Business ideas contest

A new contest will help local area youth learn how to best present their business ideas.

The idea for the contest started following the 2013 TransActions Conference in the city, explained Dale Domres, Director of Economic Development with Yorkton Tribal Council (YTC).

At the conference last year "we tried to do a youth focus on the first day," he said, adding the turn out was not as good as he had hoped.

So at the recent Conference held in the city in November the event had evolved to a one-day event targeted exclusively at youth "geared toward entrepreneurship," said Domres.

Domres said a contest to get youth involved in thinking business was a natural. He said there are several higher profile competitions for business plans, but they wanted to go a bit more basic locally.

"We wanted something more as a fun thing, encouraging kids to think about a business idea and then take it a bit further," he said.

The idea is to get youth, aged 16-18 developing ideas for business, and then provide "some tools" through training sessions and mentorship to give them a better idea how to make an idea viable.

Domres said the overall process is to get youth doing the homework needed once they have a business idea.

"We want them to think about the tools you need for a business plan," he said, adding a plan comes out of having a good initial idea then researching to make sure the idea is potentially viable.

The contest is offering cash prizes in five categories; Agriculture - Science - Techonolgy - Environment, Social Enterprise, Retail Goods, Services, Arts - Culture - Tourism, plus a number of special awards.

Domres said the challenge is open to students within the ages outlined with in an area approximately 100 kilometres of the city. Within that area 16 high schools have been contacted with information.

Deadline for entry in Dec. 11.

The Youth Business Idea Project is being presented through a partnership between the YTC, Yorkton Chamber of Commerce and Dreambuilders Learning Centre.

Addition information can be accessed by contacting Domres at 782-3644 or [email protected] or Juanita Polegi at 783-4388 or [email protected]