‘I am finally getting experience in business, and I think that is going to be really helpful with all my other future careers and anything I do later,’ says Oro-Medonte teen<\/p>\n
Simcoe County youth are turning summer ideas into real businesses this year, backed by provincial funding and a program that leaders say is shaping the next generation of entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
The Summer Company Program gives young entrepreneurs, aged 15 to 29, the tools they need to launch and run their own summer businesses, offering up to $3,000 in micro\u2011grant funding, one\u2011on\u2011one mentorship from seasoned business professionals, and access to training and networking opportunities through the province\u2019s Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.<\/p>\n
This year, participants launched everything from redesigned clothing and handmade key chains to frozen treat carts and car detailing, and officials say programs like Summer Company give young people the chance to explore entrepreneurship, develop practical business skills, and understand what\u2019s possible when they have access to the right support.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey develop practical skills in the areas of sales, marketing, bookkeeping, customer service\u00a0and networking,\u201d said Crystal Pollard, manager of small business, entrepreneur and innovation for Invest Barrie.\u00a0\u201cMost importantly, they gain something that we believe can\u2019t be taught in a classroom \u2014 the experience of taking an idea, building a business and serving real customers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tristan Gundert, 16, of Oro\u2011Medonte, launched Koala Charm, a small business creating handmade, custom key chains and bag charms designed to reflect people\u2019s style, hobbies and interests.<\/p>\n
She says\u00a0her hope is to help teens and young adults feel more confident expressing themselves.<\/p>\n
Gundert learned about the Summer Company after her mother came across the program.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me about it and I thought I might as well get some experience with entrepreneurship. I thought of something I wanted to do, which was helping people, and combined with key chains because they are cute,\u201d\u00a0said Gundert, adding she applied and did lots of research on how to launch her own business.<\/p>\n
The program has offered her a lot of learning opportunities, she added.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been really helping. I am finally getting experience in business, and I think that is going to be really helpful with all my other future careers and anything I do later,\u201d Gundert\u00a0said.<\/p>\n
Ruth Adam, 16, of Alliston, launched Sit and Style with Ruth, a business where she redesigns used clothing into pieces she believes today\u2019s teens will want to wear.<\/p>\n
She learned about the Summer Company through her school and thought the program was a natural fit.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to take my talent and use it, and I got accepted,\u201d Adam said. \u201cI have just been working on my business now and it\u2019s been going good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam says she has already learned a great deal about how to\u00a0effectively use social media and how to post in ways that create engagement. She\u2019s also gaining confidence in the financial side of running a business.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have learned a lot about all my expenses and costs and how to track all the money,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
The most challenging part of launching the business wasn\u2019t the physical work, but navigating the permits and approvals required to operate legally, said Midhurst teen Anson Reesor, who operates Midhurst Mini\u2011Cart, a mobile ice\u2011cream bicycle business selling pre\u2011packaged frozen treats directly in neighbourhoods throughout the summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s honestly been really difficult. It was hundreds of dollars worth of permits, and food-handling certificates \u2026 but it has been really worth it,\u201d he said, adding his business has been successful around the village to date.<\/p>\n
Reesor learned about the Summer Company through social media and thought it would be a great way to enjoy the outdoors while gaining business experience. Time and money management, along with learning how to build a business from the ground up, have been key lessons so far, he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been doing a ton of sales\u00a0and it\u2019s been going really well,\u201d Reesor said.<\/p>\n
Jack Maguire, director of the Ministry of Economic Development\u2019s Small Business Branch, said he was \u201csuper proud\u201d of the Summer Company program and thanked the supporters and mentors who spent time guiding the students.<\/p>\n
He encouraged the young entrepreneurs to acknowledge what they\u2019ve accomplished and to be proud of taking the initiative to launch their own ventures.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got up and you did something. That means the world,\u201d Maguire said. \u201cI am getting older and getting gray hairs and when I see all that you\u2019ve done out there it makes me think that we are going to be OK.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"08182026ncsummercompany4\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/08182026ncsummercompany4.jpg;w=960.jpeg\"\/)
\nParticipants in this year\u2019s Summer Company program were celebrated during an event at The Sandbox Centre in downtown Barrie on Tuesday. The program supports students aged 15 to 29 from Barrie, Simcoe County and Orillia who are returning to school in the fall. | Nikki Cole\/BarrieToday
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