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New entrepreneur

Why Consider Entrepreneurship?

To become a successful entrepreneur, you need good business planning,  an innovative spirit, and the ability to take risks. It is a lot of work, but there are many benefits to being your own boss.

You Can Put Your Own Ideas to Practice

Being your own boss can allow you to develop your ideas, be independent, and give you freedom of action, whereas working for someone else can limit your creativity and dynamism. As an entrepreneur, to ensure the success of your business, you can use your time and energy creatively to put your ideas to good use.

You Can Decide on What Type of Business You Want

Your business should reflect your experience, interests, and knowledge. Before you put too much work into your business, make sure that the field you choose is the right one for you. You must consider your hobbies and interests as well as your work experience.

You Make the Decisions for Your Business

Starting your own business can be risky. However, combining passion and perseverance along with innovative thinking can only work in your favour. Self-confidence and the ability to base decisions on previous knowledge and experience can only lead to the success of your business. Nonetheless, respecting the limits of your abilities and having the power to ask for help from experts or your own knowledgeable staff  can prove indispensable to making the right business decisions and growing your business.

You also have the opportunity to establish the policies for your business and give them a tone that fits well with your personal culture and values. This can be a significant advantage over working for another business where you will have to follow policies that may be difficult to accept or compromise your personal ethics.

You Can Choose the Location of Your Business

If a long commute to and from work is no longer desirable, or if your family is planning to move, this may be a good time to consider starting your own business. You can choose a location that suits your needs, whether it is working from home or close to home. Alternatively, you could take the opportunity to travel and visit new places. You may also choose to settle downtown or outside a city to avoid the daily traffic. However, even if you have flexibility in choosing a location, you also need to consider the needs of your potential customers, as you could loose them by choosing the wrong location.

You Have the Potential to Earn More

As an entrepreneur, you have the flexibility to set your own working hours and make the most of your earning potential. Usually, this success is the result of hard work and long hours. If your business is a success, you will probably make more money than you would have as an employee.

However, the downside is that there is no guarantee of salary compensation, and your hard work can cut into the time you have available for personal and family obligations.

You Can Take Part in All Your Business' Activities

Running your own business can be a tremendous source of satisfaction and pride. You will be able to see your business flourish from the moment it was born.

However, you are responsible for the initial investment in your business and its day-to-day running costs. You may also have to do some administrative tasks for which you are not trained, such as purchasing and accounting. Do not hesitate to seek professional help for certain management tasks, and concentrate on the areas where you can contribute most.

You Can Turn the Business Into a Family Asset

Being a business owner sometimes means being able to offer your children and other family members a job to help finance their future. It is an opportunity to teach them valuable skills and spend more time together. Depending on your children's career aspirations, you may be able to leave the business to them when you retire. A family business can also provide employment for other family members who may be unemployed or underemployed.

Still Not Sure?

Take the Entrepreneurial Potential Self-Assessment to see if entrepreneurship is right for you.

If you are starting, expanding or buying a small business, apply for training, mentoring, and a grant through Starter Company Plus.

Starter Company Plus Program

Starter Company Plus is a grant, training, and mentoring program for starting, expanding or purchasing a small business in Prescott and Russell. Here is what the program has to offer: 
  • Get one-on-one advice from a Small Business Enterprise Centre Advisor;
  • Participate in business workshops, seminars or networking events;
  • Explore topics ranging from writing a business plan to marketing campaigns and budgeting; 
  • Talk to a mentor with experience in starting, expanding or buying a small business; and
  • Apply for a grant of up to $5,000. 

Eligibility

Here are the eligibility criteria for this program:

  • Be 18 or older at the time of application;
  • Propose a new business, expand an existing business, or buy a business in Ontario;
  • Not attend school full time nor return to school;
  • Be a resident of Ontario and Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
  • Not be enrolled in other provincial employment or self-employment related programs that may or may not include financial assistance;
  • Not be enrolled in other professional training and funding programs for the self-employed offered by government-funded organizations; and
  • Not have already received a grant from the Starter Company Plus Program.

