The Ontario government is investing millions of dollars to help young entrepreneurs.
The province is investing an additional $2-million in Futurpreneur Canada to help more young people develop and launch businesses.
This funding will support 320 young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 to 39 with access to financing, mentorship and support to start and grow their own businesses.
The announcement was made Tuesday by Nina Tangri, the Associate Minister of Small Business.
Futurpreneur Canada is a national not-for-profit organization that connects aspiring business owners with collateral-free loans of up to $75,000, two years of mentorship and in-person programming.
Janis Nixon, Chief Growth Officer at Futurpreneur Canada, says this funding will support 320 young entrepreneurs.
"It's significant, it's a portion of loan capital that the government of Ontario is providing to entrepreneurs, so when the government says they're here to support entrepreneurs across the province - they really are. And their commitment to Futurpreneur helps us do the work, and have the impact across the province."
Markie Tuckett, owner and designer at Timber + Plumb, went through Futurpreneur in 2018 when she started her business.
She says Windsor has a great small business community that continues to grow.
"Those who are owning businesses now are trying to be as resilient as possible with tariffs, and everything coming into place. But also with that being said, if someone has a dream and they want to start a business, this isn't going to hold them back, this is nothing, at the end of the day there's always going to be something when you start a business, there's always going to be challenges, so I think with Windsor we have a great small business community and I think it's just going to continue to thrive."
Tuckett says she's seen firsthand how this program helps entrepreneurs.
"No bank would look twice at me because I was 25 and I had $10 in my savings account. I looked around and I actually found Futurpreneur on Google, and I reached out to them and within a week I had a response to connect with somebody to start talking about getting funding for my business. So I took a $45,000 loan and paid it back within five years."
Since 2021, Ontario has provided $9-million in funding to Futurpreneur, helping to start and grow close to 1,200 businesses and create over 5,000 jobs across the province.
Timber + Plumb - located on Wyandotte Street East - offers curated designs for any of rooms that require custom cabinetry.