Business Plan Competitors Enter a Dragon’s Den

Robert Herjavec, one of the stars of CBC TV’s hit show Dragons’ Den, packed the BMO Financial Group Atrium to the rafters on Nov. 10, when he told the story of his entrepreneurial success. Billed as the Dragon’s Lecture, the event is part of a half-million-dollar business plan competition launched by QSB’s Monieson Centre and the Prince Edward/Lennox and Addington Community Futures Development Corporation (PELA CFDC).

The renowned entrepreneur, who has sold two companies worth a reported $100 million and $225 million respectively, heads The Herjavec Group, one of Canada’s leading IT security and infrastructure integration firms. He is also a successful author, having recently published Driven: How to Succeed in Business and Life. His engaging and informative presentation certainly made an impression on the capacity crowd. “This was an excellent occasion for aspiring entrepreneurs to learn from one of the best,” says Craig Desjardins, Executive Director of PELA CFDC.

The QSB-PELA CFDC Business Plan Competition invites teams to submit ideas for starting a business in either Prince Edward or Lennox and Addington Counties. The top three teams will each receive $150,000 in interest-free loans to implement their plans. These loans were made possible through the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.