Community Futures Heartland wants future entrepreneurs to know that there's a helping hand in Portage la Prairie that can get your business off the ground. 
 
Ken Reimer made a presentation for the City Council to showcase the group that's been around since 1993. He says their work focuses on two main pillars. 
 
"The first is business development," begins Reimer. "We'll do business loans, business counseling to help them with planning and cash flow projections. We also do community development work. We'll assist nonprofit organizations in some training and board development." 
 
While the group offers loans, Reimer stresses they're not designed to be used instead of banks, but instead be used in combination with them to ensure a successful business model. 
 
"It's good community development work," explains Reimer when asked why he's involved with Community Futures Heartland. "Everything is a little bit different every day and dealing with a variety of businesses across 13 different (Rural Municipalities) is really exciting. It's good to see our entire region succeed and grow." 
 
Those interested in contacting Community Futures Heartland for a business loan can do so here.

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