CHARLOTTETOWN – July 15, 2015 – Nineteen Francophone adolescents from the Souris, Charlottetown and Evangeline areas have just established small businesses to sell a wide variety of products to tourists and Islanders. Their merchandise varies from candies and snacks to homemade toys and firewood.
Thanks to training sessions and grants from the Jeunes millionnaires /Young Millionaires program, these youth learned how to establish and operate their business. Several of them are returning after a successful summer last year while some are trying their hand at entrepreneurship for a first time.
Again this year, RDÉE Prince Edward Island is delivering the provincial Jeunes millionnaires program, which is the French version of the Young Millionaires Program managed provincially by the Central Development Corporation. The program is funded through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Innovation PEI.
The participating bilingual youth attend three workshops learn the basics of entrepreneurship, including business plans, market studies, customer service, quality control, budgets and other subjects. They then have to present their business plan during an individual interview.
Each participant then receives a grant (up to $100 for individuals and $150 for partnerships) to help establish his or her business and to purchase production materials. In early July, the youth start producing and selling their products or services, sometimes with the help of their parents.
The coordination team prepares a list of festivals and events where the youth can go to sell their products during the summer months. In addition, the young participants also identify supplementary sales locations, often in their own neighborhood or community.
Everyone is being encouraged to support the budding entrepreneurs by purchasing their products.
THE SMALL BUSINESSES
Here is a list of the businesses that have been established in various Island communities by program participants.
In the Evangeline region:
• Candies R’ Us (candy kabobs) by Brady Arsenault;
• J.G. Enterprises (duct tape wallets and bracelets) by Joël Gallant;
• Stix and Stones (decorations made with beach rocks and shells) by Mélodie Jordan;
• Juicy Radical Treats (candy kabobs) by Jorja Rae Thompson;
• Bookmarks/Vivre avec les livres (book reports and bookmarks) by Slanie McGuire;
• Lafun (hand-made toys) by Nico Durant.
In Charlottetown:
• Simply Sno-Cones (flavoured snow cones) by Michael MacEwen and Elliott Fraser;
• Cormier’s Candies (candy bags and treat bags) by Ian Cormier;
• The Kook Freezies Shack (lemonade and freeze pops) by Victor Steele and Landon Perry;
• Pleasant Calves (raising calves for meat) by Jacob Doyle;
• Olive Branch Bakery (desserts, water and juice) by Olivia Lewis;
• Cool Me Off (bottles of water) by Donell Lloyd.
In Souris:
• Carson’s Kool Treats (ice cream, yogurt, freeze pops) by Carson Bernard
• Marc and Daniel’s Wood Sales (campfire wood) by Daniel and Marc Chapman;
• Renée’s S’more Kits (trousses de s’mores) de Renée Chapman;
• Delaney’s Fresh Vegetables (fresh vegetables) by Delaney Roche.
This year, the RDÉE has hired Jean-Phylippe Provencher, Samantha Lawther and Danielle Doucette to coordinate both the Young Millionaires Program and the Youth Services Co-op.
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CUTLINE: Michael MacEwen and Elliott Fraser are back in the francophone edition of the Young Millionaires Program with their business “Simply Sno-Cones”, which they established back in 2013. For their accomplishments that they, they won the Young Millionaires Award that was presented during the Acadian Entrepreneurs’ Gala.
For more information:
Stéphane Blanchard
Youth Development Officer
RDÉE Prince Edward Island.
902-370-7333, ext. 402
stephane@rdeeipe.org