When you’re an entrepreneur, you see and understand the world differently. Starting a business means putting in your own money, investing your unpaid time, and working 100 hours a week on a project whose outcome is uncertain. It often borders on insanity… The truth is, only entrepreneurs truly understand entrepreneurs.
Sometimes they’re seen as mercantile or money-driven people. Yet if they really were, they probably wouldn’t be in business at all. Most entrepreneurs are creators and builders who genuinely want to improve the world around them.
Now, imagine launching a business in North Hatley — a village of 700 residents. And I’m not talking about real estate, but about a service-based business: a microbrewery, a restaurant, a sauna, an inn, for example.
I don’t know the exact startup costs of a microbrewery, but it’s easy to imagine an investment of at least one million dollars. And let’s be clear: there are no grants.
On top of that, you must develop your recipes, hire staff, build your distribution network, and stand out among hundreds of other microbreweries in Quebec.
Imagine the time, the stress, the sleepless nights. Why not simply put that million dollars in the bank and wait? Because that’s what being an entrepreneur is: we thrive on challenges, and we want — in our own small way — to make the world better.
Take Solstice Sauna: a completely new concept. They had to find and purchase the saunas, secure a location, build the site, and promote their services while competing with hundreds of other wellness options. Again, these entrepreneurs invested their own money, their time, and all their energy into the project.
And once it’s running, you have to keep going: attract clients, again and again, because without them… it’s over. The risk is enormous.
And honestly, thank you to these entrepreneurs for taking that risk to offer us quality services year-round.
Now add to that the challenge of finding and keeping qualified employees in North Hatley — a true obstacle course. That’s why so many entrepreneurs end up doing everything themselves and working 70, 80, sometimes 100 hours a week. Or they give up and close their business.
So next time you’re enjoying a poutine at Vilandré, tasting a blueberry beer at the microbrewery, sipping a latte at the Chocolatière, or jumping into the lake in winter during a Solstice session, think of these entrepreneurs who work like crazy to offer you these experiences.
Without them, no restaurants, no saunas, no inns, no dentist, no caterer, no boutiques, no garage, no grocery store… nothing.
And by the way, how many of you are regular customers of these local businesses?
I truly encourage you to shop local whenever possible — especially during the low season.
Thank you to all the entrepreneurs of North Hatley who keep the village alive.
Photo credit : https://lacievilandre.com/
