WELLINGTON,PEI – July 17, 2011 – Twenty young Francophones, aged 9-14 years, from the Charlottetown and Evangeline regions, have just established their own little summer business, thanks to the “Jeunes millionnaires” program.
“This year’s participants are showing lots of initiative and are obviously willing to work quite hard to succeed,” says provincial coordinator Brittany Gallant. “They have a great thirst for learning about entrepreneurship. And after having observed them in action, I am convinced that some of them will become exceptional entrepreneurs when they grow up.”
She adds that this year’s young entrepreneurial apprentices are offering a very wide variety of products: candies and chocolate, bracelets, handcrafts (such as painted sea shells), works of art, eggs and chickens, artificial nails, lemonade and smoothies, and pastries. Some of these youngsters have already sold a sizeable volume of product.
The majority of participants are in the Jeunes millionnaires program for a first time but at least one is in her third year.
Gallant adds that the participants’ parents are being extremely supportive, helping their children with production, transportation and supervision of sales locations.
THE PROGRAM
RDÉE Prince Edward Island is again this year delivering the provincial Jeunes millionnaires program, the French component of the Young Millionaires program, which is managed by Central Development Corporation.
Following a recruiting campaign, which includes visits to the schools, the coordinator delivers three workshops to teach the participants the basics of entrepreneurship, including business plans, market studies, customer service, quality control, budgets and other subjects. The participants 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. A total of 15 businesses have been set up this year (including 10 sole proprietorships and five partnerships).
The coordinator will visit each of the young entrepreneurs during the summer to ensure that everything is going well. She will also help them with their promotion, including the preparation of posters and business cards. She will also help them identify sales locations, such as festivals and other community and family events, farmers’ markets and flea markets, from one end of the province to the other.
She also brings groups of them to such major events as the sidewalk sale held during the Summerside Lobster Carnival and Old Home Week in Charlottetown. Several will also have sales tables at the Evangeline Area Agricultural Exhibition and Acadian Festival, the Acadian National Holiday, the “Party Under the Tent” at Wellington Co-op, several events associated with the Egmont Bay and Mont-Carmel Bicentennial and various other public and tourist activities this summer.
Later in the season, the youth will also participate in a public speaking workshop to prepare them for the program’s closing night. During this event, the youth will be invited to present a short speech about their entrepreneurial experience.
“We really hope Islanders and tourists will support our entrepreneurial apprentices by buying their products and services to encourage them to further develop their business skills,” concludes Gallant.
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CUTLINE 1: Breannah Gaudet is in her third year with the Jeunes millionnaires program, continuing her sale of candies through her small business appropriately called “Candies ‘R’ Us”. Breannah as well as others who have previously participated in the program were more than happy to answer questions from this year’s new batch of young entrepreneurs.
CUTLINE 2: Following in the footsteps of his father, who is a professional chef, Miguel Arsenault has established a company named “La Grub des Arsenault” to produce and sell all kinds of pastries, such as cinnamon rolls, chocolate chip cookies, tea biscuits and fudge. His participation in the Jeunes millionnaires program provided him with the basic knowledge and funding to kick off his business.
For more information:
Brittany Gallant
Coordinator
Jeunes millionnaires
(902) 854-2328, Poste 223
brittany@rdeeipe.org
LIST OF BUSINESSES
List of businesses started through the Jeunes millionnaires program this summer:
- André Arsenault and Chad Arsenault: Les bracelets d’André et Chad
- Breannah Gaudet: Candies ‘R’ Us
- Cameron Gallant: Gallant’s #1 Candies
- Isabelle Dyment and Josie Crossman: Isabelle and Josie’s Painted Shells
- Stephanie Arsenault and Rikki Delaney: SnR Candy Bar
- Miguel Arsenault: La Grub des Arsenault (baked goods)
- Marissa Gallant: Marissa’s Friendship Bracelets
- Natasha Arsenault and Joceline LeBlanc: NJ Nails (nail painting)
- Chloé Arsenault: Tout de Sweet (home-made candies)
- Alex Morneau: Alex’s Lemonade & Smoothie Stand
- Jérémie Buote: Buotarts (original art produced by Jérémie)
- Matthew Arsenault: Farm Fresh Free Range Chickens (sale of eggs and chickens)
- Erin Viger: Erin’s Yummy Goodies (baked goods)
- Samson Masarabakiza: The Chip Store (chips and snacks)
- Gina Crossman et Béatrice Masarabakiza: BG Sale (candies)