February 11, 1998
(Development and Rural Renewal)

Y Entrepreneurship conference helps new business start-up

This year's annual Y Enterpreneurship Conference is being held in partnership with the Department of Development and Rural Renewal. The two-day conference will be held at the Holiday Inn in St. John's starting February 18.

"This conference is definitely designed for energetic people," said Development and Rural Renewal Minister Beaton Tulk. "It packs in seminars, group work, panel discussions and a trade show making it something of a guerilla business training course, which is what you need in these competitive times."

The conference is designed to take 100 would-be business people through the steps of researching a business idea to producing a business plan. Seminar topics include research, matching your business idea to your personal portfolio, assessing markets, legal and regulatory matters, financial statements and even assassin marketing for those with big ideas and tiny promotional budgets.

"This is a high energy conference, fast moving and lively," says Y-Enterprise Director Gary Ryan. "Our target audience is anyone interested in starting a new business and we want to keep them interested while learning as much as they can in a short time. Our business conferences always generate enthusiasm in participants which is a vital quality if you wish to succeed in business."

"I am pleased that as a government department we have this opportunity to partner in this conference with a community-based agency like the Y Enterprise Centre, and I am particularly pleased to be working with budding entrepreneurs - young and old," said Minister Tulk. "We too offer a number of business programs and services and entrepreneurs are one of our targets. I urge anybody interested in starting a business to consider participating in this conference."

Keynote lunch-time speakers are Bill Gaulton and Vic Young. Bill Gaulton, who will speak on February 18, is president of Positudes Inc., and a renowned motivational speaker. Vic Young, CEO of Fishery Products International, will speak on February 19.

"More and more people are discovering that if they want a job where they live, one option is to make their own," said Mr. Ryan. "Self employment is becoming increasingly popular. Today roughly 25 per cent of the labour force in Newfoundland and Labrador is self-employed."

There is a fee of $75 for participants in the two-day conference which includes lunch on both days. Registrations are being taken by the Y-Enterprise Centre at (709) 739-9933.

For more information call:

Gary Ryan, (709) 739-9933 Y-Enterprise Centre
Pat Power, (709) 729-4570 Department of Development and Rural Renewal