Growing communities one idea at a time.
Business Services
CFWR offers help to people who want to start or expand a business. We keep up to date on trends and resources.We can help you identify business, industrial, and other economic development opportunities in our region.
Technical Help
CFWR provides friendly, professional business consulting services. We can help you with:
- business plan development
- marketing
- financial analysis
- bookkeeping and accounting
- time management
- marketing
Individual business counselling is available. Download a copy of our Business Planning Workbook and the Cash - Flow Template.
Financial Help
CFWR offers loans to small businesses that are not able to get loans from banks or credit unions. Business loans of up to $150,000 are available. Please contact us for loan guidelines.
The money we have available for loans is part of a pool. As people pay back their loans, the money becomes available again to help other people build their businesses.
Our loan funds have made a difference. Since 1988 we have issued 170 loans totaling $4,964,351. These loans helped to create or keep 491.5 jobs in the region.
Youth Program
CFWR offers help to young people who are interested in self-employment. Young people between the ages of 18 and 29 can apply for a loan up to $25,000. Please contact us for loan guidelines.
Our staff gives business training seminars at high schools throughout the region. We also provide presentations and displays at youth career symposiums.
Young people can also apply for up to $4,000 in non-repayable funds through the Provincial Young Entrepreneurs Program. This money helps with business start-up and capital costs.
Another $1,000 is available for education. It can help with the costs of taking an accredited business-related training course.
Self-Employment Program
CFWR on behalf of Employment Manitoba administers the Self-Employment program (SE) for the North Eastman region. The program provides an opportunity for unemployed individuals who are EI-eligible to start their own business, while collecting their employment insurance benefits. SE clients work with our Business Development Officer who assists them with a business plan, marketing, financial analysis, and counselling/monitoring for the full term they are on the program.
Over the past year, 471 services were provided to SE clients. In addition, SE clients took part in a Marketing Workshop, one-on-one bookkeeping sessions, computer accounting training, and entrepreneurial training session via video conferencing.
This year seventeen new clients were accepted into the program and ten successfully completed the program. During the 2007/08 Fiscal Year 21 jobs were created through new business enterprises. Since we began delivering the SE Program 424 people have participated.
Self-Employment Program Reports:
- 2004 Entrepreneur Report
- 2003 Entrepreneur Report
- 2002 Entrepreneur Report
- 2000 Entrepreneur Report
- 1999-2000 Entrepreneur Report
Entrepreneurial Training
The CFWR office has video conferencing equipment. This allows people to take part in free training sessions offered through the Canada/Manitoba Business Service Centre right here. They do not have to travel to the Winnipeg to take part in a training session.
GoForth Institute Online Business Training
Community Futures Winnipeg River is pleased to offer Canada’s leading online education for entrepreneurs in partnership with GoForth Institute. If you’re looking to bolster your understanding of how to start, run or grow a successful and profitable business, learn GoForth Institute’s 100 Essential Small Business Skills™ in only 10 hours conveniently delivered to your computer through streaming video and an option 400+ page resource curriculum book.
Each of the thirty 20 minute video lessons is delivered by an expert in their field of business – marketing, law, accounting, finance, human resources, strategy, marketing research, operations and government compliance. Learn vital skills such as:
- How to find new markets and more customers
- How to run a more profitable company
- How to develop a winning marketing and social media strategy
- How to prepare your financial records
- +96 more skills.
You’ll get all thirty 20 minute video lessons - plus downloadable lesson summaries, quizzes, PowerPoint™ slides, and e-mail your instructor function. The best part is you won’t have to leave your home or office – all you need is a computer with high speed internet access – and you’re ready to learn! 50% of small businesses fail in two years – improve your odds of small business success today!
GoForth Institute’s 10 hours of online small business training costs just $295 + taxes
- To see a sample lesson, click here: Video Lesson Sample.
- To register today and receive our partner discount, click here: GoForth’s Small Business Training.
- To view a brochure click here: GoForth’s Brochure. (.pdf 2.6 MB)
- For more information, please visit GoForth Institute.