With Small Business Week quickly approaching, PEI Business Development, the lead development agency for the province, is busy putting the finishing touches on its schedule of activities for October 22 to 27.
"The small business community plays a vital role to our provincial economy," said the Honourable Mike Currie, Minister of Development and Technology. "Our Department, through PEI Business Development, is pleased to provide support to small business year round. Small Business Week is an opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of Island companies and to encourage them to towards further success."
First on the agenda are educational workshops called the "Lunch and Learn" series which is being coordinated in conjunction with Technology PEI. This series will feature three topics relevant to any small business operator: Market Research, Small Business Banking and Fraud. Each topic is being presented by subject experts and will be featured in four Island communities on a rotating basis so that business owners across the Island will have an opportunity to access each presentation.
Presentation locations are the Best Western in Charlottetown, the Rollo Bay Inn in Souris, the Access PEI Centre in Summerside and the Rodd Marina Inn in Montague. The schedule is as follows.
Monday, October 22:
Summerside - The Big Business of Banking; Charlottetown - Fraud and Your Business; Montague - Market Research.
Wednesday, October 24:
Summerside - Market Research; Charlottetown - The Big Business of Banking; Souris - Fraud and Your Business.
Friday, October 26:
Summerside: Fraud and Your Business; Charlottetown: Market Research; Montague: The Big Business of Banking.
Also on the agenda for Small Business Week is a one-day event designed for women working in today's business environment. PEI Business Development is working in cooperation with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and UPEI's Management Development Program for Women to present the Women In Business Symposium on Tuesday, October 23 at the Delta Prince Edward.
The day-long event will feature sessions on E-commerce, Trade and Export, Leadership and Wellness. The keynote speaker for the event is Canada's 2001 Top Female Entrepreneur of the Year, LuAn Mitchell of Mitchell's Gourmet Foods.
For more information or to register for any of these events, contact PEI Business Development (902) 368-6300 or toll-free 1-800-563-3734.