said.
“Just literally getting that little kick to actually get it going has been really helpful,” she added.
CYBF provides pre-launch coaching, resources and low interest financing for up to $45,000.
The Foundation has helped close to 6,000 people across Canada between the ages of 18 and 39 get ideas off the ground.
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That includes successful businessman Kendal Netmaker who owns clothing company Neechie Gear.
“Right before the time we were on a little kiosk and we needed some extra expansion money to get into the store,” he said.
“We’d been up part time I guess you could say and then we just gave it that full time push,” he added.
According to CYBF by the year 2028, 75 per cent of the Canadian workforce will be made up of so called “millenials” a generation driven less by financial success and more by finding flexible and fulfilling careers.
“There’s an opportunity to do something that you love, something that your passionate about, something that will make a difference and something that will be profitable,” said Woods-Richardson.
Experts will be stationed at Underground Café on 20th Street West on the 13th and 20th of January between 3 and 5 pm.
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