Success Stories
Summer Company is an Ontario government program that has been helping students aged 15-29 start up and run their own businesses since 2001. For more information, visit our Summer Company section.
SCOTT BURKE
BURKE BROS. LANDSCAPING
WINDSOR
“Always adapt to further your business and embrace change.”
For Scott Burke, it was a very fortunate thing that the grass really wasn’t greener on the other side.
The 20-year old owner and operator of Burke Bros Landscaping, a Summer Company, started out by selling his
lawn care services to residential home owners. But Scott
noticed – and then seized – the opportunity to sell his services to building developers whose lots desperately
needed cutting.
He started tapping into that niche market by approaching
developers and securing contracts. Scott’s business was
so successful that he exceeded his projected sales by an
impressive 58 per cent!
Scott’s summer was extremely rewarding both financially
and experience-wise. Scott tells future entrepreneurs, “Always
adapt to further your business and embrace change.”
EKATERINA SHESTAKOVA
ONCE UPON A KINGDOM THEATRE STUDIO
OTTAWA
“Don’t be afraid to take a chance and start your own business.”
Last summer, Ekaterina Shestakova opened the first Russian language theatre day camp in Ottawa for children aged 7 to 12.
Ekaterina admits that getting the business off the ground
was not without its challenges. “I had difficulties finding [ways]
to advertise in a short time-frame,” she says of one problem.
She wound up solving that through good old-fashioned
word-of-mouth.
Coordinating a choreographer, costume designer and set
designer for the production presented another challenge,
but Ekaterina’s production skills got her through it. The show’s
tremendous success was an indication of how much she
developed as a theatrical producer in a matter of weeks.
By summer’s end, Ekaterina’s business was gaining
momentum. She plans to keep running Once Upon a
Kingdom Theatre Studio and tells others, “Don’t be afraid to
take a chance and start your own business. Never stop
exploring new possibilities.”
AMSAY OSAWAMICK
FRAMED IT
WIKWEMIKONG
“Planning became my summer. I made the most of my time.”
In 2009, artist Amsay Osawamick saw an ad for
Summer Company and decided to ‘get with the program’. She founded Framed It, a business that sold her own original paintings and photography of nature and
Aboriginal culture – set in her own handcrafted frames.
To keep up with demand, Amsay had to learn to balance her
time between producing and selling. Since much of her
work was sold at events like powwows and cultural shows,
Amsay had to make sure she attended the ones most likely
to generate sales. “Planning became my summer. I made
the most of my time.”
Amsay achieved her goal of earning money while doing
something she loves. She also found that special requests
from customers, especially requests for some very
intricately detailed frames, helped her grow and develop
as an artist.
ROGER TOUZIN
ROGER’S ALUMINIUM RESTORATION
SUDBURY
“Hearing about Summer Company definitely gave me the motivation to get my business up and running.”
Roger’s Aluminium Restoration, the company created by 21-year-old Roger, provided aluminium polishing services to truckers. The challenge for Roger was that his target market had been hit hard by the recession. “The first thing they cut from their spending was the aesthetic expenditures on their trucks,” he says, “which meant aluminium polishing.”
Roger responded by adjusting his prices and going on a
marketing spree, travelling to regional truck and car shows
to promote his business. His commitment paid off, and
his reputation for quality work grew along with his sales.
This was not Roger’s first business and likely won’t be his last.
Still, he found the support the program provided to be helpful.
“Hearing about Summer Company definitely gave me the
motivation to get my business up and running,” he says.
