Huron County, Ontario – The County of Huron, in partnership with the Province of Ontario, have awarded three Huron County entrepreneurs grant funding of $5,000 to support their start-up and growth efforts through the Starter Company Plus program.
The Starter Company Plus program, administered locally by the County of Huron, provides business training, mentoring, and grant opportunities up to $5,000 for eligible participants to start, expand, or buy a small business.
Successful recipients of the latest intake for this program include:
Brød Bread and Pastry (Blyth) – Brød Bread and Pastry is a new business start-up that will be opening in spring 2021 in the former Queen’s Bakery location in downtown Blyth, Ontario. The bakery will be offering fresh-baked assorted varieties of bread, sweet treats and old-fashioned European pastries as well as hot beverages. Brød Bread and Pastry successfully received the Starter Company Plus micro-financing grant for start-up costs including kitchen equipment, signage and a point of sale system.
Inherit the Earth Clothing (Clinton) – Inherit the Earth (ITE) Clothing is an active and recovery wear line that is designed for the environmentally conscious consumer. Encouraging environmental stewardship is their mission, and they are proud to donate a portion of all sales to encourage environmental stewardship. Inherit the Earth (ITE) Clothing successfully received the Starter Company Plus micro-financing grant for start-up costs including equipment and marketing expenses.
South Hill Succulents (Seaforth) – South Hill Succulents is a botanical floral design business specializing in quality succulents and sola wood flowers, with a focus on weddings, custom orders and seasonal arrangements. All mini succulents used in arrangements are grown in their home-based location in Seaforth, Ontario. South Hill Succulents successfully received the Starter Company Plus micro-financing grant for expenses related to expanding their thriving small business.
As part of the process, Starter Company Plus program participants were required to submit a formal application, which included a business plan and cash-flow projections as well as participate in mandatory business training. The successful recipients were selected by the Grant Review Committee after delivering a 10-minute pitch for their business start-ups or expansion concepts.
The Starter Company Plus program is taking a new approach in 2021, with a focus on the developing the food and beverage sector locally. The County of Huron is collaborating with the Food Venture Program, which is designed specifically for food and beverage entrepreneurs looking to start or build their businesses and learn more about the food industry. The program includes 10 live virtual workshops with a question and answer period as well as direct 1-1 mentorship interaction between the cohort of entrepreneurs and food industry experts.
The food business-focused Starter Company Plus intake is currently underway, with the 5-week training program concluding at the end of April. Participants will then have approximately one month to submit a formal application and deliver a pitch to a judging panel for the potential to receive a $5,000 grant.
For more information about the Starter Company Plus program, please visit ecdev.huroncounty.ca or contact Patrick Donnelly, Entrepreneur and Business Coach, at 519.524.8394 ext. 3307 or by email at pdonnelly@huroncounty.ca.
The County of Huron asks the community to continue respecting all public health guidelines, including performing hand hygiene, practicing physical distancing, wearing masks and staying home if ill. Stay informed on the COVID-19 situation in Huron County by visiting the Huron-Perth Public Health website.