YOUTH FOCUS OF SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Young entrepreneurs will be the focus of the small business community this year as Saskatchewan celebrates Small Business Week.

October 19-25 has been declared Small Business Week in Saskatchewan by Enterprise and Innovation Minister Lyle Stewart. The week's theme is "A World Without Borders," and will be marked with events that celebrate the importance of small business and entrepreneurship in the province.

October 23 has been designated Youth Entrepreneurship Day and it will be marked by an announcement involving partnerships with Junior Achievement of Saskatchewan, a program that will train youth in business and entrepreneurship skills, and a new youth education centre in Regina, donated by TCU Financial, and led by the Arcas Group Inc., a Saskatchewan-based market research firm.

"Small business is the backbone of the Saskatchewan economy and is usually the entry point for many of our business people, whether young or old," Stewart said. "Recognizing, supporting and encouraging our young people is imperative in building our economic future."

Small business is big business in Saskatchewan. Close to 96 per cent of businesses in our province are small businesses employing more than 140,000 people. These businesses contribute more than $3.3 billion to the Saskatchewan economy annually.

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For more information, contact:

Tim Tororey
Enterprise and Innovation
Regina
Phone: 306-798-0503
Email: tim.tororey@gov.sk.ca