Montréal, May 11, 2015 – The Fonds de solidarité FTQ and the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal are very encouraged by the second edition of RDV Relève Inc.™, which took place May 4 to 8 in Montréal and in different regions of Quebec (Valleyfield, the Laurentians, Sherbrooke). The high point of the event was the RDV Relève Inc. Strategic Forum, which, with Jean-Denis Girard, Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Regulatory Streamlining and Regional Economic Development as a guest, brought together close to 350 people at the Palais des congrès de Montréal the morning of Friday, May 8.
“During the week, we saw an impressive mobilization for the massive transfer of Quebec businesses to a new generation of entrepreneurs,” said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. “The Strategic Forum brought together the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Investissement Québec and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, along with some ten other organizations prepared and equipped to put business buyers and sellers in touch and support them in their transfer plans. The Government of Quebec has heard the business community’s calls to improve the context for business transfers. This is very encouraging.”
“We took away three lessons from the week’s activities: the importance of taking risks, being well prepared and taking the time to complete the transfer properly, in a way that reflects the company’s values,” said Gaétan Morin, President and CEO of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ. “Companies that are successful in this transition are those that have a solid transfer plan and seek the advice of outside experts. Recent data shows that entrepreneurial intentions are on the rise in Quebec, and buying a business involves being an entrepreneur. It is essential that we continue work to strengthen those intentions and that more and more Quebecers make the move to entrepreneurship.”
As part of the 2015 edition of RDV Relève Inc., the Board of Trade and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ also launched an awareness-raising campaign for business transfers across Quebec. Directed at the general public with the goal of promoting business acquisitions, this campaign includes a web platform (www.soyezlareleve.ca) and a fun, informative questionnaire that allows Internet users to determine the type of business buyer they are and get more information about business transfers and succession.
The results of the Business Transfer Challenge
The second edition of the Business Transfer Challenge, intended to promote and enable entrepreneurial succession, took place during the Strategic Forum. Benoît Martin (Québec City), Jacques Philie (Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville), Martin McCann (Laval) and Nathalie Paquette (Laval), four business successors who distinguished themselves in their respective regions, were invited to submit their succession plans to a vote by the public and a jury of industry professionals. A public favourite, Nathalie Paquette won with her succession plans for a clinic, winning over $10,000 in professional services and visibility.
Survey on perceptions of 20 to 40 year olds about business transfers
A survey commissioned by the Board of Trade and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ as part of RDV Relève Inc. to evaluate the perceptions of 20 to 40 year olds about business transfers was conducted April 22 to 27, 2015 with 532 respondents. Demonstrating the need to better promote business transfers, the survey showed that:
- 73% of 20 to 40 year olds have never considered taking over an existing business.
- Buying a business is viewed as faster, less complicated and less risky than starting one up.
- One third of 20 to 40 year olds believe that buying a business is less fulfilling than starting a business.
- 50% of 20 to 40 year olds believe that society attributes less value to buying a business.
- Those most favourable to buying a business are, in order, people from the CMA of Québec City, people with a high school education or less and women.
- 82% of 20 to 40 year olds believe that it takes ambition to take over a business.
RDV Relève Inc.™ is a joint initiative of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ and the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, in partnership with Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton.
About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has over 7,000 members. Its mission is to be the voice of Montréal’s business community and to promote the city’s prosperity. It is involved in key areas of economic development, advocating a philosophy of action based on engagement, credibility, proactivity, collaboration and innovation. The Board of Trade also offers a range of specialized services to individuals and to business of all sizes to support them in their growth at home and abroad.
About the Fonds de solidarité FTQ
The Fonds de solidarité FTQ helps drive our economy. With net assets of $10.5 billion as of November 30, 2014, the Fonds is a development capital fund that channels the savings of Quebecers into investments in all sectors of the economy to help create and maintain jobs and further Quebec’s development. The Fonds is a partner, either directly or through its network members, in more than 2,450 companies. With more than 600,000 shareholder-savers, the Fonds helps create, maintain and protect more than 172,000 jobs. For more information, visit www.FondsFTQ.com.
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Sources:
Michelle LLambias Meunier
Advisor, Media Relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, ext. 4042
mllambias@ccmm.qc.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chambremontreal
Twitter: @chambremontreal
To follow the discussion: #ccmmqcca
Patrick McQuilken
Senior Advisor, Media Relations and Communications
Fonds de solidarité FTQ
Tel.: 514 850-4835
Cell: 514 703-5587
pmcquilken@fondsftq.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FondsFTQ
Twitter: www.twitter.com/FondsFTQ