This summer, young leaders with an entrepreneurial spirit sharpened their business skills in the Summer Company program, an annual initiative led by Halton Region. Founded in 2001, the program aims to help students between 15 and 29 years old to start and run their own businesses during summer vacation.
In addition to receiving $1500 for start-up costs and $1500 upon successful completion of the program, participants complete hands-on business training and mentoring with guidance from business advisors from the Halton Small Business Centre.
“Since 2001, Summer Company program has helped thousands of students across the province turn their business dreams into reality,” a spokesperson from Halton Region noted in a statement. “The students also work collaboratively, sharing their experiences, ideas, challenges and successes.”
The program is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. In addition to providing each student with their own business advisor, the program invites guest speakers to present on specific topics. This year, the focus was on stress management and work/life balance.
Out of approximately 100 applicants for the 2020 program, seven students were chosen. The following five participants are Oakville-based entrepreneurs who had the opportunity to bolster their businesses this summer.
Oakville Summer Company Recipients
Sebastian Gomez, Nutrilibrium
Sebastian Gomez is the founder of Nutrilibrium, a start-up that provides online, cost-effective exercise routines and diet plans. He applied to Summer Company to kickstart his business with the learning resources and financial support that it would provide.
“I have always been very active and mindful of my diet, so I decided to use my experience in nutrition and exercise to help others. I realized that this would be especially important during this time, where many people are forced to stay inside their homes and live more sedentary lifestyles.”
As a Food Science and Nutrition student at Carleton University, Sebastian is now running his business part-time. He hopes to grow his business enough to run it full-time by next summer.
Josh Ince, Sharp Edge Property Maintenance
Josh Ince, the founder of Sharp Edge Property Maintenance, provides a variety of landscaping services for residential homeowners. From cutting the grass and weekly garden duties to cleaning out eavestroughs and completing seasonal maintenance, Josh prides himself on a reliable and meticulous work ethic.
Josh found the weekly check-ins with his advisor to help him follow through on his business plan, teaching him new things he wouldn’t have learned otherwise. Despite there being a pandemic, Josh noted that the program ran smoothly from start to finish.
“Throughout the whole of the program, you can tell they really cared about it,” Josh noted. “I think they did a really good job.”
Now in his fourth year of Accounting at the University of Guelph, Josh plans on travelling back to Oakville two days per week to continue his landscaping jobs until the end of November. He aims to start up his business again in the spring and continues to welcome new clientele.
David Michaud, DDR Detailing Done Right
David Michaud launched Detailing Done Right (DDR) this past May, providing high-quality car detailing services throughout Halton.
With three years of experience detailing cars, David applied for Summer Company to elevate his business and receive the program’s financial support. He noted the helpful direction of his advisor, who met with him on a weekly basis.
“I loved it. It was awesome how organized the program was. [The advisor] was always there for reference or if I needed help. It was just perfect.”
Having conducted several details on a daily basis during the summer, David hopes to maintain his momentum by continuing to run his business throughout the winter season.
Ben Robinson, Harmony at Home Guitar Lessons
Harmony at Home Guitar Lessons gives children the opportunity to learn the basics of playing guitar. In the climate of Covid-19, Ben Robinson offers all his lessons safely online, with the help of collaboration software, where kids can learn from their own home.
Mason Robinson, Swimming with Mason
Mason Robinson founded Swimming with Mason to help children learn how to swim in the comfort of their own pools. Since swimming lessons haven’t been accessible to everyone this summer, Mason’s business teaches aquatic skills, exercises and endurance, all while keeping the safety of his swimmers as a top priority.