Month: August 2023

Marc Tremblay takes over as General Manager of SADC Lac-St-Jean Ouest. A native of Roberval, he succeeds Serge Desgagné, who is retiring after 23 years at the helm of the organization.

In a press release, SADC emphasized that Mr. Tremblay’s profile matched what the institution was looking for. A graduate of the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) in business administration, Mr. Tremblay has 14 years’ experience with financial institutions in the Lac-Saint-Jean region.

“Mr. Tremblay’s qualifications for the position also fitted in very well with the change of direction we’ve embarked on in recent months, a direction in which we want to get closer to local businesses to better meet their needs,” says company president Charles Desbiens.

He adds that the new General Manager has developed a number of critical skills over the course of his career that will be put to good use in his new role. “His years of experience and knowledge of team management and business development will be particularly useful in a small organization like SADC.

For his part, Marc Tremblay is ready and excited to take on this new professional challenge with his new team, a challenge for which he says he is well equipped and supported. “I’m adapting very well to my new organization, even if there’s a lot of information and knowledge to transfer as part of this change of guard. The internal dynamic has been excellent since my arrival, and I have every confidence that this transition will go smoothly.”

Source :	leQuotiden
By :	Isabelle Tremblay

On Wednesday, October 12, at the Hôtel du Jardin in Saint-Félicien, the Cercle pour les femmes entrepreneures du Domaine-du-Roy will be launched, a group of businesswomen looking to improve their networking and share their entrepreneurial experience.

The idea for the Cercle came from agents of the Société d’aide au développement des collectivités (SADC) Lac-St-Jean Ouest and Émilie Tremblay, a businesswoman specializing in bereavement intervention.

« Émilie had already taken part in exchange circles. These were beneficial experiences for her. In the course of our discussions, we decided last June to send out an in-house survey containing around ten questions. We wanted to validate the interest of women entrepreneurs in our region in creating an exchange circle. », explains Steeve Larouche, local development officer at SADC Lac-St-Jean Ouest.

A survey showed that there was a real interest in forming a group for women in business. The results were significant.

“Marlène Claveau, co-owner of Trium Médias, corroborated what the survey had shown. She confirmed that there was a real need for women entrepreneurs to get together. In particular, to break the isolation often experienced by women in business,” he adds.

The launch

After several meetings, the idea of creating a Cercle pour femmes entrepreneures du Domaine-du-Roy took shape.

For her part, Émilie Tremblay, who has established a number of business partnerships in Quebec, had been hoping for such a group for some time.

“With my company, I create business links. I found it unfortunate that we didn’t have an exchange group for women entrepreneurs in the Upper Lake region. On the other hand, they do exist elsewhere in the region,” she explains.

Initially, the founding meeting will not impose any formal structures. For the moment, there’s no question of forming an NPO with a Board of Directors. The primary aim of the meeting is to launch the association.

“All women in business are welcome, regardless of the size of the company or the field in which they operate,” says Marlène Claveau of Trium Médias.

“October 12 will mark the launch of this wonderful initiative, which will be held as part of a 5 à 7. Small bites will be served. Anyone interested can attend free of charge. On this occasion, we will form a small committee to plan future meetings,” concludes Steeve Larouche.

Émilie Tremblay, Marlène Claveau and Steeve Larouche have joined forces to form the first Cercle pour les femmes entrepreneures du Domaine-du-Roy.

Source :	Letoiledulac
By :	Jean Tremblay

Business owners and transferees can now count on the help of professionals from the Réseau Experts set up by the MRC du Domaine-du-Roy and SADC Lac-St-Jean Ouest.

The lack of succession that is a problem for Quebec companies is likely to lead to the closure of Quebec businesses. A phenomenon that is likely to grow in the Domaine-du-Roy MRC.

“With a considerable proportion of aging entrepreneurs in the MRC territory, some 250 to 300 businesses are owned by entrepreneurs aged 50 and over, so we can foresee that a significant number of businesses will have to be disposed of in the coming years,” says Yanick Baillargeon, prefect of the Domaine-du-Roy MRC.

Obstacles to overcome

There are several obstacles to ownership transfers. On the one hand, there aren’t enough people willing to buy a business. On the other hand, people interested in taking over a business are ill-prepared, and owners are reluctant to announce the sale of their business and initiate the transfer process.

Support is therefore a very important success factor in business transfers, yet one that is often underestimated.

The role of Réseau Experts

The Réseau Experts aims to guide both the buyer and the seller through these various stages. It brings together professionals from the MRC and SADC, as well as partners recognized in their fields for business support, including the Centre de transfert en entreprise du Québec (CTEQ) and Services Québec.

“The expertise of each team member enables us to support and direct sellers and buyers to organizations offering financial programs or technical assistance,” explains Caroline Perron, Business Advisor at SADC Lac-St-Jean Ouest.

« We can’t do all the work involved in taking over a business,” adds Odrey Doucet, coordinator of the Domaine-du-Roy RCM’s Service aux entreprises. We will work with specialized professionals in the area, such as notaries and accountants. »

Interested sellers or buyers can contact the SADC Lac-St-Jean Ouest or the MRC du Domaine-du-Roy development team.

