Self-Employment Programs - BCIT

Contact

British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)
BCIT School of Business
3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, BC
V5G 3H2

Tel: 604.451.6989
Fax: 604.433.6371

Email: Jennifer_Egan@bcit.ca
Website: www.bcit.ca/venture

About The Program

The BEST Program - Created especially for entrepreneurs

Seriously considering self-employment? Develop research and marketing skills, and learn how to create a comprehensive business plan in the BCIT Entrepreneurial Skills Training (BEST) Program.

BCIT is Canada’s premier polytechnic and career training institute, and has successfully delivered self-employment programs since 1986. Annual surveys indicate over 95% of our participants are still operating their businesses after the first year, and several BEST graduates have won Entrepreneur of the Year awards.

Designed to help qualified candidates meet the challenges of starting a new venture, the BEST Program will provide you with the tools and resources to launch and operate a business through relevant training by award-winning BCIT instructors.

Once your strategy is in place, you will have unlimited access to dedicated Business Advisors for individual coaching and guidance, as well as our extensive network of BEST Program graduates.

The program is funded by Services Canada and operated by the BCIT Venture Development Centre in the School of Business. Clients receive 10 weeks of thorough, realistic training and individual counselling, plus income support during the 48 week program.

Phase One:

Classroom Training– 10 weeks of full-time classroom training at BCIT. This time is devoted to developing a comprehensive business plan and action plan. Training is intensive and covers all aspects of small business start-up and growth.

Phase Two:

Launch Phase – 38 weeks of individual Business Advisor support through business start-up and growth.

Phase Two Training – several elective training sessions offered by expert guest speakers

During the program participants will:

analyse the feasibility of a new business concept
prepare a detailed business plan
conduct marketing research, including the Internet
create a marketing strategy
analyse and prepare financial statements
understand the basic principles of business law; and the fundamentals of business financing

We provide meeting space at BCIT for networking and follow-up meetings for client groups. We also hold an annual Networking Alumni Reception and Professional Development Day at the BCIT Downtown Campus for all BEST clients and graduates.

The BEST Instructors

The BEST instructors are from the BCIT School of Business faculty and have previous entrepreneurial experience. The program also introduces professional speakers from the business community to enhance in-class instruction by sharing their specialized expertise.

Who Can Apply

be currently receiving Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, or
have received EI benefits within the last three years, or maternity or paternity benefits within the past five years;
have a specific business concept

Application and Selection Process

The first step to apply to the BCIT BEST Program is to attend an Information Session where you will learn more about the program and the application process.

Qualified applicants will meet with two of our Business Advisors to discuss the business idea in greater detail. A selection committee decides on 20 candidates for the program and creates a wait list for each class.

Our Selection Criteria includes:

A defined and focused business concept
Market demand for your business
Some market research
Relevant education, skills, and experience
Ability to finance or access financing for the business
Letters of interest from potential customers