Help is not far for urban Treaty Seven youth wanting to break through the barriers of getting established as a successful entrepreneur. A T7EDC program helps Aboriginal youth overcome such society-wide biases as ageism by offering start-up funding some institutions won't provide.

The Youth Business Initiative offered through T7EDC provides loans up to $25,000 for Treaty Seven youth and $15,000 for Status Indian youth living in the Treaty Seven area. The program was established to help young Aboriginal entrepreneurs get funding for start-up and operating costs. Depending on the applicant's situation, a portion of the loan may be forgivable, meaning it won't have to be paid back.

Before applying for one of these loans, here are some main things to remember. First of all, you must have a clear profile of your business; who are you, why are you qualified to be a business owner and where will the business be located? Then you must look at your objective; what is your target market and how will you reach it? You must also know how to overcome barriers such as location, or lack of business for your project, and cost projections for one, two and five years.

Treaty Seven Economic Development Corporation helps all Aboriginal people living in the Treaty Seven area with a variety of services. The organization provides assistance for job search and placement, self-employment and entrepreneurship. The people at T7EDC are knowledgeable about current market trends for Aboriginal youth and understand the barriers placed on them by society.

Shawna Morning Bull, T7EDC business analyst, says when looking to fund a small business, the organization looks at the qualitative side of the applicant. When banks look at loan applications they only take into account previous credit history. Treaty Seven looks at everything about the applicant from character, repayment history, type of security and credit history. T7EDC are developmental lenders therefore, assist each applicant at various stages during their entrepreneurial venture.

Treaty Seven has the money to assist young entrepreneurs with their start-up costs and offers reasonable interest rates. For more information on T7EDC funding, contact Shawna Morning Bull at the Treaty Seven Economic Development Corporation at (403) 238-9107.