Source :	Letoiledulac
By :	Jean Tremblay

Promotion Saguenay and four Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region have established a partnership to raise awareness and help businesses make the digital shift.

They are the SADCs of Haut-Saguenay, du Fjord, Lac-Saint-Jean Ouest and Maria-Chapdelaine.

André Blackburn, Director of Business Services at Promotion Saguenay, believes that many entrepreneurs still need a helping hand to overcome the fear of going digital.

I don’t think it’s well known, and I think our entrepreneurs need support to make this shift, and it’s scary, knowing the stakes involved. The steps involved in making the digital shift are also poorly understood. So, I think that’s one of the reasons why our companies may be slow to make the transition,” explained André Blackburn in an interview on Place publique on Monday.

Mr. Blackburn cites Mode Choc as a model for businesses that have gone digital.

Entrepreneurs weren’t prepared for the labor shortage we’re experiencing. With this collaboration, the SADCs and Promotion Saguenay are working together to stimulate entrepreneurs to make the digital shift and take advantage of all the opportunities it represents,” commented Marc Tremblay, General Manager of SADC Lac-Saint-Jean Ouest, in a press release.

Source :	Radio Canada
By :	Radio Canada

On Saturday, June 3, the “Ashtim petshaia” Small Business Market returns to Mashteuiatsh’s Uashassihtsh site, at the Pavillon des arts et des traditions. The Market is part of the Grande journée des petits entrepreneurs (GJPE).

For this 5th edition of the Mashteuiatsh market, more than 30 young people forming 22 businesses are currently registered. They’ll be setting up their booths on Saturday morning, June 3, while waiting for visitors to arrive.

“The number of participants and companies is similar to last year, although it is still possible for young people aged 5 to 17 from the Domaine-du-Roy and Mashteuiatsh communities to register,” reads a press release issued jointly by SADC Lac-St-Jean Ouest and SDEI de Mashteuiatsh.

Creativity at its best

« On the map on the GJPE website, at the location of the community of Mashteuiatsh, interested parties can already get a glimpse of the small businesses that will be present at the Pavillon des arts et des traditions next Saturday. »

« We can confirm that creativity will be at the forefront of this year’s event, with a wide variety of projects. You can find out more about these companies and their products via the link. »

List of products offered :

• Eco-friendly firelighters, colorful handcrafted jewelry, herbs, eco-friendly knitwear, lip balm and deodorant;
• Key-rings, coasters and other practical accessories will be on offer;
• Businesses will be selling a variety of lunchtime treats, including artisan cheese, popcorn, cookies, cotton candy, sweets and beverages such as herbal teas, hot chocolates and coffee.

Source :	Letoiledulac
By :	Jean Tremblay

On Wednesday, the Société d’aide au développement des collectivités du Fjord and the Société du Lac-Saint-Jean Ouest unveiled the investments they have made in the region for 2022-2023. Respectively, they have invested $650,307 and $1,032,047 to help businesses develop, receive coaching from specialists, or address economic development issues such as workforce retention.

Charles Martel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SADC du Fjord, shared the organization’s financial results at the Annual General Meeting held on June 20.

Business financing, one of the three SADC business lines, was once again overwhelmed by requests for support of all kinds. In all, nearly thirty companies sought support from external specialists or from SADC du Fjord’s experienced resources. Local economic development projects were also added.

The Projet d’aide aux petites entreprises touristiques rurales (PAPETR) also performed well this year, with a total of $270,769 shared between ten businesses. It was designed to provide non-repayable contributions for improvements or the acquisition of new equipment.

For the year 2022-2023, SADC du Fjord has also continued to support major local economic development issues, such as attracting and retaining workers, housing, economic diversification and pooling resources.

The organization also offers numerous services and tools for businesses, including sustainable development, digital transformation, regular financing and youth loans.

SADC Lac-Saint-Jean Ouest

For its part, the SADC du Lac-Saint-Jean Ouest unveiled the total amount of its repayable and non-repayable contributions, which came to $1,032,047 this year, the second-highest total in the last five years. In all, 97 business applications were accepted and processed, resulting in the creation or retention of 285 local jobs and $4,778,764 in local investment.

This dynamism can be explained by the arrival of two new programs, Virage vert, which enabled the SADC to inject $63,899 in the form of non-repayable contributions into six sustainable development projects, and PAPETR, under which 14 tourism business projects in the Domaine-du-Roy shared $270,947.

A network of experts to better support and guide entrepreneurs in their business succession efforts was also created last November, in collaboration with the Domaine-du-Roy MRC. The Cercle d’échange Femmes en affaires du Pekuakami has also been set up to meet the needs of women entrepreneurs on the territory.

To meet the challenges of the coming years, SADC has launched two new financial products: the Digital Transformation Loan, which aims to support businesses in their digital shift through financing, and the Tourism Loan, which will help tourism businesses develop their offering and support their investment projects.

Source :	Le Quotidien
By :	Solveig Beaupuy