Sault Ste. Marie, ON (October 17, 2016) – Making up more than 97% of all companies, small business is the backbone of the Canadian economy. To celebrate and recognize the importance of this sector,October 16 to 22 is Small Business Week across the country. The annual campaign is a nationwide celebration of entrepreneurship that the Business Development Bank of Canada has been organizing for nearly 40 years.
The Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation, through its Millworks Centre for Entrepreneurship, has a number of events planned for Small Business Week. On Monday and Tuesday, its staff will be leading enterprise workshops in surrounding communities. On Wednesday, the organization is hosting a pair of events with Dr. Sean Wise, a former advisor with the CBC television show Dragons’ Den. And on Friday, the public is invited to tour its Millworks Centre for Entrepreneurship in the Machine Shop.
Other partnering organizations, including the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre and Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce, have events planned during Small Business Week as well. Here’s a full list of what’s going on in the area:
Monday, October 17
- Workshop: Using Social Media
Wawa (1 p.m.) and Chapleau (7 p.m.)
Tuesday, October 18
- Workshop: Build Your Brand
Blind River (6:30 p.m.)
Wednesday, October 19
- WISE Words with Dr. Sean Wise
The Machine Shop, Sault Ste. Marie (1:15 p.m.) *students only*
- Bridges to Better Business featuring Dr. Sean Wise
The Machine Shop, Sault Ste. Marie (5 p.m.)
Thursday, October 20
- Workshop: Small Biz Funding
Elliot Lake (11:30 a.m.)
- SSMIC Grub @ the Hub
The Accelerator Hub, Sault Ste. Marie (12:30 p.m.)
- Chamber of Commerce Take 5
Gliss Restaurant, Sault Ste. Marie (5 p.m.)
Friday, October 21
- All-day Public Tours
Millworks Centre for Entrepreneurship, Sault Ste. Marie (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Small Business Week in Sault Ste. Marie is supported by the Business Development Bank of Canada, Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation, Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce, Community Development Corporation of Sault Ste. Marie & Area, TD Canada Trust, Canada Business Ontario, Startup Canada, Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, and Millworks Centre for Entrepreneurship.
For information on these events, please contact Angela Bruni, Economic Development Officer with the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation, at 705-759-2616 or a.bruni@ssmedc.ca.
About BDC Small Business Week
BDC Small Business Week is a Business Development Bank of Canada trademark whose origins date back to 1979 when BDC business centres in British Columbia’s Lower Fraser Valley pooled their resources to organize a week of activities for entrepreneurs. This first event and the one that followed in 1980 were so successful that BDC officially launched BDC Small Business Week across Canada in 1981. The initiative was quickly adopted by Canada’s business community. In 2015, close to 300 activities across Canada attracted around 10,000 business people to BDC Small Business Week. This BDC flagship event celebrates entrepreneurship at the local, provincial and national levels.
About BDC
BDC is the only bank devoted exclusively to entrepreneurs. It promotes Canadian entrepreneurship with a focus on small and medium-sized businesses. With its 110+ business centres from coast to coast, BDC provides businesses in all industries with financing and advisory services. Its investment arm, BDC Capital, offers equity, venture capital, and flexible growth and transition capital solutions. To find out more, visit www.bdc.ca.
