So, this whole notion of the Carbon Accelerator seems to have caught the attention of a number of people here in Nova Scotia - generally a good thing.
We've been contacted by people with business ideas that are in their infancy as well as people with products in the market already but looking to grow their business. We've also been contacted by the usual clan of service providers, lawyers, accountants, insurance guys who see this as a way to get some business and/or actually be an active participant in growing the entrepreneurial spirit in the province.
My reaction? Well, that's all good. The purpose of the Accelerator is to get people talking and to enable the doer's to get in front of people that can make a difference.
We've also heard from some of the "venture capitalists" in the province who say we're being naive in our thinking that this type of approach will have any impact on getting businesses off the ground. These of course are the same venture capitalists/funders that think innovation means copying what other jurisdictions have done and giving absolutely no credit to the thousands of Nova Scotia business owners who employ 1-10 people.
The point is, there may be a place for ACOA, Economic Development, Innovacorp, etc. in helping some entrepreneurs get off the ground, but they can't be viewed as the solution for everybody.
Will a business that pitches to the Accelerator become a company in Nova Scotia employing 100 people? Who knows, but we've got a solid group of citizens who have committed to at least making the effort to provide guidance and advice to those who put their hands up and ask for it.
So far we've had half a dozen people come to us with their ideas and several are on the docket to pitch on March 8 at 6:00pm at Carbonstok. I'd love to know that we have dozens of other business ideas out there percolating, so spread the word and send me your co-ordinates.
Of course, mark your calendars for March 8 - you never know, it may be you that walks away inspired....
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