Community Futures Oxford Looking for Feedback for Potential Entrepreneurial Hub

Thursday, 10 February 2022 at 06:16

Community Futures Oxford would like to hear from local business owners as it looks into the possibility of creating a Entrepreneurial Hub in our community.

OXFORD COUNTY - Community Futures Oxford is exploring the idea of creating an Entrepreneurial Hub for Oxford County businesses.

It is working with experienced consultants from Innovation Guelph to see if this is something we need in Oxford. General Manager Allan Simm says this is just an exploration process at the moment and they want to hear from local entrepreneurs.

"We are going out into the County to find out what do entrepreneurs need, what are they going to need in the future, in terms of business support services and would they be interested in a physical hub."

Simm explains some of the feedback they are looking for.

"What are they interested in, what are they going to need, would they use a co-working space, would they use things like hot desks, do they need office space, this is what we are going to be looking at and taking on."

Project Manager with Innovation Guelph Linda Horowitz says the upcoming consultation process will include anonymous surveys as well as small focus groups.

"We are excited to be working with Community Futures Oxford to discover how the entrepreneur ecosystem can be supported in Oxford County."

Innovation Guelph was chosen for their direct experience supporting organizations with the development of entrepreneurial programs and resources including similar hub models in Ontario and nationally.

Some of the questions the organization hopes to answer include:

- Are entrepreneurs interested in accessing a physical entrepreneurial hub and if so, which programs and services would need to be available to them in such a space?
- For what purpose would entrepreneurs use a co-working space?
- What technology might entrepreneurs need in this type of space?
- What are the gaps in services currently available to support entrepreneurs in Oxford County?

Entrepreneurs wishing to provide feedback can send an e-mail to oxfordsurvey@innovationguelph.ca.