Assistance for entrepreneurs and future entrepreneurs
Whether it's training, personalized coaching, networking events, access to entrepreneurial resources or financing support, the SÉO team has a great deal of expertise to assist business owners or future business people, guide them and contribute to their success.
We offer a wide range of services and programs, from coaching and training through our business incubator, to our mentoring and takeover support programs. See the tabs below for more details.
Running a business while continuing to grow it is a challenge. As an entrepreneur, sometimes you need to consult with someone else to help you figure things out.
The professionals on the entrepreneurship team at the SÉO are GrowthWheel® certified. Growthwheel is a tool that helps them better guide you through the growth process. In addition to the many resources they can put at your disposal — templates for business plans, financial forecasts or market studies — these people have the expertise to help you with :
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identifying new business opportunities;
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preparing and analyzing financial forecasts;
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optimizing your business and marketing plans;
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finding new sources of financing;
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identifying different financing options for your business;
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360-degree analysis of your business;
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and much more.
Looking for financing for your business or organization? Fill out our form and a member of our team will contact you.
Statistical market information is important when conducting market research or business planning. Do you need such information? Fill out our form and a member of our team will contact you.
For all other services, please fill out our general form.
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You want to start your own business? But how do you get there? There's a lot of information out there and you feel overwhelmed. The members of the SÉO Entrepreneurship team can help you figure it out.
The SÉO’s GrowthWheel® certified entrepreneurship professionals can guide you through the process. They can provide sound advice, guidance through the business validation and financing processes, and online resources such as sample business plans, financial forecasts and market research.
First and foremost, we strongly encourage new entrepreneurs to register with our virtual business incubator, EntrepreneuriatSÉO, to ensure that they have the necessary tools and information at hand.
EntrepreneuriatSÉO, a virtual French-language business incubator, offers comprehensive training in French to Ontarians interested in starting a business. Participants will learn the basics of starting a business with the guidance and expertise of the SÉO team and its partners.
Interested parties can register in the general training program or in one of the specialized learning streams that are tailored to the specific type of business they wish to start or the demographic group they belong to: Early Childhood, Women Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship 50+, Community Interpretation, Entrepreneurship, for Immigrants, Neo-agriculture, Black Women Entrepreneurs, Youth Entrepreneurship.
Whether you are a business neophyte or an experienced person, the success and sustainability of your business is a constant goal. But sometimes, nestled at the top of your pyramid, you feel alone in your thinking and your approach. The SÉO offers you a solution.
Thanks to the SEO’s mentoring program, you have access to a base of over 600 coaches from all walks of life: business owners like yourself, former business people, or individuals whose training and career paths have allowed them to acquire specific expertise.
Let someone with business experience accompany you on your entrepreneurial journey. Our mentoring service, which is based on trust and mutual respect, could even help accelerate the development of your business. In fact, did you know that more than 70 percent of the businesses whose managers call upon mentoring services pass the five-year mark?
Are you interested in mentoring? Fill out our form and a SÉO representative will contact you. For more details, see our backgrounder (in French only). You can also read our blogs (in French only).
Are you a passionate, dynamic, energetic and creative young person? Have you ever thought about starting your own business?
The SÉO places a great deal of importance on the next generation of business people in French Ontario. After all, small- and medium-sized businesses are essential components of the social and economic fabric of its communities. That's where the JeunInno program comes in, which is offered in collaboration with certain school boards. One of the mandates of this program, whose main objective is to counter the exodus of young people from Francophone communities, is to help you awaken your entrepreneurial spirit.
As part of this program, the SÉO offers the following services
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Entrepreneurship awareness activities;
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Training on the structure and preparation of a business plan;
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Support and coaching for young entrepreneurs;
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Assistance in organizing entrepreneurship-related activities such as camps, business visits, one-day conferences, and so on.
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You want to sell your business but you don't have a succession plan. Well, you're not alone. Studies show that nearly 60% of small business owners want to sell their business, but like you, they're not ready. But don't worry! It's not too late! And the SÉO can help you get there. Through its network, SÉO experts can help prospective sellers like you get ready and put you in touch with a potential buyer or group of buyers.
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Looking to buy a business? Taking over an existing business is a great way to become an entrepreneur without having to start from scratch. The business already has employees, assets and a customer base. And for people who want to immigrate to Canada, buying a business can be an interesting option. The SÉO can help you by putting you in touch with entrepreneurs who are looking to sell their business in the next few years. You will also benefit from the knowledge and skills the SÉO entrepreneurship team have to offer.
It's a win-win solution for both parties.
Over the past few years, the SÉO has continued to improve its expertise in this area, while organizing activities to support both buyers and sellers. One of these activities was the development of a microprogram in the form of a series of webinars presented by individuals with expertise in human resources, accounting, business law and finance. This microprogram provided interested individuals with a better understanding of how to successfully acquire a business.
Are you interested?
The business sector is constantly evolving. It is therefore essential to keep abreast of new trends or new opportunities and update your knowledge of entrepreneurship.
Each year, the SÉO entrepreneurship team offers hundreds of workshops, webinars, information sessions and other activities to help entrepreneurs and future business people improve their knowledge or acquire new information.
Topics covered include, among others :
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Business planning skills
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GrowthWheel for entrepreneurs
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Leadership skills
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Management skills
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Market trends
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Dealing with employees
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Being an effective entrepreneur
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Time management
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Developing effective marketing
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And much more.
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