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Inspiration for a business can be found in unusual places or it can be sitting on your dresser or hanging on your wall, as was the case for Pawfect Portrait founder Hannah Simons.
The 18-year-old student was one of 12 young entrepreneurs in Invest WindsorEssex’s Summer Company program that got to turn her dream into a functioning business.
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“Art is something I have to do,” said Simons, who creates portraits of clients’ pets for framing or on mugs with plans to expand those options.
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“I love to have something personal on the wall or dresser in my bedroom and I thought other people would too. It started out as me doing it for fun as gifts to people at Christmas or for as a birthday present.”
Simons’ work was well received and then she had the timely good fortune of hearing a Summer Company presentation through school prompting her to apply for the program.
The program offers full-time students between 15 and 29 hands on business experience, mentorship from local business leaders and a grant up to $3,000 to get their idea off the ground. To qualify for consideration a candidate must provide a detailed business plan to Invest WindsorEssex’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Centre.
“The program has been wonderful for giving me the foundation to build my idea on,” said Natalie Dallaire, who does alterations, custom designs and fashion accessories with her business Miss Magpie Atelier.
“I have a marketing background, but entrepreneurship is a new world to me.
“The mentoring and collaborating, to be able to bounce ideas off other people and get outside perspectives has been very useful.”
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The second-year St. Clair College fashion and design student hopes to expand more into design as she grows her business and make connections with local art and boutique firms on a consignment basis.
“I want to make art and have fun with it,” Dallaire said.
Simons said the biggest lesson the program taught her this summer is applicable no matter what her long-term future holds.
“Don’t sell yourself short,” said Simons, who added business has exceeded her expectations. “I realized what I can do when with my work.
“A lot of people like me are not putting themselves out there and they’re not using their full potential.”
This year’s graduating group of 12 students offered a diverse range of backgrounds and businesses.
It also included Scarlett Ambedian (SEA’s Crochet), Mackenzie Atanasio (Calico Bakery), Aisha Bhutta (Luxe Labels), Usamah Bhutta (Usamah’s Shiny Windows), Kamryn Couvillon (Henna Hand and Body Art), Ashley Easton (Nature’s Complexion), Michael Hayo (Arcane Landscaping), Karol Jasniewicz (Jasniewicz Consulting), Micah Moore (Glimmer and Shine Car Detailing) and Tanveer Singh (Struced Lawn Care).
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“Today is about celebrating the students’ success, but our team spends a lot of time in the community throughout the year speaking to students and young professionals about opportunities in the region,” said the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Centre’s executive director Sabrina DeMarco.
“It’s about creating your path, your own business and what that could look like and what supports are available.”
The program is in its 23rd year and its list of alumni list includes some impressive success stories.
Among those graduates were guest speakers Cedar Valley Selections co-founder Ameen Fadel, who has seen his company supplying major grocery chains from coast to coast with salad dressings and pita chips, and Shred Shop Wellness Company founder Sawyer Telegdy, who now has two outlets in the area.
Another prominent graduate is Ben Arquette, who founded the 3D printing firm Printable Canada he’s operated for nearly eight years. The Tecumseh native is also the Lead Avionics Build Technician for SpaceX’s Starship and Superheavy Booster programs in Texas.
“I was 16 and started with the $3,000 from the program and did a lot of hard work,” said Fadel, who runs the company with his mother Surria.
“I’m so grateful for the Summer Company program that we were able to take advantage of. We wouldn’t be here without you.”
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