The Citizen, 2019-03-21, Page 11THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019. PAGE 11.
WHO’S
LOOKING AT
YOU?
Deadline April 19
Put your business
in front of the
RIGHT eyes!
The Citizen has special
interest issues coming up.
Call or email
our marketing
specialists today!
519-523-4792
ads@northhuron.on.ca
Sprin
g
Car C
a
r
e
Deadline April 5
Winter
Sport
s
Deadline March 28
Comm
u
n
i
t
y
Suppo
r
t
Deadline April 5
Supp
o
r
t
Volun
t
e
e
r
s
Send your
team pics and
names in now
‘Win This Space’ event comes to Central Huron
Successfully launched in 2015 by
Jan Hawley, Economic Development
Officer for Huron East, the Win This
Space program has seen over 30
entrepreneurs mentored in
developing a viable business plan.
The cherry on the top, of course, is
that contestants have the opportunity
to win a grand prize valued at over
$10,000. The cash goes toward rent
for the first year, but winners also
receive a package of supplies and
services donated by various
sponsors.
The program originated in the
Town of Uxbridge, east of Toronto,
and Jan Hawley brought it to Huron
County where it proved to be
successful. Delivered in Seaforth
(2015), then Vanastra (2016) and
next Brussels (2017), it is now being
delivered in Wingham (called “In It
To Win It)” and Clinton.
Once participants have completed
the compulsory training and
submitted a business plan, complete
with a cash flow projection, a panel
of judges will select five contestants
for a Dragons’ Den type of
presentation. They have 10-15
minutes each to persuade judges
their business idea deserves to win.
This program is designed to fill
storefronts in the main core, but in
Central Huron, council is also
encouraging contestants to apply for
empty spaces in hamlets of
Londesborough, Holmesville and
Auburn. Another twist in the plan to
also provide a package of services to
a runner-up. Applicants are
encouraged to contact Community
Improvement Co-ordinator Angela
Smith at 519-482-3997 extension
1228 for details.
The deadline for applications is
Friday, March 22 at 4 p.m. and the
launch is planned for March 29 at
the Clinton Town Hall. The finalé
(Dragon’s Den competition) is
currently scheduled for Friday, May
17.
There are a number of attractive
sites in Clinton and potential
entrepreneurs are encouraged to note
the Win This Space signage in
several of the storefronts. Smith has
details about the rental rate and
space details.
Community Futures Huron and
the County of Huron have both been
generous sponsors of the program
throughout and organizers are
grateful for their support. Often the
local Business Improvement
Associations are involved, but it is
the local area sponsors who flesh out
the prize packages. The first sponsor
was Jan Hawley, who generously
supplied her expertise, along with
various program materials.
This is an economic development
initiative designed to attract new
entrepreneurs to the town core. The
program focus is on business
training. Participants are obliged to
attend a series of training workshops
where they are assisted in
developing a detailed business plan.
In the first three programs, as well
as the current one in Clinton,
training was provided by Alison
Lobb, business consultant, and
consisted of four sessions. The first
detailed development of a written
business plan; the second dealt with
marketing and promotions and the
third concentrated on the financial
aspects of running a business. The
final session varied depending on the
needs of the current group.
In the 2015 Seaforth program, 18
entrepreneurs participated in the
training sessions, and 12 plans were
ultimately submitted. One
participant dropped out early in the
training because he was concerned
that the storefront he wanted might
be rented before the competition
ended. However, he requested the
right to continue with the training
while opening his business.
Another competitor spoke to
business trainer Alison Lobb toward
the end of the training, said trainer
Alison Lobb, and indicated that in
the process of developing her plan
she realized that she was not yet
ready to leave her job. “I considered
that a success”, reported Alison,
“since otherwise she might have
devoted time and money to a
business idea that was not yet
viable”.
The five entrepreneurs that
completed in the first finalé were
Cotton Harvest Quilt Shop (Trina O’
Rourke) where quilters are invited to
indulge their creativity among
beautiful fabrics, stunning quilts and
antiques; Degree Fitness (Kaleda
Connell), an all-inclusive fitness
facility featuring functional training;
Grounded Café (Brittany Williams),
a coffee house cafe/bistro serving
gourmet coffees and pastries; Local
ArtScape (Gerrie Huenemoerder), a
gallery featuring custom Avelina
jewelry as well as crafts and arts by
Canadian artists and designers;
Local Organics Health Food and
Wellness Centre (Tara Finnigan and
Cara Wicke) providing highest
quality fresh and natural food,
products and nutritional services as
well as educational workshops.
Cotton Harvest won the day there
and Trina has been successful in
business on Seaforth’s main street
since 2015. She was instrumental in
bringing an international quilt show
to Seaforth that attracted over 2,000
to Seaforth’s main street (population
2,300) over three days. Degree
Fitness is still operating a successful
business in Seaforth, now known as
Degree CrossFit Seaforth, and Local
Organics (name shortened) is well
known locally. Brittany Williams
learned from her planning sessions
that she was not ready for such a
venture. Gerrie reworked her
business idea and is still in operation
as Avelina Jewelry. She went on to
compete in the Vanastra program
and won, opening a shop there, but
has since moved her operation to the
London area.
In the Brussels program, nine
people participated in the training.
Once again, a competitor from the
previous program re-worked their
idea and presented a new focus.
Jackie DeWit’s business JD and
Company does sell natural personal
and household products, but has
expanded to include two additional
businesses – she renovated several
apartments and has them available to
rent.
These accommodations, The
DeWit Luxury Suites, are promoted
as a place travellers on a “high-end
vacation” would stay. Her third
business is called Locally Unique
and features a gallery, gifts,
furniture, and more.
Since that time, another
competitor, Sandra Ambling, has
opened a store, Gemstone Essence,
on the main street of Wingham.
Graham Lichti has a bakery open in
Listowel. Clearly the program has
achieved its goals! Whether or not
the stores remained on the main
street where they applied or moved
elsewhere, they are providing
employment locally.
Helping out
The Londesborough Lions recently made two donations to local organizations in the club’s
ongoing effort to better their community. Above, the Huron Area Search and Rescue
organization (HASAR) received $250 to help with start-up costs associated with the volunteer
search and rescue group. From left: Club President John Haak, Jamie Mitchell of HASAR and
Lion Treasurer Ron Nesbitt. Below, the Huron Residential Hospice received a total of $2,200
from the Lions Club. The Lions had raised $1,700 through a breakfast in February, and had
previously donated $500 to the hospice organization in January. From left: Haak, Huron
Residential Hospice representative Jay McFarlan and Nesbitt. (Photos submitted)