Presentation to the
South East Regional College Management Team
Business Incubator/Artisan Cooperative

Background: This proposed project arose out of a desire to continue to build on two successful initiatives that have already been developed in Montmartre - Centre 48 and the Farmers Market. The Montmartre Economic Development Committee (EDC) launched both of these popular projects and now sees an opportunity to build and expand on them. Discussions between the EDC, Centre 48 and the University of Regina resulted in the formulation of this unique business incubator/artisan cooperative idea. Montmartre’s EDC believes that by developing this initiative, we can meet many local needs - like training individuals, getting new businesses off the ground and attracting people to Montmartre to live and shop. We see this tying into both the Farmers Market and Centre 48 as the incubator is a natural progression for some of the people involved in those two programs. We also see the incubator tying into our other goals which include the establishment of a tourism sector based on our agricultural and First Nations assets.

Our vision of a business incubator: Our business incubator would be a place where a number of small and emerging businesses/crafters/cottage industry workers could set up shop jointly. By working together under one roof (with shared rent, a central phone line, secretary, joint shipping costs, etc.) the cost for individuals to get into business is greatly reduced. The business incubator would essentially help reduce the barriers to getting into business and make it affordable for individuals who feel they couldn’t make it on their own.

Our incubator would also have a support feature which would provide information to existing and emerging businesses. We’d like to have an employee available to counsel business owners and to coordinate joint shipping and marketing initiatives.

How does the EDC envision our incubator working? The EDC would like to see a business incubator/artisan cooperative set up in Montmartre which has four elements:

1. Counseling component - an employee would be hired to provide counseling services to existing and potential business owners. We envision this operating out of the Village Office to start, so that those wanting to start a business in the region would have a place to direct inquiries, get support and access information about business opportunities, business startup assistance our new incubator project. While the overhead to establish a business in Montmartre is very low, shipping and marketing costs are high. We see the incubator project bringing local businesses together to pool their resources and establish cooperative initiatives which could reduce the costs of these two barriers.

2. Training component - Those participants who are serious about starting a business and have been adequately screened would then have the opportunity to take courses to develop business skills they are missing ie/. marketing, accounting, internet selling, shipping and receiving, etc. We see this component being highly tailored to suit the needs of participants as many of them will be working around existing jobs and they will have varying needs based on their educational backgrounds.

3. Mentoring component - participants in the incubator program would be partnered with existing businesses so they could learn in a hands-on environment what it takes to operate a business.

4. Incubator - We envision our cooperative having two parts:

a. Commercial building - this would be a space where participants would sell their products ie/. jewelry, jams, furniture, photographs, paintings, Native moccasins, etc. All participants in the program would have their commercial space in one building. We are hopeful that this space could have an eatery component, like a soup and sandwich bar, to further attract customers.

b. Workshop building - this would be a space where participants would create their goods. This building could house things like glassmaking equipment, metal working tools, welding equipment, pottery wheel and kiln, a dark room, a music recording studio, etc. The artisans in the program would use this space to make their wares, as well as using it to offer courses and workshops to those who want to learn a trade.

Partnership opportunities:

The University of Regina has already offered to be a partner, although its areas of expertise would be of limited value in a project that does not necessarily require university training.

Other agencies which may support a project of this nature:

• Regional Economic Development Associations
• Industry and Resources Dept.
• Sunrise Community Futures Corp.
• Western Diversification Fund
• Southeast Regional College
• The Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development Fund
• Saskatchewan Economic Development Association
• Sask. Tourism
• Department of Rural Revitalization
• Sask. Culture
• Arts Board
and others