The Société de développement économique Ilnu (SDEI) of Mashteuiatsh will be presenting on June 3^rd the Grande journée des petits entrepreneurs (great day of little entrepreneurs), an activity that aims to develop the entrepreneurial spirit of young people in the community aged between 5 and 17 years old.

The event is presented in collaboration with the SADC Lac-Saint-Jean-Ouest and is intended for all young people living on the territory of the Domaine-du-Roy RCM. The two partners have been presenting this activity since 2017. After a forced break in 2020 and 2021, the event made a strong return in 2022 with the participation of approximately fifty young entrepreneurs and more than 200 visitors.

An enriching experience

The event is part of the provincial day of the same name, which invites young people from Quebec to become entrepreneurs for a day. Young people are encouraged to develop their businesses themselves. To do this, there are two ways to proceed. The first is to develop their businesses on their own, without specific support. The second option is to follow the Parcours, a program developed by the provincial Grande journée team that includes the following themes: choosing the enterprise, writing a small business plan, implementing the business plan, marketing the enterprise, and ensuring promotion, sales, and customer service. This program requires more investment but allows young people to acquire more entrepreneurial knowledge. However, regardless of the option chosen, the collaboration and involvement of the parents of young people are essential factors for the success of this entrepreneurial experience.

In Mashteuiatsh, rather than inviting little entrepreneurs to sell the products of their small businesses at home, the young people are instead invited to gather at the Uashassihtsh site where tables are available. In recent years, all kinds of products have been developed and sold by young people, but arts and crafts and pastries still occupy a prominent place. Furthermore, entertainment call also be found on site including various games and contests, in short, everything is in place to make this day a great family activity. In case of rain, the event can be held in the venue pavilion, but if the number of young participants exceeds 50, the event will be held in the Amishk school gymnasium.

The main objective of the event is to develop the entrepreneurial spirit of young people, while also allowing for an intergenerational and intercultural exchange between the young participants, the people involved in their projects, and the visitors. As a bonus, this enriching experience makes the young entrepreneurs feel very proud of all the work accomplished.

Stimulating the entrepreneurial spirit at all ages

The SDEI is very active in terms of stimulating entrepreneurship in the community. Indeed, for many years now, it has been organizing entrepreneurial camps for women and young people. Young people who have become particularly interested in entrepreneurship during the Grande journée des petits entrepreneurs therefore have additional opportunities to develop their entrepreneurial skills as they grow older. Moreover, some people who participated in these entrepreneurial activities in previous years are now in business, which speaks to their relevance.

To participate, it is necessary to register in advance on the website of the Grande journée des petits entrepreneurs. You must then contact the SDEI team to confirm your participation in the event. For all the details concerning the event as well as the other entrepreneurial activities organized by the SDEI, we invite you to follow the organization’s Facebook page.