Windsor Essex is a great place to be an entrepreneur
Windsor-Essex is home to several organizations that provide programs, resources, and support to people interested in exploring entrepreneurship as a career. Most of these services are funded by various levels of government, so they are offered at no cost to the user. Regardless of which organization you contact, they will take the time to understand your idea and vision. If their organization cannot offer the specialized resources you need, they will refer you to the organization best suited to help take your idea from launch to growth. There is no wrong door to enter – the goal of all the support organizations in the region is to help grow ideas into success. No matter what support or advice you need, or where you are in the entrepreneurship journey, assistance is available to you in Windsor-Essex.
Windsor-Essex is a great city for networking and relationship-building. It is an integrated city that is small enough to get to know people in various sectors, but large enough to grow and scale a company. Access to the U.S. market is facilitated by geographic location and organizations with strong cross-border relationships.
Small and medium businesses are the engine of the economy. According to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), a small business has 1 – 99 paid employees, and a medium-sized business has 100 – 499 paid employees. As of 2019, they employed 88.5% of the private labour force and comprised 99.8% of businesses in Canada. There is huge potential to start and grow a business in Windsor-Essex. Small and medium-sized businesses will help build the economic stability of the region as the economy continues to rapidly recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and evolve post-pandemic.
The changes in the economy were happening before the COVID-19 pandemic. The days of working for the same company from graduation to retirement are behind us. People will change jobs and careers several times throughout their working lives. The pandemic has given people a chance to pause and think about what they want to do for work. This may mean starting your own business. New business start-ups will play a large role in the post-pandemic economic recovery in Windsor-Essex.
Windsor-Essex is a great location to start a small business. Although there is a strong foundation of manufacturing and agriculture, there is room in the economy to grow businesses in technology, food, professional services, and Main Street businesses. This is a great time to consider creating your own opportunity.