The following companies/organizations are Investors of the Cape Breton Partnership and offer services specific to business development.

TD Bank Financial Group

As a top 10 North American bank, TD aims to stand out from its peers by having a differentiated brand – anchored in our proven business model, and rooted in a desire to give our customers, communities and colleagues the confidence to thrive in a changing world. Our small business banking includes: Business Bank Account (Canadian and US Dollar) Merchant Solutions (Debit and Credit Processing) Business Credit Cards Payroll Services Cash flow management – Overdrafts and Lines of Credit

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Doug Arsenault

Account Manager-Small Business Banking

292 Charlotte Street, Sydney, Nova Scotia

902-539-3640 ext 300

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The Breton Law Group

The Breton Law Group is a law firm dedicated to providing their clients with excellent service, trusted advice and sound direction. Their lawyers are an experienced and skilled group of advisors. Some of Sydney’s most accomplished lawyers have merged together to form a powerful team. The Breton Law Group is pleased to offer their clients a full range of legal services. The Breton Law Group offers personal services to their clients in the areas of real estate transactions, estate planning and family law. They also offer a considerable range of business services including strategic advice, corporate structures and commercial transactions, tax planning, labour and employment advice. The Breton Law Group has experienced litigators and mediators available to assist you. Their firm is supported by an experienced and responsive staff. The Breton Law Group employs clerical and administrative staff as well as a full complement of property, corporate and litigation paralegal support. This support enables them to offer their clients timely and trusted advice in a cost effective manner. They invite you to come in and talk to them for a complete profile of their team and services. The Breton Law Group look forward to working with you.

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292 Charlotte Street Sydney, NS B1P 1C7

902-563-1000

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Trifos Design Consultants

Trifos Design Consultants is an Architectural/Interior-Design Firm providing a broad range of services; including complete architectural design, interior design, working drawings and specifications, restoration & heritage design, historic-building assessments, site selection, space planning, master planning, development studies, feasibility studies, materials research, construction-administration services, building surveys, assessment reports, area certifications/analysis, cost advice, and furniture & fittings selection. Noted for excellence in design and Client service, Trifos Design Consultants has been in operation since 1986, with a full staff complement of architectural, design, technical, and administrative personnel.

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7 Cromarty Street Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada B1P 4V9

(902) 539-8079

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Vibe Creative Group

Vibe Creative Group is a creative agency that works on a national stage. Since 2002, the Vibe team has provided exceptional marketing communications results for businesses, organizations and governments within Nova Scotia and across Canada. There are many things that make us who we are – our people, our clients, our ideas. From branding and digital marketing to event coordination, interiors and strategic planning, our dynamic team is ready to work with you to deliver clear, effective marketing communications through inspired design.   Our services include: Strategic Branding Creative Graphic Design Web Design Public Relations Consulting Interiors

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Tracey Boutilier

Owner

181 Charlotte Street, Sydney, NS, B1P 6H2

902-539-3870

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Virtual Adviser Program

Get one-on-one support from an experienced business adviser. Our free Virtual Adviser Program powered by BoomersPlus.com will match you with a seasoned professional to help you solve a unique challenge your business is facing during this difficult time. The program is available to businesses operating in Cape Breton. The Virtual Adviser Program is powered by BoomersPlus.com which specializes in matching organizations with seasoned talent to fill project or term roles. Their network includes thousands of professionals, managers and executives ready to share their experience and expertise.

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Shannon McNeil

Business Planning Advisor

285 Alexandra Street, Sydney, NS,

902-562-0122

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VMP Group

VMP Group is all about engagement, from engaging their clients, to understanding their goals, to developing digital solutions, to helping them engage their customers. It’s a philosophy that’s been working for more than two decades.

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319 Charlotte Street 3rd Floor Sydney, NS B1P 1E1

902-562-8006

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Job Bank

Post your jobs and look for matches with skilled job-seekers, on this online service.

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Junior 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.

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Maria MacDonald

(902) 371-1478

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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.

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Erinn Smith

902-384-3346

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LAE – 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).

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Donald Ferguson

902-563-2341

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Launch 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.

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Le 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.

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Jeannot Chiasson

Business advisor – Cape Breton

12521 Cabot Trail, Saint-Joseph-du-Moine

902-224-4102

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Le 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

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Jeannot Chiasson

Business advisor – Cape Breton

12521 Cabot Trail, Saint-Joseph-du-Moine

902-224-4102

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Learnsphere – 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.

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Laura Maynard

Manager

902.329-4268

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Learnsphere – 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

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Lauren Caines

902.802.4740

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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.

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Lauren Caines

902.802.4740

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