Design and Innovation - Vaughan celebrates Small Business Week
Image
City brings local and international leaders together to create new possibilities for business growth
This year, Vaughan Small
Business Week is kicking off in the City’s new downtown – the Vaughan
Metropolitan Centre (VMC) – which is generating significant economic growth and
development. The launch event takes place on Oct. 21 at KPMG, the first office
tower in the VMC.
To mark Vaughan Small
Business Week, which runs from Oct. 21 to 27, the City of Vaughan is bringing
together local leaders and inspiring speakers to create new opportunities for
business innovation. In collaboration with community partners, the City and the
Vaughan Business Enterprise Centre (VBEC) are hosting seminars, workshops and
events at a variety of locations. Topics will range from youth entrepreneurship
and financing to media, marketing and hiring incentive programs.
Another highlight of
the first day of this special week will be the Vaughan International
Commercialization Centre’s (VICC) Test City Showcase at the Bridge@Lebovic, a soft-landing
and shared office space that operates out of the Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Jewish
Community Campus. Through the VICC’s Test City Program, organizations will be
able to test and demonstrate Smart City products and services from across North
America on a city-wide scale.
QUOTE
“Small business is
the backbone of a successful city and the power behind a strong local economy.
This week is a celebration of the entrepreneurs in Vaughan who take risks, make
investments, create jobs and generate opportunities. As a growing city, we take
pride in knowing that these ventures have been built by people who started with
an idea and worked hard to make it grow. It is gratifying to witness the
innovation and forward-thinking that bring new ideas and concepts to the
marketplace. Our small business community is diverse and dynamic, and their desire
to succeed speaks to the commitment to working together to build our great
city.”
-Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua
QUICK FACTS
- In the City of Vaughan, more than 80 per cent of businesses are small, employing fewer than 20 people.
- The program highlights for Small Business Week include:
- Youth Entrepreneurship Workshop: Oct. 24 in the Multi-Purpose Room at Vaughan City Hall – this session will help young entrepreneurs learn how to make their business a success
- Vaughan Think Tank: Oct. 24 in the Multi-Purpose Room at Vaughan City Hall – it will provide a forum for local businesses to solve challenges and foster growth through collaboration
- Finance Symposium: Oct. 25 at Vaughan City Hall – learn how to prepare funding applications and meet representatives from leading institutions such as BDC, RBC and JD Factors
- Incentive Programs for Hiring: Oct. 25 at COSTI Employment Services, 3100 Rutherford Rd. – local businesses can learn about available funding that will help them hire their next employees
- Dress for Success at Vaughan Mills: Oct. 26 – learn the dos and don’ts of dressing for success
- Media and Marketing Forum: Oct. 27 in the Multi-Purpose Room at Vaughan City Hall – meet and network directly with marketing and media professionals
- VBEC provides one-stop services for aspiring entrepreneurs and existing Vaughan business owners – it offers information, resources, training and hands-on assistance.
- Entrepreneurs can access VBEC services by booking one-on-one or group consultations or attending VBEC business seminars and events. For more information, visit vaughan.ca/VBEC.
- The VICC is a progressive economic development initiative led by the City of Vaughan in partnership with more than 100 local and international companies, institutions and not-for-profit organizations. For more information, visit vaughan.ca/VICC.
LEARN MORE