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Innisfil, ON – The Town of Innisfil has launched a new interactive tool to help entrepreneurs easily find business support across Simcoe County, including funding, networking, programs, and workshops.
Developed by the Town’s Economic Development Office in partnership with regional business support organizations, the new Entrepreneurial Journey Map is designed from the perspective of an entrepreneur. The tool helps founders understand the key steps involved in starting, growing, and scaling a business while connecting them to relevant support at each stage.
“We are so fortunate to have so many resourceful and collaborative business support organizations in Simcoe County,” says Town of Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin. “We learned that new founders still have trouble knowing who to call when starting their entrepreneurial journey and our team saw an opportunity to add clarity.”
The Entrepreneurial Journey Map uses a board game-style format to guide entrepreneurs through the stages of business development, from the early “dream” phase through launch, growth, scale, and eventual exit. At each stage, users can explore services related to research and development, minimum viable product development, fundraising, and scaling operations. The map also supports better coordination among service providers by highlighting gaps and strengthening referrals across the region.
Andrew de Jong, Founder and CEO of Just Simcoe and a graduate of DMZ Innisfil, has worked with several local business support organizations throughout his entrepreneurial journey.
“The entrepreneurial journey can be a very hard landscape to navigate and can feel lonely at times,” says de Jong. “There are so many great resources out there, but until now, there hasn’t been a consolidated place to find them all. A tool like this can give entrepreneurs confidence that there is support out there and they are not alone.”
As business programs and services evolve, the Entrepreneurial Journey Map will be updated regularly. The Town’s Economic Development team thanks the entrepreneurs and regional partners who contributed their insights, including the County of Simcoe Economic Development Office, Georgian College, Lakehead University, Nottawasaga Futures, Sandbox Centre, and the Small Business Centre of Barrie, Simcoe County and Orillia.
Visit innisfil.ca/journeymap to access the Entrepreneurial Journey Map and find business support providers.
To learn more about economic development initiatives in Innisfil and to stay up to date on news and events, visit investinnisfil.ca.
This project is funded in part by the Government of Ontario and the Town of Innisfil.
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