Fourteen Aboriginal men and women have the tools and the confidence to go forward in the business world thanks to a pilot project from Community Futures East Interlake.

The 14 adults are the first to graduate from Community Futures East Interlake's Aboriginal Small Business Training Program, which was conducted through winter and spring.

"I wanted to know what I was getting into and it really helped me a lot," said 24-year-old Waylon Sutherland. Sutherland is from Peguis reserve and plans to attend university this fall to study business. He hopes to start his own business in the future.

"(The course) really opened my eyes to the business world," he said. But he also said that opportunities like this aren't always easy to access for Aboriginal people, who often feel left out of the business/entrepreneurial loop.

His statement rings true for staff at Community Futures East Interlak ewho have committed themselves to promoting Aboriginal business development. The CF's strategic goal has always been to increase business in the CF area, which extends through the North-East Interlake.

However, staff and direectors of the organization felt Aboriginal entrepreneurs were not represented in any of the CF's client inventory.

In an effort to change this, the CF developed a course outline for the program. They agreed the course would be geared toward an Aboriginal clientele and would consist of 100 hours of training in five functional areas: finance, marketing, personnel, operations and management/administration.

Seeking funding for the project, they then approached the Agriculture and Agri-food Canada Rural Secretariat. Ultimately the Secretariat was able to provide funding for two sessions of the program through the Canadian Rural Partnership Pilot Project Program. Instructors Jimm Simon and Mark Baxter were then hired to develop the course materials and instruct the courses.

The program was offered to members of the CF's four Aboriginal communities — Peguis, Fisher River, Jackhead and Fisher Branch.

Eggert Thordarson was one of the graduating class. A resident of Peguis, the 54-year-old is no stranger to the challenges of running a business. "I used to have a business in Winnipeg, but it was the management part that made it fail," he explained."

"I was really interested in what Community Futures East Interlake was offering." At a cost of $100, Thordarson said the course was both economical and educational. I learned how to do a business plan and my books properly," he said.

Now armed with both confidence and know-how, Thordarson said he wants to open a heating and air conditioning business on the Peguis reserve. "ommunity Futures East Interlake has told me they are available for funding once I get my business plan," he said. "I was really interested in what they were offering."

His plans and optimism are a reflection of the program's success.

Sutherland agreed the course was a success and would like to see it become a regular offering. "People don’t understand there needs to be a lot of research done. You can't just start a business and succeed. "They should offer this course again every few months. There's a need for it," he said.