Lunch-and-learn for entrepreneurs wishing to learn more about available resources

BizPal and Canada Business services to be explained

WELLINGTON, Jan. 9, 2014 – PEI’s French-speaking entrepreneurs will soon get a chance to learn more about two types of services that are available to them free of charge: those from the federal agency called Canada Business and those from the BizPal website.

The Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI and the Wellington Rural Action Centre are hosting two lunch-and-learns in French – Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 12 noon at the Wellington RAC and Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 12 noon, at the Carrefour de l’Isle-Saint-Jean in Charlottetown – to give business owners a chance to get better acquainted with both those services.

Gerald Arsenault, business development officer with Innovation PEI, will explain the operation of BizPal, a web site that allows entrepreneurs who want to start or expand a business to access all the information and application forms needed to obtain permits and licences they require. This site brings together details for municipal, provincial and federal permits, all in a single location. Business owners now have only one place to visit to access all this information as well as regulations that surround these permits and licences.

Deborah Doucette, business development officer with Canada Business, will speak about the federal agency’s role as well as its free and confidential services for entrepreneurs. Canada Business works directly with Island businesses by, for instance, helping them do research (demographic information, suppliers, news clippings, etc.), suggesting funding programs that are available for their specific needs, offering examples of business plans and referring them to other government departments.

The registration fee for the lunch-and-learns is $5 for Chamber members and $10 for non-members. This fee covers both a meal and the session. To register, contact Jeannine Arsenault at (902) 854-2328, Ext. 228, or jeannine@rdeeipe.org no later than Jan. 24.

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CUTLINES: Gerald Arsenault and Deborah Doucette.

For more information:

Jeannine Arsenault
Wellington Rural Action Centre
(902) 854-2328, ext. 228
jeannine@rdeeipe.org

Raymond J. Arsenault
Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI
(902) 854-3439, Ext. 231
raymond@rdeeipe.org