Program for young entrepreneurs adapts to teach business during COVID-19

A program for young business people on P.E.I. has found creative ways to ensure that kids on the Island are still learning the ropes of entrepreneurship, despite a global pandemic.

Young Millionaires and Jeunes millionnaires,the francophone branch of the program, both offertraining and mentoring for kids between the ages of nine and 16 with an interest in pursuing a business idea.

"I know many businesses have been shifting towards that sort of online themselves with the COVID- 19 situation," said Rose Leger, the provincial co-ordinator of the Young Millionaires program.

"I figured it would probably be a good chance to have young entrepreneurs learn that kind of skill as well."

In the past, Young Millionaires has used in-person workshops and festivals across the province to help kids boost sales with their personal companies.

Leger said she was originally looking to update the program anyway to include more modern ways of doing business, like implementing social media to sell products. And withCOVID-19 restrictions in place, she said this was a good time to begin.

"I really found that this year was actually a great opportunity to really push that forward and actually start developing the skills to do that."

'Different way of doing things'

Butmoving a business online isn't always easy, according to nine-year-old Victor Corney, who has a reusable water bottle and sticker company in Charlottetown called Une Petite Affaire D'eau.

Victor is in his second year with Jeunesmillionnaires.

"I like going in person," he said. "Because of coronavirus, you can't be, like, right beside each other in humongous groups, because if you do you could spread the coronavirus."

Victor has had quite a bit of success with in-person sales. He said he's made upwards of $150 in total,with most of that success coming from the World Acadian Congress on P.E.I. last year.

Now he said he is "trying to sell online."

This year, Victor partnered up with Olivier Arsenault, who turns nine in September. Recently, the boys got a Facebook page running.

"We had to set them up with computers and do all the training online," said Melanie Morin, Victor's mom. "Meetings between the boys, a lot of it has been done online and setting up online shops.

"It's just a different way of doing things rather than just showing up with your products and people purchasing them."

'Great opportunity'

This year, there are 55 members in Young Millionaires. Jeunesmillionnaires has 14.

"I personally am super proud of what [Victor and Olivier] have done so far," said Samantha Lawther, a co-ordinator with Jeunesmillionnaires.

This will be a great opportunity to allow youth with all different personality types to excel at running and operating their own business. Rose Leger

"We might not have record sales but we're going to make it as much of an enriching experience for the kids as possible."

According to Leger, the plan moving forward is to keep the online portion of the curriculum.

She said while one benefit would be the skills to operate a company using technology, another is helping kids who are a little shy and struggle with in-person customer interaction.

"This will be a great opportunity to allow youth with all different personality types to excel at running and operating their own business," she said.

"Many youths of today are utilizing social media more than anybody in the past all they have to do is merge the idea of social media and business running or operation and being an entrepreneur and shift the mindset around."

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