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Beyond the Lemonade Stand: How to Help Your Kids Start a Summer Business
By: Michelle Fabio
Source: www.legalzoom.com
With hot weather and months without school just around the corner, now is the time to start thinking about how to help your kids start a summer business.
Why should you encourage summer businesses? What are some good businesses for kids? What can you do to get them started?
Why should my kids have a summer business?
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Celebrating Young Entrepreneurs
Since the early 1990s, entrepreneurship has rapidly been gaining popularity as a viable career option for Canadian youth. A Royal Bank-Angus Reid survey showed that 32 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 35 preferred entrepreneurship to any other career choice and twenty-nine percent expected they would be self-employed within five years. While entrepreneurship is cited as a desirable profession by so many, a number of barriers stand in the way of young people becoming successful business owners. The Ontario Government provides youth with programs that may help overcome some of these barriers.
Two initiatives featured in this newsletter are: Ontario Secondary School Business Plan Competition and Summer Company Program.
Students benefit by participating because the qualities needed by entrepreneurs are also qualities key to success in any work situation.
Your newsletter team |
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Advanced Business Seminar Series
OUTTHINK THE COMPETITION!
with Kaihan Krippendorff, author and business strategist of Kai Method via webinar and facilitated by Itza Acosta from the Small Business Centre
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 
* Learn the 5 stages of innovation and how to create effective & measurable strategies
* Discover how to generate untapped strategic creativity in yourself, your employees and clients
* Identify innovative opportunities within your own business and clients
Attendees will be able to produce a positive bottom-line impact and outthink the competition
Time: 9:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Location: Small Business Centre
Address: 316 Rectory Street., 3rd Floor map
Cost: $25.00 + GST
Deadline to register: Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Click here for more information or to register for the session. |
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 Charity BBQ at Junior Achievement
Wednesday September 2nd, 2009
Enjoy great food, make new contacts, meet with friends and support our local youth.
Location: Junior Achievement
Address: 15 Wharncliffe Rd. N., London (Print Map)
Cost: $5.00 (cash at the door)
Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
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High School BizPlan Competition 
The London Small Business Centre, in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, has once again challenged the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship in London's youth by hosting the Seventh Annual High School Business Plan Competition. The competition was open to all high school students in London and surrounding area. Resources and assistance were available from the Small Business Centre to create and enhance students' business planning skills.
The top 10 Business plan writers were invited to an awards ceremony held at the Delta London Armouries on July 9, 2009, where the winners were announced. The 1st place winner received $1000 and will compete for the regional prize of $1000. The winner of the regional final will compete for the provincial prize of $1500.
1st Place Winner - David Currie of Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School
David's winning business plan was for Shiretown Golf & Country Club, a unique 12 hole golf course located near Halifax. Shiretown will focus more on attracting female, senior and developing golfers. They will offer a great golfing experience, as well as, other services such as a driving range and golf lessons.
Photo, from left: Paul Homer (Ministry of Economic Development and Trade), David Currie (1st place winner), and Matt Churchill (Sheffar Potter Muchan).
2nd Place Winner - Paola Ramirez, Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School
Paola's plan for Linguistic House revolves around a simple idea: learning a language should be fun, easy and effective. Paola will tutor clients in languages such as English, French, Spanish and Italian.
3rd Place Winner - Sara Crisante, Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School
Sara's business plan is for Voyager Buffet. The mission of her business is to embrace multiculturalism, while providing the most diverse all-day buffet in London.
Remaining finalists included:
Larissa Burmatoff, South Secondary - L.B's Accounting Solutions
Aaron Burns, South Secondary - Global Auto Search Inc.
Charlotte Crombeen, Mother Teresa - One Step Wellness Centre
Carlin Dinkel and Rima Meddoui, Westminster S.S - Carlima's Home Cooked Meals
Chanelle Farina, Mother Teresa - Kaya Yoga
Jennifer Stuber, Sir Wilfrid Laurier - Jennifer Stuber Photography
Congratulations to all of this year's finalists. Thank you to all who participated.
2009 High School BizPlan Competition was sponsored by:
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 Summer Company Program
This program provides hands-on business training and mentoring - together with awards of up to $3,000 - to help enterprising young people (full-time students aged 15-29) start up and run their own summer business. It is a competitive program with a limited number of awards each year.
This year, there were 10 recipients
in London and area. One of the students was also a finalist in the 2009 High School BizPlan competition.
Those granted a Summer Company award this year are:
Danielle Adam - Barefoot Dance Company
Barefoot Dance Company is dedicated to making any event a lasting  memory. The only entertainment company in London specializing in providing professional belly dance, Hawaiian dance and gypsy dance artists. Barefoot also provides Princesses, Kings and fortune tellers for those special occasions.
Mo El-Aloul - Turf Shield Organics
Turf Shield Organics specializes in holistic organic lawn care.  They take a systematic, eco-friendly approach to lawn care that is safe for your children, pets, neighbors and most importantly the environment.
Heidi Herring - PortraitGardens
PortraitGardens provides a full range of garden care services from garden and landscape designs to weeding and plant care. Ron Jenkins - Spray N SealSprayNSeal easily and quickly restores damaged asphalt driveways. Renewing and protecting this key area of your home is a quick, low cost way to improve the appearance and value of your property.
Jamal Jomaa - InView Window Cleaning
InView Window Cleaners caters to busy London and area homeowners. Using a special water beading solution that keeps windows cleaner for a longer period of time most windows only need re-cleaning every 2 years.
Nicholas McDonald - BackyardCuisine
BackyardCuisine, is an outdoor gourmet grilling experience offering a fully  localized, seasonal and, where possible, organic menu. Serving the London-to-Toronto area, the service is ideal for entertaining guests, out of office get-togethers, or simply, for the times no one in the family feels like cooking.
Nathan Penhearow - Pen Photos
Pen Photos focuses on small businesses events and personalized portraits. With top end photography gear, lighting, advanced photo retouching, experience and creativity, you will end up with beautifully artistic and compelling images that everyone will be commenting on.
Jennifer Stuber Photography
Jennifer Stuber Photography offers photography services from individual portraits to birthday parties and weddings. Jennifer will capture those precious  moments of your newborn, best times with your best friend, and everlasting moments with your everlasting love.
Andrew Thompson - Sunova WaterSports
Sunova WaterSports offers 30-minute individual wakeboard and water-skiing lessons for novices during the months of June, July and August at Lakeside, Ontario, 30 minutes  northeast of London. Boards, skis, lifejackets, helmets and other equipment are supplied.
Geoff Vanstone - LondonCity Exteriors
London City Exteriors is a full service landscaping and home exteriors enterprise. They take pride in providing the comfort and tranquility you expect at an affordable rate.
If you'd like to contact any of these businesses visit the Summer Company page on our website to learn more. | |
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| London Small Business Centre | 316 Rectory St. | 3rd Floor | London | Ontario | N5W 3V9 | Canada |
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