You can give back to your business community, inspire others …and yourself. And, all you need to spend is a little of your time.

Business mentoring  – offering  the next generation of entrepreneurs the benefit of your expertise and experience is an honoured tradition in the business community world-wide. Opportunities to be a business mentor in Durham abound.

Think back to your own beginnings in business. Chances are you had one or more mentors who helped you leap the inevitable hurdles, avoid the pitfalls and bridge the gaps in knowledge, skills and experience that are part of becoming a successful business professional and entrepreneur. This summer, you can pay it forward by playing a part in creating Durham’s business leaders of the future.

Just 5 hours of your time makes a lifetime of difference.

Summer Company is an innovative program sponsored by the government of Ontario and coordinated in the Durham region by the BACD Business Advisory Centre Durham. Designed to inspire young people, ages 15-29, to consider entrepreneurship as a career option, the program provides awards up to $3000 to help cover the costs of business start-up and training to provide the knowledge, skills and practical hands-on experience they need to succeed. 

Mentoring is a vital part of the Summer Company program. Contributing a minimum of 5 hours over the summer months of May through August, Summer Company volunteer mentors provide advice, guidance and support to youth staring their first business. 

It makes all the difference. To a person, the student entrepreneurs cite the help of their mentor as the most important factor in the success of their venture.  

As a mentor, you gain, too.

Guiding and coaching a young entrepreneur is a rewarding experience for the mentor, too. Summer Company mentors report that they get great satisfaction in supporting the success of a young entrepreneur. Mentors also benefit from the education and development they receive from BACD as coaches and from connections they make with other mentors and the broader business community through the association with BA CD and the Summer Company program. 

Don’t think you’re ready to advise anyone? Think again.

Years of experience aren’t the determining factor in being an effective mentor.  Business acumen and strong communication are.  A mentor’s role is definitely to give advice and guidance  but listening to understand  concerns, then asking questions to help your protégé think through the issue to a solution is also important  to being an effective mentor .

If you would like to learn more about being a Summer Company volunteer Mentor , contact  Wenda Abel, 905-668-4949 X 226 for more information .

Do you have a hot new invention or the next million-dollar idea? Think you have the money-making chops to  take on the savviest business tycoons in the country? Then Dragons’ Den wants to hear from you!

The DRAGONS’ DEN production team will be in Oshawa scouting for Season Six of the hit series on CBC Television. The show gives aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their businesses to a panel of wealthy Canadian moguls for the chance to earn real cash and real investment – from Dragons’ own pockets!

Open audtiions are taking place on March 18th, 2010 from 11am – 6pm at the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, 44 Richmond St. W., Unit 100.

No experience is necessary – just be ready to pitch your business in under five minutes. If you can convince producers you’re ready for the limelight, you can be invited to face the Dragons when the upcoming season is filmed in Toronto.

As an extra incentive this year – entrepreneurs with an eco-friendly business, invention or idea could qualify for a $100,000 Greenvention prize from Sun Chips.

Please apply online and bring your completed application form to the auditions. More details can be found on the show’s website at cbc.ca/dragonsden.

Dragon’s Den airs on CBC Television at 8pm Wednesday nights. Full episodes and web extras can be viewed on the Dragons’ Den website.

Paul Dobbs, Santa, Gary Round

Cher Leveille with Santa

Santa made a surprise appearance at DHSBA’s December Networking Extravaganza. With donations from DHSBA members and proceeds from the silent auction, Santa and Gary Round, DHSBA President donated $310 to Paul Dobbs from John Howard Society. During the evening Paul explained how John Howard Society put funds to good use in employment and counselling programs to help people in need get back on their feet. Thanks to all who participated in this wonderful event.

The members of the teams are as follows:

Team #1 – Total for the Year $25.83
Jenny McKee
Zoe Tsoraklidis
Will Mitchell
Peter Cluff
Rene St Aubin
Joe Schmidt
Greg Ellis
Sean Howard
Mark Wildman
Charles Jayarajan
Andrew Wells
Team #2 – Total for the year $10.38
Diana Nauffts
Christine Raynor
Shelley Azzano
Colleen Moynham
Betty Cadotte
Honey Turner
Barb Jones
Doug Heard
Karen Hunt
Gerald Donegan
Sophia Harrison
Team #3 – Total for the year $13.07
Dominic Vessio
Corry Hamilton
Janet Boccone
Sue Sutcliffe
Marshall Spencer
Neal Pedder
Dianne Edwards
Lori Douglas
Paul Dobbs
Carol Gartner
Cathy Minz
Team #4 – Total for the year $11.54
Lita Vessio
Lori Prentice
Deborah daSilva
Mike Hurley
Ed Turner
Kathy Davies
Vaughn Lal
Bob Morrison
Betty Penny
Aaron Gartner
Claude Lessard
Team #5 – Total for the year $22.69
Cher Leveille
Linda Ruddy
Mike Schumann
Greg Akeson
Rosemarie Sood
Gary Round
Sandra Cousins
Mark Krupa
Stephanie Herarra
Julie Gill
Stephanie Wells
Team #6 – Total for the year $3.23
Lu Cluff
Dennis Hebert
Aprille Janes
Ryan Day
Nicky Lehwald
Laura Sciore
Christine Chown
Mark De Leon
Joan Peterkin
Carol Ann Walker
Michelle Gill
Kathryn Hotte
David Hooker

Let’s get some team spirit going!!! Don’t let your team be stuck at the bottom of this list!

Team Members Include:

Cher Leveille
Linda Ruddy
Mike Schumann
Greg Akeson
Rosemarie Sood
Gary Round
Sandra Cousins
Mark Krupa

Total money collected for the month = $39.45

If you won’t stand behind our troops,

Please stand in front of them.

This makes me think every time I see it. My 17 year old son is considering enlisting at the end of this school year. I have very mixed feelings about this. I am honoured and proud to think of my son wanting to serve his country but then am also terrified as a mother. Today is a day where we can honour any and all who were and are affected by times of war. Whether you choose to remember and pay respect to the soldier on the front line, the wife who was left behind, or even the farmer who stayed behind to feed the country he loved. Every person is affected in one way or another.

Please take 2 minutes today and reflect upon your freedom. Whether you believe in war or not, you are free and are able to voice your opinion – without those willing to fight for you, you might not have that freedom today.

Lori J Prentice

Vice-President, |DHSBA