By ANDREW WAREING
What was once the Timmins Business Self-Help Centre is now the Business Enterprise Centre.
"What we're trying to do is develop new services on top of existing services to assist existing businesses," says Business Enterprise Centre small-business consultant Paul Dandavino. "In the past, we were more geared towards startup businesses. We're still on that but we're also trying to help existing businesses.
The name change, which took place in April, comes as a result of a mandate by the Ontario Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation (MEOI). The change in focus is the result of a need for brand recognition in the community of business enterprise centres as places for business of all types to get assistance, he says.
"Before, there were Business Enterprise Centres and Self Help centres. (The ministry) wanted to clean the slate and have one model, just to get out of that 'business self-help' way of thinking and into the 'enterprise centre' way of thinking."
Several companies have come on as partners in an advisory committee, including local banks who have contributed
financially, as well as their expertise.
"By creating networks and partnerships, we're using more of what we have regionally to benefit our businesses," says Dandavino. "What we're going to look into in the future is mentorship programs mostly for youth
entrepreneurs and maybe existing businesses. We're going to set up an advisory committee for the centre so partners and stakeholders will have the chance to give advice where the Business Enterprise Centre should be focusing its efforts."
Dandavino says that having business advising the Business Enterprise Centre will help the centre focus its programs more efficiently to meet the needs of local business.
Currently, the centre receives about 600 business registrations per year and takes in 1,500 business inquiries per year. In a year, they will also do 250 consultations, 400 researches and do approximately 18 business seminars.
The centre also has programs to assist youth entrepreneurs.
"We have to spend a lot of time with them to make sure that these (business) skills are ingrained in them," says Dandavino.
People with new business ideas can still come into the centre and they will get assistance in determining costs for starting up, the laws and regulations they have to keep in mind and the sources of potential financing that are also available.
"Once we've helped them start up, there has to be a consistent service geared toward helping them get the information they need," he says. "If we were to keep half self help centres and half business enterprise centres, then we wouldn't have the same impact per region. Switching them to the enterprise centre model makes us think about expansion all the time and keeps us looking for new ideas."
The reality of business is that one third of new businesses fail after the first year and two-thirds will fail after two years. It is often the result of poor management skills and lack of anticipating what was needed to keep the business running, says Dandavino. As a result, existing businesses can come in and get advice on marketing, business plan development and bookkeeping and research of new product opportunities.
"It is important to note that all those services are free of charge," he says.
They used to have seminars mainly on how to start a new business. The switch in focus has resulted in the development of seminars on a variety of topics for new and established businesses, including marketing, book keeping and taxation and all with individuals from the business world, the banks and government offering their expert advice.
Dandavino says that the office is likely to add staff in order to meet the demand that is already there for its services.
