Empowering Entrepreneurs: Community Futures Peterborough and Scotiabank Open Applications for the Transformative 2023 ScaleUP Program
July 27, 2023 – PETERBOROUGH, ON Ambitious business owners looking to grow and scale operations now have a transformative advisory program available to support them. Community Futures Peterborough (CFP) and Scotiabank have partnered to present ScaleUP, a program designed to help local businesses grow.
“Business owners in the community have told us they are facing roadblocks when making key decisions about when and how to scale their operations,” says Devon Girard, Executive Director of Community Futures Peterborough. “Encouraging sustainable employment within our region is central to our mission at Community Futures Peterborough. The ScaleUP 2023 program has been specially designed to address this, offering a custom roadmap that guides entrepreneurs through the complex landscape of sustainable growth.”
The ScaleUP program was first piloted by CFP in 2022 and successfully supported the scaling of 6 local women-led businesses. Thanks to a partnership with Scotiabank, the program has now doubled the number of seats available for area businesses.
“Scotiabank has long been committed to supporting entrepreneurs and we are excited to be part of this initiative in partnership with Community Futures Peterborough. The support this program offers to participants is aligned to the advice we deliver to our customers through personalized conversations and planning that can position them to grow their business,” says Chris Skinner, Scotiabank’s District Vice President of Ontario Central East.
The 2023 cohort of entrepreneurs will be led by Diane Richard, a seasoned industry consultant, and a team of regional experts. They will learn in a mix of classroom sessions and, crucially, one-on-one strategic consultations tailored to their unique growth opportunities. The cohort will delve into crucial areas such as financial management, supply chain optimization, people management, crisis control, organizational structuring, and creating effective policies. The program will finish with a tailor-made growth plan for sustainable expansion.
“Seeing the growth and evolution of local businesses is genuinely rewarding. The ScaleUP program aims to drive expansion and equip entrepreneurs with long-term strategies for success,” shares Diane Richard. “It’s about building thriving businesses, contributing to our local economy, and creating employment opportunities.”
Nancy Wiskel, the owner of Dan Joyce Clothing, expanded to a second location following the completion of the 2022 ScaleUP pilot. “The program has positively influenced the health of my business,” she says. “I’m now more proactive with my staff and contractors and have developed a critical view of my supply chain, leading to open and constructive discussions with suppliers.”
“The ScaleUP program far exceeded my expectations in multiple ways,” shares Roxanne McDonald-Brown, owner of Renew Medical Aesthetics and a 2022 ScaleUP graduate. “Diane, our mentor, was a powerhouse of support and knowledge. But it was more than just a learning experience. The bonds I formed with fellow entrepreneurs, who offered mutual support throughout the process, have become one of my favourite aspects of the program. Even post-program, we continue to meet at local restaurants, discussing triumphs and challenges. This sense of community and belonging we’ve cultivated is unparalleled.”
Applications for the 2023 ScaleUP program are open to businesses located within Peterborough City or County. Interested entrepreneurs can apply via the Community Futures Peterborough website today.
About Community Futures Peterborough
Community Futures Peterborough has a mission to support small businesses with flexible financing in the City and County of Peterborough. It has invested more than $40 million in 1,100+ small businesses since 1985, creating or maintaining more than 4,100 jobs in the City and the 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.
About FedDev Ontario
For 13 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth, and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s Twitter, Facebook,Instagram, and LinkedIn.
About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: “for every future”, we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products, and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of over 90,000 employees and assets of over $1.3 trillion (as at April 30, 2023), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @Scotiabank.
Media Contact:
Devon Girard, Executive Director
Mobile: 705-957-3641