Backing for young entrepreneurs

Some say 'money is the root of all evil.' But for businesses, it must be rethought and adapted for the current economy. More like 'money is the root of all business.' It doesn't take a degree from HEC to understand that without fuel, the economic engine is going to have a hard time running. Taking the car metaphor a bit further, the closer an F1 car is to the lead at the beginning, the better start it's going to have. The better start it's going to have, the more likely it is to win the race.

That's why the CLD Centre-Ouest, run by St. Laurent's Economic Development council, gives out grants to new businesses – in order to get them closer to the front of the starting grid. The cheques were presented at a ceremony held June 20 at the borough hall. Of the ten recipients, four received non-guaranteed loans of $218,000, and six others, which have generated at least 13 new jobs among them since their inception, received grants ranging from $4,300 to $12,000.

Two recipients - Mélanie Grégoire and Anne Mancuso - spent time at the presentation talking about their experiences in their first year of business. Mancuso, who runs a cabinet-making business, talked how about her business had carved out a share of the market for itself in just one year. In that time, she went from two to 12 employees and does much business in the United States.

The Centre local de développement Centre-Ouest supports new businesses in St. Laurent through its financing programs and local funds, which add up to about $150,000 every year.

<@S2:Translated by Marc Lalonde<@$p>