StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Seven Starter Company Plus Entrepreneurs

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PTBOCanada is delighted to be running StoosNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…

This week on The Business Beat, I’m highlighting seven local entrepreneurs who recently graduated from the highly successful Starter Company Plus Program, offered each year by Madeleine Hurrell and her team at the Business Advisory Centre at Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development.

Twelve entrepreneurs graduated from the program with seven receiving micro-grants based on the strength of their business plan.

They are, Jack Henry of OmniWorx a full-service brand, signage, website & graphic design firm, Kate Adams of Kate L. Toms Fit, a fitness instructor, personal trainer, and transformation coach, Michelle Fenn and Kendra Mancini of Working Human, a human-centered approach to adult learning, Tavlyn Evans and Crystal Walker of Sage Beauty, a new day spa in the Northcrest Plaza, Brigh Findlay-Shields of Brisa Social in Millbrook, a boutique social media agency that specializes in creating Instagram and TikTok strategies for businesses in the aesthetics industry, Andrew and Sean Fitzpatrick of Take Cover Books, brothers and bookworms offering new books, literary products, and Canadian-made stationery and Erin Burrell of EB Aquatics providing first aid and aquatic training to Peterborough City and County.

This year’s intake saw the highest number of applications so far. Since its launch in 2017, the Starter Company Plus program has assisted over 230 local entrepreneurs and more than 186 small businesses, creating over 220 jobs.

For details on programs and workshops offered by the Business Advisory Centre visit investptbo.ca/bac  

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Innovation Cluster Introduces Barry Payne as Expert in Residence to Propel Indigenous Entrepreneurship

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The Innovation Cluster welcomes entrepreneur and champion of Indigenous business development Barry Payne as its latest Expert in Residence.

file photo.

Payne’s appointment is a testament to the Innovation Cluster's commitment to fostering an inclusive innovation ecosystem, particularly extending the reach of its entrepreneurship program to Indigenous communities.

He comes with a wealth of entrepreneurial experience with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous owned businesses. A proud member of Hiawatha First Nation, he started his journey with Adirondack Technologies Furniture Inc., transforming it from a basement startup to a nationally recognized organization. He is also currently the Indigenous procurement ambassador at Procurement Assistance Canada, where he has the opportunity to work with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous owned companies to help them consider the federal government as a client.

"I am excited to take on this new role at the Innovation Cluster, which has demonstrated a sincere commitment to inclusion and Indigenous business growth,” said Payne. “As a member of Hiawatha First Nation and an entrepreneur, I understand the potential within our communities. I look forward to extending the reach of the entrepreneurship program and supporting the growth of Indigenous owned businesses."

As the Innovation Cluster’s new ExIR, Barry will provide mentoring to clients, helping them navigate government funding, optimize networking, and offering invaluable business advice. His involvement aims to bridge the gap between Indigenous communities and the entrepreneurship landscape, tapping into the Indigenous peoples' growing business creation rate, which is currently nine times that of the average Canadian.

In this new partnership, Payne’s commitment to working with Aboriginal companies and his expertise will significantly benefit all clients at the Innovation Cluster. His learned lessons will be a critical guide to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous entrepreneurs.

"We are honoured to have Barry Payne join us as an Expert in Residence. His unique perspective and experience will undoubtedly provide invaluable guidance for our clients and further our mission to drive innovation-focused, entrepreneur-led economic growth in the region, which must include Indigenous communities,” said interim CEO Nicole Stephenson. “At the Innovation Cluster, we understand the importance of Indigenous owned businesses in Canada's economy, and we're excited about our part in shaping the future."

Stephenson further emphasized the organization's dedication to fostering a diverse, purpose-driven workplace. "We're proud to not only talk about diversity but to make it part of our operational fabric. Partnerships like the one with Barry are critical to an inclusive and diverse community of entrepreneurs. It's an exciting time at the Innovation Cluster, and we can't wait to see the growth and development that will stem from this partnership."

