Montréal, October 26, 2015 – At the business luncheon organized by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal held as part of BDC Small Business Week™, Pierre Cléroux, chief economist of the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), presented the results of the study SMEs and Growth: Challenges and Winning Strategies. This study, conducted by BDC and released last week, proposes four strategies for dealing with the challenges of growth.
“Building on the momentum of the 2014 edition of BDC Small Business Week™, which focused on planning, Mr. Cléroux gave entrepreneurs the tools they need to develop a taste for growth,” said Michel Leblanc, president and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. “According to the study, only four out of ten SMEs took on the challenges of growth in 2015. The BDC’s practical advice made growth seem more within reach by offering simple strategies, such as knowing your client, focusing on your team, innovation and investment.”
“Growth can put pressure on a company, but it offers a number of advantages,” Pierre Cléroux said. “The financial stability it generally creates allows companies to be more competitive and take on larger projects that are more stimulating for employees.”
Mr. Cléroux’s speech was followed by a discussion moderated by Michel Leblanc with three Montréal entrepreneurs who have managed to grow their business on their own terms. Caroline Dumas, founder of Soupesoup, Martin-Luc Archambault, founder and CEO of AmpMe and founder and managing partner of MLA Ventures, and Mathieu Beauchesne, vice-president of Nucléom, discussed their experiences.
“What these three entrepreneurs share in spite of coming from different sectors is a vision for long-term development for their company,” said Michel Leblanc. “Their stories demonstrated that with the right partners and the right tools, a successful growth strategy is well within reach.”
For BDC Small Business Week™, entrepreneurs were invited to an Info entrepreneurs open house to explore the resources that can help them start their business. This was followed by a Board of Trade Funding Meet-and-Greet, during which participants talked to experts from the BDC and Export Development Canada in addition to taking part in a series of express meetings with the financial backers on hand. The Board of Trade also offered the webinar Successfully Presenting Projects to Investors to companies registered for the Funding Meet-and-Greet and to the business community in general.
You can consult the BDC study SMEs and Growth: Challenges and Winning Strategies by clicking here.
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 Info entrepreneurs
Info entrepreneurs is a leader in the delivery of quality strategic information on government programs and services directed to the business community. It constitutes a privileged source of commercial information, thus contributing to the economic growth of SMEs. Info entrepreneurs is a service of the Government of Canada delivered by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. Info entrepreneurs is part of the Canada Business Network which comprises 13 major centres across Canada.
About BDC Small Business Week™
For 35 years, the Business Development Bank of Canada has been organizing BDC Small Business Week™ in recognition of the contributions and achievements of Canada’s entrepreneurs. Events held during the week bring entrepreneurs together at conferences, luncheons and trade fairs across the country, where they have the opportunity to learn, network and enjoy themselves in the company of their peers.
™ BDC Small Business Week is a trademark of the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).
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Sources:
Michelle LLambias Meunier
Senior Advisor, Public Relations, and Press Attaché
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, ext. 4042
mllambias@ccmm.qc.ca
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