ABSTRACT

Young Native families represent a growing and important segment of the population in the provinces of Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. Young Native entrepreneurs are of crucial importance for the economic development of Native communities in Canada due to their demographic weight and economic potential. The proposed work is targeted at better understanding the mechanisms of economic development in Native communities via the activities of young entrepreneurs. The objective is to identify the key factors of success for start-up businesses owned by Native youth in Quebec and Labrador, including interactions among family, friends and community that determine their sector of choice and characteristic activities. The project reflects recent tendencies of revival in aboriginal economies. The results of the research point out that the main factors of success for the young Native entrepreneurs of the two Canadian provinces, Quebec and Labrador, are: family and friends' support and encouragement; education and skills development; appropriate business networks; good understanding of the function of the funding bodies; good relationships with three levels of government-local, provincial and federal; training opportunities in and out of the communities; and last but not least, the creative and innovative spirit of the young Native businessmen and businesswomen.