Business Services
Overview
däna Näye Ventures’ business planning programs and services are designed to help local businesses and entrepreneurs play an important role in the Yukon economy.
Our Business Support Officer’s primary responsibility is to work with Aboriginal entrepreneurs to establish, acquire or expand any type of business. We assist Aboriginal business clients to develop their business ideas through feasibility and business planning.
We can specifically provide assistance in securing financing and ongoing assistance to enhance our clients' overall business capacity, provide advice/mentoring after start-up and to assist them in addressing challenges unique to their business.
Training & Workshops
däna Näye Ventures provides specialized training in all areas of running a business. Our training ranges from business planning preparation to specialized after care training to help ensure success in the course of action.
If you are interested in starting your own business, you can take the Feasibility Study Workshop, and the Business Planning Development Courses.
Feasibility Study Workshops are designed to help assess personal skills and abilities for business operation and financial resources before going into business. In addition, the workshop provides a model to complete a study on the feasibility of the business. An additional week is given following the course to research all aspects of the proposed business to determine if the business will be viable.
The Business Development Courses are 180-hours, which helps create the business plan. These courses include guest speakers, Internet and computer access, and the chance to exchange ideas with other people taking the course. Upon completion of the course, you will have developed a functional business plan allowing you to proceed with your venture. Moreover, the business plan will serve as a tool to approach lending institutions should financing be required.
In addition to the business planning workshop and courses, däna Näye Ventures offers a wide variety of business and computer courses to help you effectively enhance your employable skill sets.
Our business courses can be customized to help you maximize on the benefits it will bring to your business. Although these courses are not offered on a regular basis, they form a solid core of our business development concepts to help you manage your business through its course of operation.
Self Employment Program
däna Näye Ventures offers the Self-Employment Program (SE) to people who currently are unemployed and interested in starting a business. The SE Program can give you up to 52 weeks of regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits while you establish your new business. If you already own a business, you are not eligible for this program.
To be eligible for the SE Program, you must:
- be unemployed;
- on an active EI claim; or
- have received EI benefits within the past three years; or
- have received maternity or parental benefits within the past five years during and after which, you remained out of the labour market to provide care for your child.
In addition to these conditions, you must:
- Be eligible to work in Canada;
- Live in the Yukon at the time of your application and remain in the Yukon during your participation in the SE Program,(52 weeks);
- Prove that you are looking for work, in order to remain eligible for your EI benefits while waiting for your acceptance into the SE Program, and
- Be able to work a minimum of 35 hours per week in your own business while participating in the SE Program.
Contact däna Näye Ventures if you are interested in applying for the SE Program. The SE Program Coordinator can help you prepare a detailed business description required for your application to the SE Program. däna Näye Ventures also offers information sessions and workshops designed to help you assess your business skills, financial status and personal resources before entering the program.
The SE Program Coordinator will assist you with the following steps that you need to complete in order to be accepted into the Self Employment Program:
- Obtain a referral from a supporting agency,
- Complete a SE Program Application, and
- Complete a Feasibility Study showing that you have a viable business idea, and have it approved by an "in-house" Review Committee and Service Canada.
You may attend our 4-day Feasibility Study Workshop or complete a Feasibility Study on your own with the assistance of the SE Coordinator.
Once accepted into the SE Program, you will sign a Self Employment Program agreement with Service Canada, which allows you to continue receiving insurance benefits and/or an employment allowance while developing your Business Plan under the direction of däna Näye Ventures and the Self Employment Coordinator. Your completed business plan will be reviewed by an independent Review Committee consisting of local Yukon business people. Upon approval of your Business Plan, you will continue to receive your EI benefits or employment allowance for the remaining weeks of your agreement as you proceed with the implementation of your business. DNV will monitor your business activity for program compliance and provide nurturing and business training opportunities during the term of your agreement.
Keep in mind that if you are going into partnership with other SE Program applicants, you must share the controlling ownership equally among you.
Your business will not be considered for funding under this program if:
- It is controlled by someone other than the person receiving financial assistance through the SE Program,
- You rely on commissions for the majority of your business income,
- It is a subsidiary or business that receives financial support from other companies and you are an agent or sub-contractor for other businesses,
- It exploits sex, religion, or politics,
- It is a seasonal business UNLESS it provides a viable annual income and there are aspects of the business that carry on throughout the year in order to meet the 35 hours per week criteria.
däna Näye Ventures delivers the SE Program on behalf of Service Canada.
Youth Business Program
Are you an Aboriginal between the ages of 15 and 35? Would you like the challenge of going into business for yourself? If this is you, then you could benefit from the Youth Business Program through däna Näye Ventures. You could be eligible for loans up to the amount of $15,000 with a fixed interest rate of 8.5%. Loans are available for starting, buying, or expanding an existing business.
So you're not sure where to start? We offer pre-business workshops designed to help you with self-assessment and tools to assist you with the planning of possible business ideas and skill development. We can also assist you with writing and fine-tuning a business plan. If you submit your business plan to däna Näye Ventures for financing, the evaluation criteria will be based on:
- The ability of your proposed business to make money
- The amount of cash and equipment required to start or expand your business.
- The impact your business will have on the Yukon environment.
- The effect your business will have on competition.
- Material assets, land, houses, vehicles are normally used as collateral to cover your loan amount; however, the requirements are very flexible for youth.
If you are successful in receiving funding through the Youth Business Program, we can continue to provide you with workshops, training sessions, one-on-one business counselling sessions and match you with a mentor to assist you at excelling in your business venture.
Funding sources for the Youth Business Program include:
- Aboriginal Business Canada.
- The Yukon Territorial Government's Community Development Fund.
- The National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association.
- däna Näye Ventures
