The following companies/organizations are Investors of the Cape Breton Partnership and offer services specific to business development.
Mi’kmaw Economic Benefits Office
The mandate of the Mi’kmaw Economic Benefits Office (MEBO) is to maximize the employment and contract opportunities for indigenous community members in Unama’ki (Cape Breton). We achieve this by continually expanding our broad network of industry partners across all sectors. MEBO supports the growth of businesses as well as aspiring entrepreneurs in the establishment of new businesses. We can help with: providing training workshops assistance preparing funding applications business plan development
READ MOREAlex Paul
201 Churchill Dr Suite 201, Membertou, NS B1S 0H1
902-562-4700
info@mebons.ca
Visit websiteMicro-Loan Program
Under the Micro-Loan Program, women+ entrepreneurs from across Unama’ki – Cape Breton will be eligible to apply for a loan of up to $10,000. The Micro-Loan Program is made possible by the partnership and participation of the Cape Breton Partnership, Sydney Credit Union, East Coast Credit Union, Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Strait Area Chamber of Commerce, Centre for Women in Business, and Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development.
READ MORENavigate
Navigate, located in the New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, aims to foster and keep burgeoning companies in Cape Breton by providing space, support, and resources. Navigate provides: Subsidized office space for early-stage companies Common workspace available to all members The ability to tap into a worldwide network of experts in the fields of business and technology Event programming provided for tenants, members, and the community includes lunch and learns, workshops, hackathons, and start-up weekends
READ MOREMegan MacAulay
Project Director
37 Nepean Street, Suite 105, Sydney, NS, B1P 6A7
902-565-1102
megan@navigatestartup.ca
Visit websiteNova Scotia Community College- Marconi Campus
Located in Sydney, the Marconi Campus offers a range of programs and a friendly learning atmosphere. Students enjoy plenty of open space with comfy seating, quiet study areas, wireless access and computer labs. The campus business centre serves as an incubator for small businesses and provides opportunities for students to work part-time in their field of study, and build their portfolio. It also provides the resources to help them develop their own small business ideas. A new trades wing features shop space, classrooms, offices and a green design, meeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.
READ MORENova Scotia Community College-Strait Area
Located in Port Hawkesbury, the Strait Area Campus offers an extensive range of programs. The Campus is home to the Nautical Institute that provides Transport Canada-approved marine training. Facilities for marine training include a wave tank, fire training centre and state-of-the-art simulators for propulsion systems, navigation and global communications. Students enjoy a spacious and friendly campus environment, amazing outdoor spaces and trails, as well as excellent recreation fitness and entertainment services that are offered in the area year-round. The Strait Area Campus also offers programs in Wagmatcook First Nation at the renovated Wagmatcook Learning Centre.
READ MORE226 Reeves Street Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia B9A 2A2
902-625-2380
strait.info@nscc.ca
Visit websiteNovaStream
Nova Stream Productions offers a full range of professional audio and visual services from commercials to documentaries and feature-length films to event A/V and live streaming. SERVICES OFFERED Film & Video Production Live Streaming Live Event A/V A/V Installations Photography UX and UI Design Custom Built Websites SaaS Development Mobile Applications Managed Hosting Theatre Manager Integration Marcato Festival Integration
READ MORENSCC – Customized Business Training Solutions
Customized learning solutions to meet specific industry requirements. NSCC offers a wide variety of services, including:
Consulting – Needs assessments, training plans, business process mapping, preparation of technical documents and related training materials
Curriculum development – New curriculum development, customization of existing curriculum, instructional design
Customized learning – Face-to-face delivery both at your workplace or on-campus, online delivery, combination of delivery methods and locations, coaching and mentoring
Online delivery – Create or repurpose existing training content, host online training, provide technical support to learners and trainers
Capacity building – Pre-employment training programs, train the trainer programs, testing and evaluation
Amanda Mombourquette or Donald Hanson
Community Innovation Lead
(902)-227-7836 or (902) 919-5225
Amanda.Mombourquette@nscc.ca or Donald.Hanson@nscc.ca
Visit websiteNSCC – Your Entrepreneurial Self Program
NSCC Entrepreneurship provides entrepreneurial skill awareness and development opportunities for students, faculty and staff. Programs and services include:
Free Entrepreneurial Resources including workshops, presentations, activities, lesson plans, templates, toolkits
Business Counselling –One-on-one business counselling for students, staff and faculty who are interested in starting a business or want to take their existing businesses to the next level. Guidance offered for business plan development, marketing, HR, government regulations and financing.
