Get busy with Biz Inc.
Starting your own business is a
daunting task. No matter how great
your idea is, there are so many
things to consider, from identifying
a target market to figuring out who
your competition will be to putting
together a business plan.
Biz Inc. is a student business incubator for Fanshawe College and Western University students, and it can help you take your business idea and turn it into a reality.
Whether you want to start your own business or you've already started one and are seeking some advice, Daniel Ninclaus is the man to know on campus. He's the Fanshawe Student Advisor for Biz Inc., and you can find him in his office in SUB 1035.
The help and services Biz Inc. offers is "unique for every project, really," explained John Patton, the project's director. "We try to give the benefit of some experience so that (students) don't have to repeat all the mistakes that we've all already made. We connect them up with community mentors, with different professionals and professional services and we make sure that they have a ready-made network on the ground here ready to help them make progress."
The project started in May 2011 on Western's campus, and came to Fanshawe in November of that year. It is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation, the London Economic Development Corporation, the Fanshawe Student Union, Fanshawe College and the University Students' Council at The University of Western Ontario.
Biz Inc. is currently working on over 100 projects with students from Fanshawe and Western. While most are tech-based, Patton said he and his team are always open to new ideas, from fashion to food and beyond.
On October 3, Biz Inc. will host Start Me Up, a free event on campus that will feature student speakers, food and a pop-up bar. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge in the SC building. Anyone is welcome to attend, from Fanshawe students and alumni to staff and faculty to friends. "Learn some information about what Biz Inc. can do for you, hear from some students who have been successful in starting their own business, hear about their stories, what kept them going … and then some networking at the end," said Samantha Laliberte, who does marketing and communications for Biz Inc.
"We have a growing network of community mentors, and other folks who are curious in watching this project, so some of them will probably show up as well," added Patton. "It'll be a few from banks here, there will be a few people from different small businesses in London that do some of the mentoring for us."
Start Me Up is a great introduction to Biz Inc. for students who may be curious as to what it's all about, said Laliberte. "We encourage them to come to that, hear from their peers, find out what their classmates are up to — there's a lot of stuff going on at the campuses that you wouldn't realize that maybe that person sitting beside you in class actually has their own business. That's what we're really trying to show, that there are students your age, in the same situation as you, for the most part, that are doing this, and you can do it too. And we're here to help."
Check Biz Inc. out online at bizinc.ca or on Twitter @BizIncLondon.
Biz Inc. is a student business incubator for Fanshawe College and Western University students, and it can help you take your business idea and turn it into a reality.
Whether you want to start your own business or you've already started one and are seeking some advice, Daniel Ninclaus is the man to know on campus. He's the Fanshawe Student Advisor for Biz Inc., and you can find him in his office in SUB 1035.
The help and services Biz Inc. offers is "unique for every project, really," explained John Patton, the project's director. "We try to give the benefit of some experience so that (students) don't have to repeat all the mistakes that we've all already made. We connect them up with community mentors, with different professionals and professional services and we make sure that they have a ready-made network on the ground here ready to help them make progress."
The project started in May 2011 on Western's campus, and came to Fanshawe in November of that year. It is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation, the London Economic Development Corporation, the Fanshawe Student Union, Fanshawe College and the University Students' Council at The University of Western Ontario.
Biz Inc. is currently working on over 100 projects with students from Fanshawe and Western. While most are tech-based, Patton said he and his team are always open to new ideas, from fashion to food and beyond.
On October 3, Biz Inc. will host Start Me Up, a free event on campus that will feature student speakers, food and a pop-up bar. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge in the SC building. Anyone is welcome to attend, from Fanshawe students and alumni to staff and faculty to friends. "Learn some information about what Biz Inc. can do for you, hear from some students who have been successful in starting their own business, hear about their stories, what kept them going … and then some networking at the end," said Samantha Laliberte, who does marketing and communications for Biz Inc.
"We have a growing network of community mentors, and other folks who are curious in watching this project, so some of them will probably show up as well," added Patton. "It'll be a few from banks here, there will be a few people from different small businesses in London that do some of the mentoring for us."
Start Me Up is a great introduction to Biz Inc. for students who may be curious as to what it's all about, said Laliberte. "We encourage them to come to that, hear from their peers, find out what their classmates are up to — there's a lot of stuff going on at the campuses that you wouldn't realize that maybe that person sitting beside you in class actually has their own business. That's what we're really trying to show, that there are students your age, in the same situation as you, for the most part, that are doing this, and you can do it too. And we're here to help."
Check Biz Inc. out online at bizinc.ca or on Twitter @BizIncLondon.
