Community Futures Peterborough Celebrates Two Years of the Business Advisory Centre, Smashing Provincial Targets and Expanding Support for Regional Entrepreneurs

PETERBOROUGH, ON – October 13, 2026 – Two years after launching the Business Advisory Centre (BAC), Community Futures Peterborough is celebrating a period of significant growth, record-breaking program participation, and strong outcomes for businesses across the region achieving 301% of provincial consultation targets in fiscal year 2025/26.

The Business Advisory Centre is part of Ontario’s Small Business Advisory Centre (OSBAC) network, a province-wide network of locally delivered business support organizations. Through the OSBAC network, the Government of Ontario funds programs and services that help entrepreneurs and small businesses start, grow and succeed. Community Futures Peterborough delivers these provincially supported programs locally through the BAC, connecting entrepreneurs with accessible, community-based advice, resources and supports tailored to the needs of the region.

The partnership between Community Futures Peterborough and the Government of Ontario has enabled the BAC to expand its reach and strengthen the support available to local entrepreneurs, while maintaining a strong focus on responsive, locally delivered business services.

Since the Business Advisory Centre launched in 2024, the BAC has responded to growing demand for accessible, local business support across the City of Peterborough, Peterborough County, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation.

“The opportunity for Community Futures Peterborough to deliver Ontario Small Business Advisory Centres (OSBAC) programming is a natural fit for our organization,” says Devon Girard, Executive Director of Community Futures Peterborough. “By bringing business advisory services and financing together under one roof, we have created a more seamless experience for entrepreneurs and business owners. Our goal is to remove barriers, simplify the process, and ensure businesses can access the guidance and capital they need to start, grow, and succeed right here in our region.”

In its first two years, the BAC has not only met provincial performance targets, but surpassed them, reaching key targets significantly ahead of schedule while continuing to see record demand for its services grow.

Two years in, the Business Advisory Centre boasts a total of 1047 in-depth consultations, with 546 unique businesses supported and provided education to over 1700 unique businesses through its free, in-person workshops. The BAC has helped entrepreneurs at every stage of their business journey, from developing an initial idea to launching, growing, and strengthening an established business.

“Our goal from the beginning was to create a Business Advisory Centre that entrepreneurs could rely on, not just for one conversation, but throughout the different stages of their business,” says Rosalea Terry, Manager, Business Advisory Centre & Corporate Communications at Community Futures Peterborough. “The results we’ve seen over the past two years show us that businesses are looking for that relationship-based support. They want someone who understands their business, remembers where they’re at and can help them navigate what comes next.”

The BAC’s provincially funded programs have also experienced significant growth over the past two years, with record-breaking cohorts and participation numbers in both Starter Company Plus and Summer Company. Together, the two programs have disbursed $214,000 in grants to entrepreneurs in the region, helping participants turn ideas into businesses, strengthen existing operations and take meaningful steps toward growth.

“A strong economy starts with people who are willing to take a chance, build a business and create opportunities for others. Community Futures Peterborough’s Business Advisory Centre is helping make that possible, supporting hundreds of businesses and contributing to job creation across our region. Exceeding provincial consultation targets by 301 per cent is an outstanding achievement and shows what can happen when entrepreneurs have access to practical advice, mentorship and the resources they need to succeed,” says Dave Smith, MPP Peterborough-Kawartha. “Supporting small businesses means supporting local jobs, stronger communities and a more competitive Ontario.”

These programs provide more than financial support. Participants receive training, mentorship and one-on-one business guidance designed to give them the tools and confidence to make informed decisions as they build their businesses.

“Seeing the growth in these programs has been incredibly rewarding,” says Devon Girard, Executive Director of Community Futures Peterborough. “We’ve had a record number of applications for Starter Company Plus and Summer Company, demonstrating a continued commitment by those in our region to start and grow their business. The momentum is not slowing down and it is exactly what we hoped to build.”

The Business Advisory Centre consistently sees strong outcomes from the entrepreneurs and businesses it supports. Through in-depth consultations and ongoing advisory services, clients are moving ideas forward, launching and growing businesses, creating jobs, and building greater confidence in their next steps.