Curriculum Consulting – One-on-one curriculum consulting and support to integrate entrepreneurship into the classroom (integrating tools such as the business model canvas, business plans, software and activities)
College Wide Activities – entrepreneurial activities for students, staff and faculty including challenges, contests and competitions and professional development opportunities
Community Connections – Entrepreneurial Service Providers and Community Resources – we work with other entrepreneurial service providers and connect students/staff to relevant resources and supports, workshops and training events, available in our communities
Sampson McPhee Lawyers
For over 30 years, Sampson McPhee has provided innovative and practical solutions, timely and efficient service and a breadth and depth of knowledge and experience in all areas of the law to a diverse client base. They provide services of the highest calibre in every area of law, a goal to which the members of their firm are committed to at every level. The success of their firm has only one measure: the success of the clients they serve. At Sampson McPhee, they have long been guided by a tradition of doing the best that they can for their clients by doing good work. This tradition continues to serve as their foundation and their inspiration. Today, doing good work for their clients means advancing their position as knowledgeable, multi-disciplinary service providers with global competence. Sampson McPhee’s lawyers continue to demonstrate their qualities as innovative strategists, well able to handle the complexities of emerging industries, advancing technology and variable international economics to maximum advantage. Above all, their lawyers, students and staff share a common goal, excellence in all that they do. Sampson McPhee vigorously fosters an environment that encourages the individual and supports the firm. The unique qualities that each individual brings to the collective effort are fundamental to the continued success of their firm and its clients and they proudly acknowledge their contributions to their past and to their future.
READ MOREStrait Area Chamber of Commerce
SACOC provides unique opportunities for businesses to promote and develop through advertising, seminars, trade shows, networking and events. It also provides access to member discounts on business expenses such as group insurance, point of sale systems, advertising, etc., in addition to 15-20 training courses each year to help businesses be more efficient and grow. SACOC annually hosts a “Small Business Road Show” that engages SMEs and service providers in rural communities across rural Cape Breton. The objective is to build awareness of the many services provided to SMEs and new entrepreneurs. SACOC periodically hosts women leadership events that provide networking and skill development opportunities for women in business and leadership.
READ MOREJunior Achievement
Junior Achievement delivers programs in the areas of work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship to elementary, middle and high schools in the classroom and after school. Programs include Our Business World, Dollars with Sense, Economics for Success and Company Program. Its Ideation Bootcamp is a 6 week after-school program that provides students in Grade 9-12 with the opportunity to explore generating, developing and evaluating ideas for launching a new entrepreneurial venture. It allows students to develop and test ideas through market research and prototyping, set goals, develop a business model canvas, and learn how to pitch their product or service.
READ MORELabour and Advanced Education – Co-op Education Incentive
If your company demonstrates high innovation and productivity, global competitiveness, high performance work practices and environmental sustainability, you may apply for this co-op education subsidy. The following are the eligibility criteria:
Are private-sector, government-funded, non-profit, or charitable organization, a social enterprise or a municipality
Want to hire a co-operative education student for a work term of 12-16 weeks
Will pay the student at least $15 per hour, plus vacation pay, for 32.5 to 40 hours of work per week
LAE – SKILLS ONLINENS
Free on-line courses are offered in partnership with the Nova Scotia’s Department of Labour and Advanced Education, the Nova Scotia Association of CBDC’s and Bluedrop. Skill OnlineNS gives every resident of the province access to thousands of FREE online courses on the most important workplace topics to improve their skills and career prospects.