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Voice of Business: Home Stretched: Tackling Ontario's Housing Affordability Crisis Through Innovative Solutions and Partnerships

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The cost of housing is impacting communities of all sizes across Ontario. It’s limiting the buying power of households, impacting businesses’ ability to attract and retain talent, and exacerbating homelessness rates throughout the province.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) recently released Home Stretched: Tackling Ontario's Housing Affordability Crisis Through Innovative Solutions and Partnerships, outlining opportunities for the private, public, and non-profit sectors to explore innovative partnerships and approaches to address housing affordability and supply, and recommendations to build on successful models. The OCC report is in partnership with Desjardins, Cadillac Fairview, and the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario. It builds on research from a series of regional housing affordability roundtables with a diverse range of housing sector stakeholders.

The Government of Ontario has committed to building 1.5 million new homes by 2031 to help mitigate this crisis. This goal will require strategic action and significant collaboration across sectors and all levels of government. It will require the public, private and non-profit sectors to work together.

The housing crisis in Ontario has reached a critical point, with significant challenges related to both affordability and supply. Peterborough has not been immune to these pressures, as rising housing costs are impacting many of our businesses' ability to attract and retain labour. At the same time, higher housing costs leave less income available to spend on other goods and services, which directly affects our community’s long-term economic growth.

The executive summary from the report sums up a lot about the current situation:

While distinct, housing supply and affordability challenges are mutually reinforcing: as mid-high income earners are priced out of the real estate market, they are increasingly occupying market rental housing for longer, contributing to low vacancy rates and rising rental rates. This puts additional downward pressure on the limited supply of more affordable, non-market housing options, where waitlists can reach up to 12 years across the province, further compounding the homelessness crisis. At the same time, social and economic pressures, such as inflation and supply chain challenges, are contributing to rising costs for housing development (which has not kept pace with demand), while hindering mobility along the housing continuum.

The OCC report highlights some key statistics:

  • 211,419 households on social housing waitlists

  • Provincial rental vacancy rate of 1.8 per cent (3 per cent is considered healthy)

  • The average house price is now 11.5 times annual household income

  • Rent has increased by 17.1 per cent over the last year, now sitting at an average of $2,401

  • 22,000+ construction job vacancies

  • 68 per cent of organizations in Ontario continue to report labour shortages in their respective industries

  • 1.85 million additional units would be needed in Ontario beyond what is already being built or in the pipeline to restore housing affordability

The OCC policy brief provides all levels of government and industry with recommendations under the following themes: Labour and Demographics, the Housing Continuum, and Infrastructure and Land Use Planning.

The report has 34 recommendations, including:

  • Continue to establish and deliver on inclusive workforce development and immigration strategies to increase the labour pool needed to build more housing.

  • Incentivize the development and preservation of affordable housing options along the continuum, including purpose-built rentals, missing middle, student, non-profit, cooperative, and supportive housing.

  • Support the development and expansion of innovative technologies, data tools, retrofitting, building conversions, as well as mixed-use and climate-resilient green housing.

Housing is at the root of a lot of issues we’re facing in Ontario. It’s contributing to the rising cost of living, limiting labour mobility, and leaving people without homes altogether. For the sake of our communities, we need to encourage our governments to work with the private and non-profit sectors to enact a wide range of policies to address our current housing crunch. The Home Stretched report is a good place to start.

Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Sage Beauty, Epic Gems, Body Sculpting and Kit's Emporium

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PTBOCanada is delighted to be running StoosNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…

Tavlyn & Crystal are Estheticians and co-owners of Sage Beauty, a new day spa located in the Northcrest Plaza.

Tavlyn is an honours graduate of the Fleming College Esthetician Program and specializes in any nail service with nail art and lash lift and tints. Crystal graduated from Humber College's Esthetics/Spa Management program but is also an RMT and a certified master pedicurist. Her specialties are massage service, facials, and pedicures. Check out their full list of services at sagebeautyptbo.com and don’t miss their grand opening this Saturday from 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at 184 Marina Blvd. Northcrest Plaza.

