RRHS student wins grant money to start a small business this summer

Ken Johnston
Editor

Rainy River High School student Matt Neilson has been awarded a grant that he will use to create his own summer job.
As part of the Entrepreneurial Studies program at RRHS, Neilson had to develop a business plan for class. However, early in the semester the class was visited by a representative from the Business Self Help Office in Kenora and the Rainy River Future Development Corporation. They learned of a program called the N.W.O. Regional Business Contest.
Neilson decided to enter it and that ment he had to have his business plan done earlier than the rest of the class so he could enter. To his delight he was one of eight successful winners.
He received $1,500 in seed capital and has already set his plan in motion. His business, “Circular Solutions,” involves creating virtual tours for clients. He sees his market as being tourist camps and real estate sales.
He purchased a new camera that he will use to take digital photos of the inside of client’s buildings. He sets his tripod up in the center of the room. Takes digital stills in a complete circle and then on a computer stitches them together. “The person viewing then gets a panoramic tour of the room. It shows a location better than one still picture,” said Neilson.
Once the tour is complete he will put it on a CD with a customized label for the client. They can then load it onto their website for potential clients to take the tour or the CDs can be mass produced to send to potential clients.
In his plan Neilson had to budget for equipment purchases, marketing and operating expenses. Throughout the summer he will also attend small business workshops put on by RRFDC and BSHO.
At the end of the summer, if he has met all the objectives in his plan to the RRFDC and BSHO’s satisfaction he may be awarded another $1,500 to spend as he sees fit.
Neilson said he has thought of going into the engineering field after high school and had never thought of going into business. However, his exposure to small business in the Ent. Studies program changed his mind, at least for this summer. “I think business will help me in the future, no matter what I choose to do.”
Neilson has a website that people can take a sample virtual tour of the RRHS library and see what he will be doing. The address is circular-solutions.com.