“Strong local businesses are at the heart of a strong local economy. The Business Advisory Centre is helping entrepreneurs turn ideas into businesses, grow existing operations and create jobs right here in our community,” says Jeff Leal, Mayor of Peterborough. “As our regional Ontario Small Business Advisory Centre, the City of Peterborough is proud to support this important work and the partnerships that help ensure local entrepreneurs have access to the advice, resources and connections they need to succeed.”

The approach is intentionally relationship-based. Rather than providing a one-time answer and sending a business on its way, advisors work alongside entrepreneurs as their needs change.

“Business owners rarely have just one challenge,” says Terry. “The question they have today might be about starting their business. Six months later, they may need help with marketing, lending, hiring, or planning for growth. We want to be the place they know they can come back to when that next question comes up.”

That ongoing relationship has become a defining part of the Business Advisory Centres, with a client retention rate of 37% with over the past two years.

“In rural communities like Peterborough County, the success of our economy is built one small business at a time. Entrepreneurs, family-owned businesses, and local innovators are the backbone of our communities, creating jobs, supporting main streets, and contributing to the quality of life that makes our region such a desirable place to live, work, visit, and invest,” says Bonnie Clark, Warden, Peterborough County. “Programs such as Starter Company Plus, Summer Company, and the one-on-one business advisory services delivered through the Business Advisory Centre are providing entrepreneurs with the knowledge, mentorship, and confidence they need to succeed. On behalf of Peterborough County, I want to congratulate Community Futures Peterborough on two exceptional years of delivering these important services. Their commitment to supporting business owners at every stage of their journey is helping to foster a strong entrepreneurial culture and ensuring Peterborough County remains a welcoming and business-friendly destination for future growth.”

As Community Futures Peterborough begins its third year delivering the OSBAC programming, it remains focused on continuing to expand access to business support, strengthen partnerships and respond to the evolving needs of entrepreneurs across the region.

“We’re incredibly proud of what the team and the businesses we support have accomplished in just two years,” says Girard. “But the numbers are only part of the story. Every consultation represents a person taking a risk, pursuing an idea, creating something new or trying to make their business better. Being able to support those entrepreneurs through that process is what makes this work so meaningful.”

Key Business Advisory Centre Data:

• Over the past two years, the Business Advisory Centre (BAC) has responded to 1,702 inquiries, delivered 1,047 in-depth consultations, and supported 546 unique businesses. More than half (56.5%) were start-ups, while 43.5% were existing businesses focused on growth.
• Businesses supported through the BAC have launched 227 new businesses, sustained, or expanded 336 businesses, completed 10 business acquisitions, and created 414 jobs.
• Through two Starter Company Plus cohorts, 41 entrepreneurs graduated, resulting in $178,000 in grants, 20 new businesses launched, 35 business expansions, two business acquisitions, and 78 jobs created.
• Record interest in youth entrepreneurship has driven the success of the Summer Company program, with $36,000 awarded to 12 student-run businesses, creating 23 jobs. All participants reported an increased interest in pursuing entrepreneurship as a future career path.
• The BAC’s SOAR program has supported 42 established businesses through three cohorts and nine expert-led sessions focused on growth, expansion, and business sustainability.
• The BAC delivered 115 workshops on more than 50 business topics, attracting 1,769 participants, and featuring guidance from 21 expert facilitators.
• The BAC celebrated 12 business grand openings across the region, with 67% located in the City of Peterborough and 33% in Peterborough County.
• To address common business challenges identified through lending and advisory services, the BAC developed a suite of practical guides, toolkits, and templates that have been downloaded more than 1,280 times.

About Community Futures Peterborough

Community Futures Peterborough (CFP) has a mission to support small businesses with flexible financing in the City of Peterborough and Peterborough County. It has invested more than $44 million in 1,900+ small businesses since 1985, creating or maintaining more than 4,900 jobs in the City of Peterborough and Peterborough County. CFP is a not-for-profit organization funded by the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), as part of the Community Futures Program. Ontario Small Business Advisory Centres deliver provincially funded programs and services that help entrepreneurs start, grow, and succeed. With more than 50 centres across Ontario, OSBACs foster local business growth and strengthen communities across the province. The Business Advisory Centre also receives operational funding from the City of Peterborough and Peterborough County.

Media Contact:

Devon Girard, Executive Director
devon@cfpeterborough.ca

Cell: 705-957-3641