Get ready for local businesses to battle it out
If you’ve ever heard of Shark Tank or Dragon’s Den you’ll understand the idea behind Catfish Den. The local event aims to help out local businesses and initiatives by having them present their ideas for improvement to a local crowd.
This will be the second Catfish Den event as the first event, which still intends to be an annual endeavour, was interrupted by the pandemic. Now with pandemic restrictions lifted, the event is back and the local Cool Cats are back in business.
“I used to be on the board of the Beausejour and Brokenhead Chamber. For a few years, they did a Dragon’s Den. But it was me that approached the Selkirk board, with this idea,” said Jim Pelletier, First Vice President and Past President of the Selkirk Biz.
Pelletier brought forward the suggestion to the Selkirk Biz since his experience in the Beausejour/Brokenehead event led him to believe it would work here too. The members of the Selkirk Biz then teamed up with the Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School where the event takes place and it became a reality in our community.
The event takes place on Oct. 26 at the John Vadeboncoeur Theatre in the Comp from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and businesses who want to take part need to start getting ready now.
The way that it works is that home-based or store front businesses looking for capital injection, wanting to get their name and products known in the community, or organizations looking for funds for an upcoming project can apply to take part. Once they’ve applied at the Selkirk Biz’s website they need to develop a pitch to wow the crowd.
To apply you don’t need to be a resident in the Selkirk Biz’s coverage area of the City of Selkirk, RM of St. Clements, RM of St. Andrews and RM of West St. Paul.
However, your business must currently operate in any one of these communities or open within the next 12 months.
“I’m also looking for the community to come out and support the different organizations or businesses that they may not be aware of, or they may be aware of. [The businesses are] going through some challenging times or they’re looking at different ways to grow or different projects to help the community,”
This competition is unique also in that it’s completely community-driven. The Cool Cats, who offer mentorship and support the event, don’t buy part of the businesses like the TV competitions and they don’t even choose the winners. It’s the audience members themselves who choose who gets awarded the prizes at the end of the night.
The event costs $5 to attend but Pelletier says that the entry fee is a way to make the audience more involved.
“All the $5 goes into the pot and will be dispersed that evening. The audience gets to pick their favourites and that’s how the money is dispersed,” he said.
The event is also special because it will have a portion where the students from the high school pitch their ideas. In the past, school programming like the school’s PASS program has been supported in this way.
New this year is a market hosted by the high school students. They will be selling small items at booths. This gives our young entrepreneurs a great way to get a feel for what business sales might be like and residents who attend a great opportunity to support them. Don’t forget to bring some pocket change.
Pelletier feels that it’s important to have business events like this in our community so that residents and businesses can connect and residents can support the people who support the community.
“First, is we always want to think shop local. We’re sort of close to [Winnipeg and often people] will first think, ‘Oh, you know, I’ll go to Winnipeg and go see,’ but sometimes we have that business here in Selkirk. So not only [by supporting local do]you not have to drive there or spend on gas, but you’re helping a business. Second is it’s normally our local businesses that support all of our community groups,” he said.
Pelletier invites everyone in our community to come out for an evening of fun at this event.
“You never know, you may find people that find that you are extremely interested in and would like to get more involved with or provide more support to,” he said.
More details can be found on the Biz’s website or on their social media. Applications can also be found on the Selkirk Biz’s website at https://selkirkbiz.ca/
