REGINA – Young entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan are getting a boost — both financially and in other ways — with help from the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce and the Government of Saskatchewan.
Last Tuesday at an announcement at the Saskatchewan Legislature, the names were released of the 57 young entrepreneurs in the province recognized through the Sask. Chamber’s inaugural Young Entrepreneur Bursary Program.
The initiative is aimed at helping the next generation of entrepreneurs grow their businesses at home in Saskatchewan. The recipients get a $5,000 bursary, access to exclusive membership workshops and a complimentary Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce membership.
The 57 recipients come from 48 communities and were chosen from over 340 applications coming from 87 communities in Saskatchewan.
The Government of Saskatchewan is providing nearly $1 million dollars over three years to the program, fulfilling one of their election commitments, with the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce responsible for managing the program and the selection. Those eligible must be between ages of 18 and 35 years of age and in operation 10 years or less.
“What we're seeing is a recognition of the value and the contributions that young entrepreneurs bring to the province,” said Warren Kaeding, Minister of Trade and Export Development.
“Small business is just a huge part of Saskatchewan's economy. Well over 95 per cent of our businesses operating in Saskatchewan are small businesses. And what we need to do is make sure that we're supporting our young entrepreneurs to allow them to be active participants in the growth of the province's business community.”
“Small business is big business in our province,” said Prabha Ramaswamy, Chief Executive Officer of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.
“Ninety-nine percent of the business in our province would be classified as small and medium-sized enterprises. For us as a province and as a government to invest in entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship is really critical to this province. They are fueling growth in our economy and they'll be supporting job creation in the future.”
Ramaswamy said it was critical to support entrepreneurship “in order to not only grow businesses but to keep young people in our communities.
“And we've actually hit a record in terms of population growth. That's been primarily through immigration. But I think programs like this will provide the support and the network necessary for young people in our province to stay here and to grow their business here.”
Ramaswamy said the recipients will benefit not just from the bursary money but also through the mentorship program being offered and connections they will make.
“Access to capital is one part of what entrepreneurs need to succeed. Aside from access to capital, what is really important is access to mentorship, access to a network, access to expertise as you need them. And I think being part of this network, whether it's the Saskatchewan Chamber Network and the local chambers would actually set them up for success.”
Recipients say the bursary will help their businesses grow
Two of the Regina-based recipients were on hand at the Legislature for the announcement of the recipients. One is Tanna Dietrich, the co-founder and owner at Balloon Bar YQR.
“We are a balloon company,” said Dietrich. “We do large, big, impactful events with balloon decor, but we also do small made-to-order events for birthdays and celebrations like that. And so it's really a whole experience of just joy and fun and good times with our balloon decor.”
She said this bursary award was “just an acknowledgement that all our work for the last seven to eight years is going somewhere and that there's room for growth and that people believe in our growth.” As for what they will use the bursary for, she said they plan to use it to “start filling some of those gaps on how we streamline our business.”
“After eight years of kind of bootstrapping and figuring out how to do it a little bit messy, we're slowly finding ways to streamline our processes, bring in more people to our team, and really round out our entire Balloon experience for our clients so that we can continue to grow and develop new products.”
Also receiving a bursary award was Naythan Melle and Landen Glas, the co-owners of Boys Next Door Window Cleaning in Regina.
“It's such a cool opportunity to get selected for this,” said Melle. “The bursary is just a huge opportunity for us to, you know, put some money into our training programs over the winter and make sure that our staff are being taken care of, and it's just a real help for us.”
Melle said they started back in 2017, right after high school. “We needed a way to pay our way through university, and so we both took business degrees at the (University of Regina) and, you know, through working through the summers and going to school in the winter, it was a really challenging experience at times, but really, really rewarding. And, yeah, it's just a great opportunity, and we've kept with it and are really excited to keep moving forward with the business.”
“We've always kind of been entrepreneurial between the two of us,” Glas said.
“Like, we've been lifelong friends since preschool, so we were always doing something to, you know, go have some fun or try and make a little bit of money, and the idea for window cleaning came up super early on…. We were working at a clothing store at the time, and unfortunately our hours got cut, so, you know, we needed some money for, you know, summer travelling and to pay for university. So we kind of latched onto window cleaning and made it happen with working with friends and family, and, yeah, it turned out just kind of one step at a time, we kept at it.”
They believe this bursary will help keep them in Regina in the long term, and now they are also branching out to other provinces.
“We actually just opened a branch in Calgary,” Melle said. "Landen's younger brother is managing it for us there, but I think Regina will always be the headquarters where we call home. Saskatchewan and Regina especially has a really, really great community, and it's shown over the years. We work with a lot of customers in the city and around the city, and the community is really great, and I think that's the thing that will probably keep us here long term.”
There are plans to award more bursaries in the future, with intakes planned for the second and third year.
