Business owners get help taking their first steps

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/07/2003 (8252 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ONE of the tools developed by the CDEM is the small business incubator program, which was instrumental in getting MyLocalStore.com started, said Christian Dandeneau. He is partners in the venture with Robert and Daniel Piche, whom he met while the trio were students at the University of Manitoba.

“From the very beginning, we looked at CDEM as being a support in helping us build our business,” said Dandeneau.

The CDEM provided MyLocalStore.com with mentorship, networking opportunities and help finding financing. It also offers office space for new businesses, although Dandeneau and his partners had already secured space along Provencher Boulevard. In addition, CDEM runs a summer youth business program, helping students and young adults learn entrepreneurial skills that they can use in future to start their own businesses.

MyLocalStore.com, a two year-old software company, doesn’t rely on walk-up traffic because it’s not a retail operation, said Dandeneau. The company’s Web site, www.mylocalstore.com, helps small businesses market their goods and services on the Internet.

It is an electronic mall where customers can make purchases and the orders are fulfilled without the retailer’s involvement. The Web site is linked directly to a local courier company that picks up the goods and delivers them to the customer. Payment is made electronically to the retailer at the same time.

Despite MyLocalStore’s main presence in cyberspace, Dandeneau said it is vital for businesses to locate in a vibrant neighbourhood, for social reasons and for networking. That’s why the St. Boniface native is excited about the approaching opening of the Provencher bridges.

“It’s important for staff to be able to go for lunch locally and meet others,” he said. “There’s three or four other technology companies on Provencher.

“You need an environment that’s growing. If we were in an industrial park, the rent would be cheaper, but there’s nothing outside the office for us.”

For more information, call the CDEM at 925-2320.