Brandon and Dayna Canning recently opened a business called Pigeons Floors & Décor in Montague.
They offer a wide variety of quality flooring, unique home décor, local artwork, refurbishing of furniture, and custom orders. Free measurements and consultations are available.
Brandon has been self-employed for the last 15 years as a certified flooring inspector and a flooring technician. Dayna has more than 10 years of experience as an accounting assistant and worked as a general manager of a golf course responsible for the finances.
The couple from Vancouver Island decided to combine their skill sets and become entrepreneurs working side-by-side.
“We have been frequent visitors to PEI for years,” says Brandon. “We prefer to raise our two young children in the freedom of rural PEI as opposed to city living. The warm welcome we received by Islanders is unbelievable.”
Help from Rural Action Centre (RAC)
The couple says the journey to self-employment on PEI would not have been possible without the assistance of the RAC in Montague.
Brandon and Dayna connected with Martina MacDonald, General Manager, while living on Vancouver Island. They received business-related information about resources available to assist entrepreneurs on PEI through telephone conversations and emails with Martina and Helen Antle, Business Loans Officer.
Martina also assisted with finding a storefront location for their business. They secured funding through an incentive program for first-time entrepreneurs offered through the Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) housed at the RAC in Montague.
“We learned through our own research that PEI is projected to lead the Maritimes in economic growth over the next three to five years as people from away move to PEI and build homes and businesses,” says Dayna. “We believe our storefront location in Montague will prosper as the Island economy grows.”
Future hiring needs
“We plan on hiring an experienced estimator and a flooring technician when we are well established in about six to eight months,” says Brandon.
For more information about Pigeons Floors and Décor, contact Brandon and Dayna Canning at 902-326-0075 or [email protected]. Visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pigeonsmontague.
For more information about Rural Action Centres across the Island, visit www.ruralactioncentres.ca or toll free 1-855-297-9898.
For more about the programs and services offered at Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC), visit www.cbdc.ca and click Programs or Resources.