Got an idea a new type of road surface to cure Prince George of its pothole headaches?
Or maybe that you've got a new toy invention guaranteed to give couch-potato kids a reason to go outside and play.
If you're between the ages of 18 and 29, you're not working or enrolled full-time in school, and you have a idea that might lead to a entrepreneurial venture, then the Youth Means Business (YMB) pilot program could be just the ticket.
The three-month program provides successful applicants with up to $5,000 to put their ideas to work. They will be taught how to develop a business plan and how to tap into community network contacts to spread the word about their project. There will also be workshops and opportunities to consult mentors in the business for ideas on what would help make each project successful.
The College of New Caledonia will host a Youth Means Business information forum open to the public on Tuesday from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the CNC atrium.
"For youth finishing off their diplomas or for students in university finishing their degrees and they've thinking about a business idea, this is the time to devote to looking at whether their idea is viable," said YMB organizer Vera Beerling.
"We've had excellent support from local entrepreneurs and local businesses to make the pathway for youth easier. We have 10 in the program and another three just waiting to finish up their degrees. If they've had some ideas bubbling, this is a perfect time to explore that and grow entrepreneurial skills."
YMB participants will be eligible for courses offered through the Prince George Chamber of Commerce and Small Business B.C. that will develop their ideas quicker. At the end of their three-month project, each participant will present a business plan to a review committee for feedback.
The entrepreneurial guest speaker list for the CNC event includes Tom Hunter, of Benchmark Automotive Services and an instructor in CNC's automotive services program; Chris Hunter, owner of Reid's Prescriptions; Shauna Harper, a social media strategist for Live Work PG Online Marketing; and Michael Stanyer and Daniel Abraham of Alchemist Studios, who create 360-degree videos for real estate listings.
The program, which began last September and runs through Oct. 31, is funded through the BC-Canada Labour Market Agreement and the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism, and Innovation, and is administered through Community Futures Fraser-Fort George.
According to a Statistics Canada's labour market survey in 2011, one million people in B.C. (46 per cent of the labour force) are employed by small businesses and 98 per cent of all B.C. businesses are considered small businesses, with 50 employees or less.
"The whole reason this was developed was there is an anticipated gap of small business owners within the next five or 10 years as baby-boomers leave small business," said Beerling.
"It's an important part of the economic growth of B.C."