Epic Gems and Extensions Plus Body Contouring is Rochelle Walker’s business, with locations in Cobourg and Belleville.

Walker is expanding with a new location in Peterborough, based out of Affinity Hair Styling at 880 Armour Rd. Walker and Jenna Munro offer body contouring, lashes, permanent makeup, fat freezing, tooth gems, micro needling, BB glow, botox, lash lift and tint and brow lamination. You’ll find Epic Gems and Extensions on Facebook.

Jennifer Sabovitch’s new business is called Body Sculpting by Jenn.

Sabovitch brings an extensive background in emergency services and her own personal experience, as well as certifications as a body contouring technician, as well as a certified spray tan artist. Jenn offers a range of cutting-edge techniques, including non-surgical procedures such as emsculpt therapy, custom spray tans, laser liposuction, as well as teeth whitening and booty lifts. Located within Kouture Hair Studio at 188 Hunter St., visit bodysculptingbyjenn.com.

Kit's Emporium is a brand-new thrift shop located at 404 George St. N.

A sister store to Kit Croissanterie and Café on Hunter, owners Helen and Zack offers an accessible and inclusive space with affordable secondhand mid to plus-size clothes and a gender-neutral shopping experience You’ll also find a myriad of other items including household, decor, kitchenware, books, and more. Open from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday with a Grand opening set for this Saturday. Look for Kit’s Emporium on Instagram.

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Seven Local Businesses Awarded Microgrants Through Starter Company Plus Program

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Seven local entrepreneurs were awarded microgrants through the highly competitive spring intake of the Starter Company Plus program on Thursday.

photo courtesy of starter company plus.

This intake saw the highest number of applications so far for the program run by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development and funded through the Government of Ontario.

Twelve small businesses successfully completed the five-week business training course offered by the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre. The following businesses were awarded a microgrant based on the strength of their business plan and pitch:

  • Jack Henry: OmniWorx Design, Peterborough, ON

  • Kate Adams: Kate L. Toms Fit, Peterborough, ON

  • Michelle Fenn and Kendra Mancini: Working Human, Peterborough, ON

  • Tavlyn Evans and Crystal Walker: Sage Beauty, Peterborough, ON

  • Brigh Findlay-Shields: Brisa Social, Millbrook, ON

  • Sean Fitzpatrick and Andrew Fitzpatrick: Take Cover Books, Peterborough, ON

  • Erin Burrell: EB Aquatics, Otonabee, ON

“We are incredibly proud of this program and the support it provides local small businesses,” said Madeleine Hurrell, Manager of the Business Advisory Centre. “The number of applications we received this round surpassed pre-Covid-19 levels and was one of our most competitive intakes.”

Since its launch in 2017, the Starter Company Plus program through the BAC has assisted over 230 local entrepreneurs and more than 186 small businesses. These businesses have created over 220 jobs in our local economy.

To stay up to date on programs and workshops, visit the website.

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Voice of Business: The Availability, Accessibility and Accuracy of AI Is Changing the Business Landscape

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Technology is continually changing business.

Over the last year, artificial intelligence (AI) has grown in its ability and accessibility to the average person and business. It has caused us to re-think what can be automated, how we shape our customer experience, and how we manage our teams.

Many of us have typically viewed automation from a more physical sense. We have machines that weld, paint, and drive heavy equipment by themselves. Now, it seems technology is coming for the creative tasks. At a recent event with local manufacturers and supply chain businesses, automation was a popular topic with a lot of it focused on artificial intelligence taking on administrative and creative work. AI is streamlining training, reporting, and administration. One manufacturing representative noted that there will always be jobs for people that work with their hands — it’s the office side of the business where jobs are being replaced by machines.

Chatbots are quickly becoming a regular point of engagement for customers as businesses are looking to save money and improve efficiency. In a time when many businesses are operating with fewer staff than they would like due to challenges attracting talent — efficiency is everything.

