Southeast Business Startup (formerly known as the Launchbox) has been busy since it opened a few months ago, and is doing its part to help aspiring entrepreneurs get going.
Manager Jeff Taylor said they can provide several services for aspiring small business owners. They have space available for rent, including desks and boardrooms.
They also have information available for starting, growing, buying and selling a business.
“We have quite a good handle on the different places you can find government support and funding, so I’m quite happy to help anybody who’s looking for that. We also have a fair bit of knowledge available in terms of mentors and other people who are willing to provide help and advice to prospective entrepreneurs on a whole range of topics.”
Southeast Business Startup has also been offering a Lunch and Learn series that started in early September. Taylor said it’s usually been full, although they’ve had to limit the number of people that they can accommodate due to crowd restrictions.
The lunch and learn program happened every second week. The fourth and final session will be Oct. 21.
“We’re working on some new programs that will be coming out,” said Taylor. “We just have to figure out what we can do with the social distancing in them.”
Among those scheduled are workshop series, in which people come in to talk about such endeavours as starting an online store.
“We’ll have them set up so people can come in and work on them together. We’ll have people available who have experience in the process, and our hope is that if you come in at the start of the day, and you work at it with us throughout the day, you’ll leave that day with a finished product.”
Another idea is to give aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to ask a professional.
Dates for these new programs have yet to be announced.
Southeast Business Startup has changed its hours to better serve the community and to be available when potential entrepreneurs can drop by. It will be open from 10 a.m.-6p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and from noon-8 p.m. on Thursdays.
“We wanted to do this just to be more accessible to people who might not be able to come during the regular time we want to be open and available to everybody.”
Southeast Business Startup is located in the Spectra Financial building in the 400-block of Ninth Avenue. They have been getting some foot traffic and phone calls, and the interest has been growing through their latest marketing push as part of the City of Estevan’s economic development.
“We’ve been getting more people showing up, calling us and contacting us through our website. It’s certainly been picking up.”
Feedback has been positive, and Taylor is thankful for that.