Here is the full list of this year's recipients:
- Brooklyn Carberry, Brook’s Beet Salsa, Annaheim, Humboldt
- Alyssa Harris, Little Sunshine Co. Baby & Kids, Assiniboia, Assiniboia
- Jessica Laing, Free Bird Bodywork, Battleford, Battlefords
- Elissa Parker, Authentically Rooted Wellness, Battleford, Battlefords
- Parker Erickson, Demaine Trucking Ltd., Beechy, Kyle
- Teigan Furber, Swimming Lessons @yourtownhere, Biggar, Biggar
- Ashley Dyck, Flowing Well Café, Blaine Lake, Blaine Lake
- Jaiden Riddell, JR Beauty Bar, Carlyle, Stoughton
- Matthew Walliser, Souris Family Pharmacy, Estevan, Estevan
- Robert Godfrey, Lemon Wedge Marketing Group, Estevan, Estevan
- Jessica Sundin, Sundin Massage Therapy, Eston, Eatonia
- Brent Rogers, BiteRite Lures LTD, Goodsoil, Meadow Lake
- Sydney Logan, Twenty Two Lifestyles Boutique, Gull Lake, Shaunavon
- Mataya Doerksen, Hitched Haven Rentals & Décor, Herbert, Herbert
- Austin Coward, Wood Coulee Cattle Co., Hodgeville, Gravelbourg
- Shayna Hobman, Hobman Homes, Hudson Bay, Hudson Bay
- Matthew Kelley, Humboldt Therapy Centre, Humboldt, Humboldt
- Monica Cholin, Cholin Rural Wellness Ltd., Kerrobert, Kerrobert
- Kylee Ching, Living Sky Wellness Collective, Kindersley, Kindersley
- Kyle Sephton, No Limits Goaltending, La Ronge, La Ronge
- Kaylee Miller, Insightful Growth Pathways, Langenburg, Yorkton
- Danielle Schneider, Northern Lights Trucking, Lloydminster, Lloydminster
- Mitchell Braun, Over The Top Home Inspections Inc., Love, Nipawin
- Jillian McKinnon-Kryzanowski, One Eleven Wellness (Jillian McKinnon Chiropractic Prof. Corp.), Macklin, Macklin
- Julie Maxwell, Crocus Hill Garden, Maidstone, Maidstone
- Kiana Walker, Kiana Walker Professional Counselling, Marshall, Lloydminster
- Karly Russin, Prairie Chain Supply, Martensville, Prairie Sky
- Brett Moore, BM Mechanical, Meadow Lake, Meadow Lake
- Kirk Pilon, Pilon Homes, Meath Park, Candle Lake
- Coral Blaikie, Coral Designs, Melfort, Melfort
- Dallan Fendelet, Dallan’s Diamond Detailing, Melville, Melville
- Rylan Wheaton, Rylan Wheaton Photography, Moose Jaw, Lloydminster
- Kolter Mealing, The Blue Line Hockey Shop, Moose Jaw, Moose Jaw
- Kelsey Byers, Hometown Healing RMT, Moose Jaw, Moose Jaw
- Montana Falasca, MontanasPhotoWorks, Moose Jaw, Moose Jaw
- Tia Cederstrand, Third Avenue on Main Jewelry and Florals, Moose Jaw, Moosomin
- Randy Longman, Longman Painting Ltd, Pasqua First Nation, Indian Head
- Yetunde Lawal, Gabby’s Beauty Inc, Prince Albert, Prince Albert
- Acacia Carleton, Acacia Blossom Beauty Spa, Prince Albert, Prince Albert
- Sadie Anwender, Me ‘N My Shorthorns & Simmentals, Radville, Weyburn
- Naythan Melle, Boys Next Door Window Cleaning, Regina, Regina
- Tanna Dietrich, Balloon Bar YQR Inc., Regina, Regina
- Carly Njaa, Prairie Lake Chiropractic, Rosthern, Rosthern
- Michael Barker, Barker’s Barbershop, Runnymede, Hwy 49 East
- Samar Abbas, WeedXecute, Saskatoon, Saskatoon
- Daylon Ball, Devnull Digital, Saskatoon, Saskatoon
- Justine Angell, Be Well Morning Health & Events Studios, Saskatoon, Saskatoon
- Robyn Borgmann, Robyn’s Foot Care, Shellbrook, Shellbrook
- Sloane Gowan, Flatland Foods, Swift Current, Swift Current
- Sean Martens, Evolve Fitness, Swift Current, Swift Current
- Lyndon Jellison, L. Jellison Chiropractic, Unity, Unity
- Justin Stupak, Stu’s Indoor Golf Limited, Warman, Prairie Sky
- Kaelyn Ferguson, Warman Hearing Clinic, Warman, Prairie Sky
- Amber Deschner, Nova Physiotherapy, Warman, Prairie Sky
- Deron Fahlman, The Slice, Weyburn, Weyburn
- Wyatt Bolt, Copeland Customs, Wynyard, Watson
- Kurtis Decker, Diamond Asphalt Repair, Yorkton, Yorkton
