Entrepreneurship education began this month in four regions across the province. The first program of the initiative, a 30-hour business planning course, started this past week, aiming to provide aspiring entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully start a business.
Last year, more than 1130 new businesses were registered in Prince Edward Island. This area of the economy is growing steadily, providing increased employment and wealth for many Canadians.
"There are many people in Prince Edward Island with great business ideas who could benefit from additional knowledge and skills related to preparing a business plan," said Shane MacDougall, Economic Development Officer for the Central Development Corporation. "This program is designed to assist individuals who are thinking about pursuing a new business venture. At a minimal cost to them, they are guided through the business planning process, gathering a lot of helpful resources as they go."
The entrepreneurship education initiative also includes a series of business workshops starting later this month. Topics to be covered include: Government assistance for your business; Doing business on the Internet; Hiring and keeping good employees; Display - improving the look of your business; and, How to best spend your advertising dollars. These evening sessions will also be offered in West Prince, Summerside, Charlottetown, Montague and Souris.
In addition, the program will also be presenting several one-day professional workshops. The first of these will be held on March 7, 2000 in Summerside. The topic of discussion will be "Making Trade Shows Work," featuring Barry Siskind, author of "The Successful Exhibitor."
For more information on Entrepreneurship Education or to register, call toll-free, 1-877-887-3400.