For more information about this program,  please visit the website of the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

To be part of the program

The Starter Company Plus Program is now accepting applications! To apply, please complete the application form.

Please note that spaces are limited. The deadline to apply is October 3, 2025, or until spots are filled.

 If you have any questions, please contact Liza Langevin by phone at 613-675-4661 or by email at [email protected].

Recipients of the 2024-25 Starter Company Plus program

$40,000 in Grants for Local Business Owners

The Prescott and Russell Entrepreneurship Centre is proud to present the eight recipients of grants from the 2024-25 Starter Company Plus program:

  • Marc Dion – Marc of-all-Trades (Russell);
  • Valérie Bédard – Studio Paramédical (Hawkesbury);
  • Guy Mayer – Mayer Industrial Warriors (Hawkesbury);
  • Donna Guerin – Le Saphir esthétique (L’Orignal);
  • Laura Beauchesne – Soil & Green (Vankleek Hill);
  • Edwige Agoi Colette Ainhin – IEI Collections (Wendover);
  • Kelly Bragg – Ruby Treats (Alfred); and
  • Jordan Brookes – Digital Memoirs Canada (St-Isidore).

For further information, please consult the press release.

Summer Company Program for Students

With the Summer Company Program, you can get:

  • Start-up funds of up to $3,000 to launch a new summer business; and
  • Advice and mentoring from local business leaders to help get your business up and running.

Learning to run your own student business is one of the best summer jobs you can have. You get to the chance to be your own boss while learning the skills required to manage a business. Sales, marketing, invoicing, bookkeeping, customer relations, and networking are just a few of the highly useful skills you will learn.

Eligibility

You could be eligible, if you:

  • Attend a high school, a college or a university;
  • Live in Ontario;
  • Are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
  • Are between 15 and 29 years old (if under 18, a parent or guardian must sign the agreement);
  • Are not already running a business;
  • Are not working at another job or going to school for more than 12 hours a week during the program; and
  • Are returning to school after the program.

Please note that previous recipients of Summer Company grants are not eligible. For more information, please visit the website of the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

To be part of the program

The next application period for the Summer Company Program will open in February or in March 2026. As spots are limited and fill up quickly, we encourage you to apply as soon as applications open.

For any questions, please contact Liza Langevin at 613-675-4661 or by email at [email protected].

Recipients of Summer Company 2025

The six student-founded businesses from the 2025 cohort are:

  • Precision Car Detailing – Plantagenet
    • A premium mobile car detailing service that comes directly to clients’ homes. Félix Bissonnette offers complete interior and exterior cleaning, polishing, and paint protection, allowing customers to enjoy a spotless vehicle without having to leave home.
  • Les Productions Bonneau – L’Orignal
    • Specializing in video production and editing, Zavier Bonneau’s business helps local businesses enhance their online visibility. Whether for promotional videos or event coverage, Les Productions Bonneau showcases businesses in the region with high-quality content.
  • FineYards – Rockland
    • Philippe Boutet offers professional landscaping services for his residential and commercial clients in Rockland. FineYards provides lawn mowing, weed removal, edge trimming, leaf collection, as well as other seasonal maintenance services.
  • ShineLine Cleaning Services – Clarence-Creek
    • Félix Lacelle and Trystan Thomas teamed up to offer high-quality exterior cleaning services, including the cleaning of windows, gutters, and driveways. ShineLine helps make properties cleaner and brighter.
  • Optimum Detailing – Embrun
    • This business offers meticulous interior and exterior car cleaning services. Nikolai Donskov and Alexi Marion place great importance on attention to detail and on quality results, ensuring every vehicle looks its best.
  • English À Merveille – Clarence-Rockland
    • Merveille Kabongo provides online English classes using a conversational, grammar-based, and pronunciation-focused approach. Her business also offers monthly activities to encourage immersive learning and real-life practice.
For more information, please consult the press release.