BRUNO — The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in this region, and the Sagehill Community Futures staff has more than 50 years of experience working with small business owners.
They look forward to speaking with entrepreneurs about their business ideas.
Sagehill helps rural entrepreneurs and small business owners in this region of Saskatchewan achieve their dreams by providing loans, advice, training and support. Whether it is providing answers to questions, lending a compassionate ear to listen, or supporting individuals on their journey to small business success, they have been helping entrepreneurs start and grow small businesses since 1985.
Every business is important, and during Small Business Week, Sagehill Community Futures is celebrating the next generation of entrepreneurs through its launch of the Youth Side Hustle Program, a free, hands-on training program designed for creative and motivated youth ages 12-18 across the Sagehill Region. The side hustle is a part-time job or occupation undertaken in addition to one’s regular employment, or, as in the case of youth, in addition to school. Entrepreneurship builds confidence, flexibility, and skills that last a lifetime. For youth, especially those with visible or invisible disabilities, self-employment can offer an empowering, accessible future.
Through the program, young people can explore their strengths and determine whether entrepreneurship is the right fit for them. With a focus on confidence, self-awareness, and mental health, the seven beginner-friendly online modules will walk participants through business planning, brand creation and finding customers, and building basic business skills like budgeting, pricing and marketing. The one-on-one mentorship and coaching will help them “explore how their unique strengths can become a foundation for a business.”
Sagehill also has an adult version of the program, simply called the Side Hustle Program, for aspiring entrepreneurs with a business idea. Like the youth version, the goal of the program is to help bring ideas to life in a step-by-step manner. The program provides a guided experience through six practical modules to help motivated individuals in the Community Futures Sagehill region build and launch their business. The Side Hustle Program is open to Indigenous entrepreneurs, individuals with disabilities, newcomers to Canada, and anyone with a great business idea. The adult program includes six self-guided, beginner-friendly interactive modules described as “engaging and designed to get your business off the ground.”
To be eligible to participate in the Side Hustle Program, entrepreneurs must reside within the Community Futures Sagehill region, have a business idea they are ready to explore, complete all six modules, and submit proof of business-related expenses.
Funding for Community Futures offices and the Community Futures Network of Canada (CFNC) is provided by the Government of Canada’s Regional Development Agencies. The CFNC association actively supports Canada’s 267 member offices and is guided by a Board of Directors comprised of Community Futures representatives from across the country. Community Futures can access specific government programs that can provide seed money for community development.
Community Futures and the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) have a longstanding collaboration dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs in rural and remote communities across Canada. Together, they now offer the Business Elevation Loan, which enables small businesses to access larger loans and tailored support through their local Community Futures office.
The Saskatchewan Small Business Profile, released this week, notes that in 2024, there were 154,278 small businesses in the province, giving Saskatchewan a per capita rate of 124 small businesses for every 1,000 people, the second-highest rate in the country. A small business is defined as one that has fewer than 50 employees. The report shows they make up 98.8 percent of businesses in Saskatchewan, employ over 30 percent of the province’s workforce and pay out nearly $7.8 billion in wages and salaries.
“Small businesses are the heartbeat of our provincial economy,” Kaeding said at the start of Small Business Week. The theme for the week is: The economic revolution is here.
In Canada, 34 percent of entrepreneurs are immigrants, 28 percent identify as a visible minority, and 26 percent are women. (https://www.bdc.ca/en/small-business-week/about/small-business-is-big-in-canada-infographic)
“From the fall of internal trade barriers to a fundamental shift in global economic relationships, Canada’s business landscape is shifting fast. Add the explosive rise of AI, and a generational shift in business ownership—and it’s clear: the world of entrepreneurship is being transformed.” (https://www.bdc.ca/en/small-business-week/)
“Behind every small business is a big story, one of hard work, vision, and impact,” Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce CEO Prabha Ramaswamy said. “Small businesses are the driving force behind our province’s growth, fueling innovation, creating jobs, and strengthening communities across Saskatchewan.”
