What is it?
Our seven-day intensive business boot camp is designed to help
Boot camps are held on campus at four Canadian universities: Université Laval, Dalhousie University, Memorial University, and the University of Regina between May and August each year.
Are you interested?
In just one week you will:
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Learn best practices in marketing, social media, finance, business planning, and accounting from business school faculty. Professors have condensed years of experience into lectures and practical workshops delivered over seven days
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Be paired with a student who focuses on your unique areas of need such as accounting, Excel spreadsheets, market research or navigating the unfamiliar world of social media
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Participate in networking events with local entrepreneurs
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Practice and polish pitching your business idea
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Increase your professional network by 50+
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Work on a plan to take your business to the next level
Who is it for?
Our seven-day boot camp is designed for transitioning Canadian Armed Forces members, Reserve members and veterans of any age who:
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Are committed to making entrepreneurship and/or self-employment their second career.
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Are past the idea stage of business development and have a good idea of their product or service and their customer.
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Are currently dedicating significant amounts of time and energy to moving the business forward.
If you’ve already done your research, seriously considered the benefits and challenges of working for yourself, and already moved beyond the “idea” stage of your own business, our boot camp might be right for you. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and make it happen!
If you’re still in the idea stage and want to find out more about what it takes to launch and run your own business, consider our free one-day entrepreneurship workshop, or one hour POE Connects call.
Growth in self-employment and the new gig economy
The world of work is changing. Many transitioning members looking for full-time, traditional jobs upon release, may find themselves part of the new “agile workforce” and hired to do the job as a self-employed contractor. We know transitioning members and veterans are well-poised to confidently navigate this shift and excel – even if it wasn’t the original plan. As the following Globe & Mail article suggests, with a little knowledge and planning, they may even prefer it.
"The transformation to a gig economy is happening at an astonishing speed in Canada. According to staffing company Randstad Canada, if you add up all the contingent workers, freelancers, independent contractors and consultants, you are talking about 20 to 30 per cent of the Canadian workforce being "non-traditional workers" already. That percentage is only going higher. Eighty-five per cent of the companies surveyed by Randstad figure that they will increasingly move to an "agile workforce" over the next few years.”
What to expect?
In order to pack it all into just seven days, you'll be staying in residence and spending most of your time on campus. During the day you attend lectures, workshops and panel discussion on topics such as marketing, social media, finance, human resources
Confidence Sells!
One of the toughest earned and most valuable take-aways is the
After boot camp:
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Join the active POE alumni network
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Paired with a mentor as part of the Mentor a Veteran program (new for 2019)
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Access to a national network of 15 regional small business centres, industry experts and veteran entrepreneurs
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Access free corporate legal support
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List business in the Canadian Veteran Business Directory www.buyveteran.ca
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Access one-on-one business coaching
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Participate in networking opportunities
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Opportunity to contribute to Entrepreneurial Recon podcast series
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Volunteer opportunities to help promote entrepreneurship
What to bring:
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A laptop if you have one
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Work you’ve done already (business information, research)
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The dress code is business-casual for most days and business wear for networking events including the graduation ceremony on Saturday evening
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Comfortable walking shoes or athletic clothing. The week is long and intense. We recommend adding exercise to your daily routine for mental and physical health
Sample seven-day boot camp schedule
Boot camp impact on skills and confidence
What past participants have said:
2019 Boot Camps:
Université Laval: Quebec City, QC (en français) – 12-17
Dalhousie University: Halifax, NS – June 2-8, 2019
Memorial University: St. John’s, NL– July 14-20, 2019
University of Regina: Regina, SK – August 18-24, 2019
Deadlines
|
Boot camp |
Due date |
Acceptance date |
|
Université Laval (French) |
April 18, 2019 |
April 19, 2019 |
|
Dalhousie University |
May 5, 2019 |
May 9, 2019 |
|
Memorial University & University of Regina |
May 25, 2019 |
May 30, 2019 |
If you apply before May 5th, you will be eligible for all three English boot camps. We encourage you to apply early.
2019 Boot Camp Application
There are three sections to this application: personal and CAF service information; questions about your business idea; then an opportunity to share your passion for entrepreneurship. It’s a competitive process. Complete and focused applications have a greater chance of success.
The ideal candidate to get the most out of the boot camp week is within 1-2 years of transitioning out of the CAF or recently released within 1-3 years.
Applications are evaluated on the following criteria:
1. Proximity to release date
2. Personal readiness
3. Business or business idea readiness
4. Entrepreneurial spirit
Deadlines
|
Boot camp |
Due date |
Acceptance date |
|
Dalhousie University |
May 5, 2019 |
May 9, 2019 |
|
Memorial University & University of Regina |
May 25, 2019 |
May 30, 2019 |
Those applying before April 12, 2019 are eligible for all boot camps so apply early.
Tips for applying:
1. The suggested range for long answers is 50-150 words. We recommend cutting and pasting responses from a Word document into the application form to prevent possible loss of work.
2. In the business section, add details illustrating your business idea is well thought out and focused. If you’re having difficulty, consider these questions: How did the idea came about? Was there a need? Can you do something better? Have you connected with anyone in the industry? What mental and physical leg work have you done?
3. Please include accomplishments and personal successes while in the military.
4. For the entrepreneurial spirit section, let your passion shine through. “Entrepreneurs are willing to work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week.” – Lori Greiner. Are you that passionate? What’s driving you?
5. Think about what you hope to gain from the week. How you are uniquely positioned to utilize this opportunity going forward?
The application form below works with virtually all web browsers updated in the last two years (i.e. Apple Safari 5 or later, Firefox 30 or later, Chrome 18 or later, Internet Explorer 9 or later.) If your application won’t submit or you don’t receive a confirmation email, contact poe@princestrust.ca for a downloadable version. Note: The DND firewall or other factors may impact the web form’s functionality. Try applying from a different computer first.
On behalf of the program partners, sponsors and supporters thank you for applying.
* Do not use @forces.gc.ca.to apply This ensures links function properly in follow up communication. Once submitted, a confirmation email is automatically sent. If not received, apply again checking for email address typos.
We recommend cutting and pasting responses from a Word document into the application form to prevent possible loss of work.