Hootsuite put together an article for Digital Main Street called 10 Ways an AI Customer Service Chatbot Can Help Your Business. Their suggestions for including AI Chatbots in a business include:

  1. Provide customer support in multiple languages

  2. Answer repeat FAQs and save your team time

  3. Gather customer demographic information

  4. Personalized shopping support

  5. Convert deals and upsell

  6. Anticipate trends

  7. Book in-store appointments

  8. Improve customer wait times

  9. Improve customer retention

  10. Provide a consistent user experience

The Hootsuite report includes the benefits of using AI for customer support, describing it as: “You can think of AI as one of your star customer support team members — they’re always available, never complain, and are hyper-organized”. Ultimately, AI allows you to support your customers at all hours while meeting their accessibility needs and language of choice, allowing your team to focus on other tasks.

The name getting a lot of the attention these days is ChatGPT, but it’s a quickly growing sector with a lot of options and different companies looking to offer the latest and greatest innovation. ChatGPT was recently purchased by Microsoft and included as part of their search engine, Bing, for free.

We asked the AI chatbot on Bing how businesses can use AI and it came up with its own explanation:

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an essential tool for businesses in recent years. AI can help businesses automate and optimize routine processes and tasks, which can save time and money. It can also help businesses make faster decisions based on outputs from cognitive technologies. AI can help businesses improve their productivity and operational efficiencies by reducing the time employees spend performing a task. This can lead to more work being done in less time, enhancing the company’s overall productivity.

AI can also help businesses reach a larger audience and establish long-term customer relationships. This can create customer loyalty, leading to a continuous revenue flow for the company. With time, AI is getting more sophisticated and powerful. So, it’s high time you ditch your legacy systems and integrate AI into your business operations.

However, it is important to note that there are risks associated with AI as well. Mistakes can cause massive damage to a company’s infrastructure and reputation…Cyberattacks are extremely common today, so businesses need to be aware of the vulnerability of their systems to cyberattacks.”

The availability, accessibility, and accuracy of AI is changing the business landscape. Businesses looking to tap into better use of technology can get free help from our Digital Main Street team. Get in touch with the Chamber and we’ll set you up with an expert.

Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

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Voice of Business: We Need to Move Ahead Together

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It was refreshing to see three local mayors having an open and candid discussion on local issues last Friday at the Chamber’s Three Mayor’s Breakfast at Lakefield College School.

The Chamber hosted the mayors of the townships of North Kawartha, Selwyn, and Douro-Dummer for a moderated discussion on local business and community issues. As part of the discussion our audience submitted a steady flow of great questions that pushed the conversation ahead on key topics.

Finding common ground

Most of us can agree on some key local business and community issues. We know our region needs more housing and at a price our local workforce can afford to rent and buy. Businesses in almost every industry are struggling to attract the skills and experience they need from the workforce and we need to get innovative with technology and how we attract and support talent. We need to cut our carbon footprint and preserve the natural environment we love about Peterborough and the Kawarthas.

The layers of government

One thing the township mayors made clear is that though they may punch above their weight, their size comes with limitations. It’s going to take all levels of government and their affiliated agencies working together to have the most effective and efficient growth.

We have quite a few layers of government locally. We have Townships, which are part of the County which surrounds the City – both of which are overseen by the Province. We have the federal government, multiple First Nations governments, and school boards. Together, we have close to 70 elected representatives in our region.

Just in terms of improving our transportation infrastructure, we have township roads, county roads, and provincial highways.

Local issues

We can’t have governments working in isolation on important and multifaceted issues. There are a variety of housing needs and different challenges across Peterborough and the Kawarthas, but we need our governments to work together to find efficiencies in the process, attract investment to our region, and collectively deal with some of the barriers.

Healthcare is largely provincial in the mandate but we have municipalities actively working to create healthcare facilities and attract medical professionals because our communities need these services to meet the needs of local residents.

There is growing discussion about regional bus service through Peterborough and the Kawarthas. We have a pilot project called The Link, which is an example of a successful partnership between the Province, Selwyn Township, Curve Lake First Nation, Community Care Peterborough, and the City of Peterborough. Hopefully this service can be expanded further to help more people get to work and appointments.

