1 June 2017

Six experts are part of the expert panel serving Sherbrooke’s women entrepreneurs, recently organized by the group Entreprenantes. The launch took place on Thursday, May 25, 2017, at Capsule bistro-cinéma. This initiative is a partnership between the Corporation de développement économique communautaire de Sherbrooke (CDEC—C ommunity Economic Development Corporation) and Femmessor Estrie.

Karole Forand, general director of CDEC Sherbrooke, Jean Bibeau, Maryse Normandin-Turmel, France Gervais, Catherine Therrien, Martine LeHoux and Jacques Lacroix.  Not pictured : Isabelle Ducharme, expert in human resources.

The expert panel is composed of:

• Maryse Normandin-Turmel, kitchen management expert and co-owner of Café général
• Jean Bibeau, expert in the validation of business models and lecturer at the Université de Sherbrooke’s School of Management
• France Gervais, profitability management expert
• Catherine Therrien, corporate identity expert and owner of Catherine Imagine Agency
• Jacques Lacroix, sales expert, namely for Lacroix Sales Marketing
• Martine LeHoux, regional director of Femmessor Estrie

These experts from various fields will generously provide five hours of consultation to women entrepreneurs in downtown Sherbrooke. The consultants will travel free of charge to a woman entrepreneur’s place of business to get a sense of the reality of that business and to make their work easier.

La Tribune reported on a comment from Karole Forand, Executive Director of the CDEC de Sherbrooke (Community Economic Development Corporation): “It’s a concrete solution to one of the problems identified in a survey of downtown women entrepreneurs conducted in 2016 by Entreprenantes.”  Ms. Forand criticized the lack of resources for female entrepreneurs, in terms of funding and time, which results in a barrier to business growth.

In downtown Sherbrooke, roughly 200 women entrepreneurs are in charge of 38% of the private businesses.

Business women who would like more information or to register in the program should contact Hélène Rochon, chargée de projet à la CDEC de Sherbrooke au 819 563-1600 poste 103 ou hrochon@cdec-sherbrooke.ca

Source : La Tribune et les Entreprenantes