Creating a Summer Job in Cottage Country

The Phillips Team, Cottage Real Estate

Summer jobs for your cottage kids!

Raising our children in my opinion is the most rewarding, frustrating, difficult, time consuming, exhausting, wonderful and important job that any of us parents will ever have. For Gary and I, our lives revolved around our children as they were growing up and every summer (until we figured it out) led us to the summer job challenge.

The dilemma was always how to support our children in obtaining a summer job, while taking advantage of the cottage season. Everyone in our family always wanted to spend as much time as we could at the cottage during the summer, so we really had to be strategic. Our first approach was for our kids to work at the local marina. Our son led the charge, followed a year or two later by his girlfriend (now our daughter-in-law), then our eldest daughter, and finally our youngest daughter. Needless to say, Moon River Marina was very good to our kids over the years. Our older kids are now grown with their own young families and are well on their way in their respective careers. However, with two years of university under her belt, our youngest daughter decided that she was ready to move onto a new employment situation…but doing what?

Nikki started exploring her summer job options and knowing that there were limited options in our area of cottage country, she decided to create her own opportunity. She applied to Summer Job Company and became an entrepreneur, starting Nikki’s Cottage Care Nikki’s Cottage Care Facebook Page. Following much research, a rigorous application process, the development of a viable business plan and budget, Nikki was approved to start her own summer business with the support and mentorship of the Ministry of Training, Universities and Colleges (MTCU) Summer Company  Nikki’s Cottage Care provided lawn care, outdoor maintenance, and indoor cottage care to local cottagers in the Woods Bay, Iron City, Sans Souci/Copperhead area. Nikki learned so many incredible business skills launching and running her own business. It turns out that although she is in the Bachelor of Science, Nursing program she has an entrepreneurial spirit!

What is it about these young entrepreneurs that sets them apart? It certainly takes a special “something” to take an idea and manifest it into a successful summer job opportunity (or business)! These are the characteristics that I observed: determination, a positive attitude, leadership, integrity, adaptability, and passion.

I share this with you because we were totally impressed by the opportunity Nikki had through Summer Job Service and it was awesome watching her turn her idea for a summer business into a successful summer job! And, for a university student, it was great for her to spend four months at the cottage focusing on the development of new skills that will easily transfer into her future career in medicine. And, who knows…maybe you have a potential entrepreneur in your family?! It’s something to think about if you and your family are struggling with the dilemma of managing summer jobs and the summer cottage season.

A big thank you to  The Business Centre Nipissing Parry Sound Inc.  for supporting Nikki’s Cottage Care!  Nikki's Cottage Care