Employment lands have been an ongoing issue for a while. We are missing out on opportunities because we don’t have enough designated and serviced employment ready to go for prospective businesses to

consider for large industry opportunities. It’s unrealistic that anyone local municipality is going to be able to satisfy this need on their own. We need to move ahead on this together with a regional mindset.

Investing together

Many of these issues are intertwined. When we have attainable housing, access to healthcare, and a car-free way to get to work, we can attract more people to our workforce.

Our communities are growing. How we grow takes leadership, intentional investment, and cooperation with all levels of government.

Content provided by the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring Goldie's Grooming, PACC, Elisabeth Rodgers and CPD

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PTBOCanada is delighted to be running StoosNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…

Samantha Murphy recently opened Goldie’s Grooming at 1837 Lansdowne St. W.

Murphy offers dog and cat grooming including coat carving, colouring and creative grooming, CKC breed-specific haircuts, hand stripping, Asian fusion, and freestyle. Just look for Golden Groomer on Facebook and Instagram.

Speaking of pets, the Peterborough Humane Society has launched ‘The Home Stretch’ Campaign to raise the three million dollars needed to meet the fundraising goal for their Our Pet Project capital campaign for the new Peterborough Animal Care Centre on Technology Drive.

The new building opened in January 2023, and the Home Stretch funds will be added to the nearly $10 million already raised and will be used to pay off the construction loan. Just follow the Home Stretch link at ourpetproject.ca.

Elisabeth Rodgers has combined her love of fantasy with her vast imagination to create her first novel.

Called ‘Out of the Darkness,’ the novel is described as a rich world full of beauty and horror, all woven together in the most epic of stories. Elisabeth is calling it “Book one of the forsaken trilogy.” You’ll find Out of the Darkness by Elisabeth Rogers online at Amazon or Chapters Indigo.

The Council for Persons with Disabilities recently unveiled its new brand.

Representing positivity and inspiration, Board Chair Andrea Dodsworth says the refresh will help the organization continue to deliver on their mission to improve the quality of life for individuals across the Peterborough region by promoting inclusivity, equality, equity and opportunity through comprehensive services and programs.

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Peterborough DBIA’s Golden Goose Chase Winner Catches $1,500 in Boro Gift Cards

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The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) congratulates winner Susan Donald who took home $1,500 in Boro gift cards from the Golden Goose Chase Scavenger Hunt.

Donald, the winner, photographed at Bhojan Grocery - a new Indian grocery store located on George Street.  photo courtesy of the peterborough dbia.

This spring, the DBIA led a brand new downtown retail incentive program which took locals on a “wild goose chase” in search of golden eggs for a chance to win a $1,500 Boro gift card shopping spree.

The focus of this initiative was on bringing the magic and excitement back into in-person shopping experiences. 200 participants joined the hunt with over 100 active scavenger hunters.

“I love supporting small businesses and shopping locally because you’re supporting families above all else. You get to know the people who you’re buying from, which is so much more meaningful than buying from large corporations,” says Donald.

Many participating businesses noticed an increase of foot traffic to the downtown retail shops as locals explored the downtown in search of golden eggs. 

“We had one group of friends come into our store, a couple of whom had just moved here from Toronto. They had learned about the scavenger hunt and told us they were visiting about six different stores looking for the golden eggs, making purchases along the way as they discovered businesses,” says Andrew Damiany, owner of Gentry Apparel. 

Throughout the program, golden eggs were strategically hidden inside a variety of downtown retail locations on a rotating schedule. This whimsical downtown scavenger hunt utilized a mobile app called Goosechase, where participating players would take an image of each individual egg they found to increase their number of entries into the draw. All 20 eggs were hand-painted by local artists with each egg showcasing their own unique style. 

“It’s been really nice to see people getting excited for the summer and also getting out to explore small businesses and local retailers while having fun in the process,” says Bhojan co-owner Aniket Khera.

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Felicia Massey