Futurpreneur has been helping young entrepreneurs grow their small businesses, in communities across Canada, since 1996, and their mission is to help you make it happen.
Th non-profit organization, based in Toronto, features staff working in communities in every part of the country, including employees located in Northern Ontario, who work to foster the passions of diverse startup founders, ages 18-39, helping them get their small businesses off the ground. Futurpreneur provides loan financing with mentorship to those founders, along with resources to help them start and succeed on their entrepreneurial journeys.
“We’ve helped more than 18,700 young entrepreneurs to transform their great ideas into successful main street businesses,” said Programs and Partnerships Marketing Manager Charlene Gaydu.
The startup loans they offer help young entrepreneurs to launch, buy or grow small businesses. They do this by offering streams for different communities of entrepreneurs including their Core Startup Program, Black Entrepreneur Startup Program (BESP), Indigenous Entrepreneur Startup Program (IESP) and Side Hustle Program – for those looking to launch or grow a side business, while keeping a full-time job.
“Our main purpose is to try to create Canadian prosperity and help with the success of entrepreneurs in every part of Canada,” Glaydu adds.
Futurpreneur’s resources and workshops, including its Rock My Business, Ohpikiwin and #OwnersWanted initiatives, are there for the many different stages young entrepreneurs go through.
“Whether it’s helping someone mature an idea, creating cashflow or helping to launch a business, we can empower you to succeed,” Glaydu said.
“We have so many different options depending on who you are and what you need, and we really do want to see people succeed.”
They provide many tools that can help participants gain a competitive advantage in a difficult market.
“We offer resources on money and finance, business planning, strategy and so much more,” Glaydu says.
For example, the Rock My Business workshop focuses on tools to advance a business idea and formalize a business plan (while creating a viable cashflow) while Futurpreneur’s #OwnersWanted program, helps entrepreneurs get on the path for buying a small business.
There is also the Ohpikiwin series, which focuses on “financial empowerment” for young Indigenous individuals, and entrepreneurs, who want to strengthen their financial knowledge and start on toward their entrepreneurial ambitions.
“Futurpreneur provides collateral-free startup loans but we also deliver two years of expert mentoring,” Glaydu said. “People can sometimes be afraid to take on a loan but there are some big benefits to financing. Our Futurpreneurs often tell us this money helped them stabilize their business operations and position them for growth.”
A major facet people don’t think about is just how important it can be to get mentorship as a young entrepreneur. Futurpreneur makes this easy and accessible.
“To be able to bounce ideas off someone, get first-hand knowledge and be able to see how people find success can be so valuable to helping a startup founder reach their potential,” Glaydu said.
“Futurpreneur is here to do what we can to ensure you get off to a good start and reach your entrepreneurial goals. Your small business success is why we do what we do,” says Glaydu.
For more information about Futurpreneur’s loan with mentorship and resources, visit them online here.