READ MORELAE – Workplace Education Initiative
The Workplace Education Initiative Programs are tailored specifically for each workplace to meet the needs of the employees in that workplace. Topics that could be included in a program are essential skills related to the development of documents, communication, computers, reading, math, essentials for small business, academic upgrading and pilot programs Funding under this program can be provided for: Organizational needs assessments Educational needs assessments Essential skills course development and delivery by an instructor Instructor travel Materials and supplies Programs are 35 to 40 hours in duration with 10 to 12 participants per course. (Courses can be with one employer, or a group of employers).
READ MORELaunch Your Business Webinar Series
Futurpreneur’s Entrepreneur-In-Residence is an engaging webinar where the facilitators take you through key questions to determine where you are with your business idea. The webinar will also outline how to be part of the Entrepeneur-In-Residence program: free coaching sessions for those entrepreneurs who want to launch their business. You will also learn what free resources you have available to you.
READ MORELe Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse
The CDÉNÉ provides services to existing and potential businesses and entrepreneurs to support them in the development and success of their business or entrepreneurial initiatives. Our business advisors can:
Help develop feasibility studies and business, marketing and strategic plans
Provide advice on how to start, grow or improve your business
Provide mentorship for new entrepreneurs
Lead professional development sessions
Provide information funding sources and subjects related to entrepreneurship (statistics, demographic data, etc.)
Put you in contact with people and agencies that provide additional services
CDÉNÉ also provides economic immigration services to employers / entrepreneurs in Acadian and Francophone communities.
READ MOREJeannot Chiasson
Business advisor – Cape Breton
12521 Cabot Trail, Saint-Joseph-du-Moine
902-224-4102
jchiasson@cdene.ns.ca
Visit websiteLe Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse Youth Entrepreneurship
CDÉNÉ supports youth entrepreneurship working closely with the Université Sainte-Anne and the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP). Initiatives include:
Networking activities where students meet and develop a deeper understanding of local entrepreneurs
Business Pitch competitions – students present entrepreneurial ideas to “Dragons” from the business world to get advice and to potentially obtain funding for their initiatives
Mentoring young people to support the development of entrepreneurial thought process or mindset
Entrepreneurship boot camps for students from Grades 4 to 6 with the Écoles Plus (Schools Plus) team of the CSAP
Workshops for youth on current topics related to entrepreneurship
Jeannot Chiasson
Business advisor – Cape Breton
12521 Cabot Trail, Saint-Joseph-du-Moine
902-224-4102
jchiasson@cdene.ns.ca
Visit websiteLearnsphere – Commercialization Consulting and Mentoring
The Commercialization Consulting and Mentoring (CCM) Program provides funds to assist Atlantic Canadian businesses and institutions in the final stages of commercialization. Businesses or institutions may use the funds to hire consultants or mentors to help them get a new and innovative product, technology or process to market. CCM funds can also be used to cover the cost of group learning activities for businesses on the verge of commercialization.
READ MORELearnsphere – E-tools for Exporting
LearnSphere’s E-tools for Exporting (E for E) provides financial assistance to help you develop and integrate electronic tools that can help you do business more effectively and get your products and services to international markets more efficiently. If you’ve been working on a recent marketing or business strategy that includes updating or improving your potential to export outside of Canada, you may be eligible for financial assistance. This program can help to hire a consultant or agency for activities such as:
Website development, re-design or rebranding
Responsive web design conversion (ensuring mobile-friendly design)
Integration of e-commerce functionality
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Paid advertising (PayPerClick, Google Adwords, etc.)
Social media strategy or integration
Videos, online catalogues and other online customized tools
Translation of website
Creation/design of language toggle
Training on any of the above
Learnsphere – Export Market Access Program
LearnSphere’s Export Market Access Program (EMAP) provides financial assistance to help you market yourself more effectively, increase your exports and grow your business. If you’re working to enhance the way you market and sell your exports outside of Canada, you may be eligible for financial assistance through EMAP to help hire a consultant, mentor or agency for activities such as:
Market research or strategy development
Export plan development
Mentoring / coaching to improve export market research and planning
Lead generation
Sales
Development of promotional materials (brochures, catalogues, trade booth designs, etc.)
The maximum EMAP contribution is 65% of project costs, up to a maximum of $15,000 per year. Total project costs must be more than $5,000 to apply.
READ MORE