Super Charged
Written by Amy Sellors
“I wouldn’t be here with out the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre.” This bold statement comes from Conor Lyon, Founder of Lynac Lithium Technology.
Four years ago, Lyon walked in the front door of the Innovation Centre with his engineering degree. He knew he always wanted to start his own business, but that dream got a little lost when he was at school. Walking in the door landed him in the Youth Effect Program. This program that connects youth aged 18-29 with small to medium sized businesses to complete defined projects that help the business grow. Lyon learned self-insight. He gained an overall perspective on business, how to run a business, what you should look for in a great boss, and how to work in a group. “It shaped the boss that I’ve become. I’m glad I came through that. I want to work as part of a team and have people grow as the business grows,” says Lyon.
After completing the Youth Effect Program, he enrolled in the Innovation Centre’s Go Global Program where he learned much more about sales and marketing. Today, Lynac Lithium Technology is the only company in Canada that designs and manufactures custom lithium deep-cycle batteries.
It’s all well and good to make a great product, but you’re stuck if no one knows you’re doing it. Lyon knew the website needed an overhaul but like many entrepreneurs, he lacked the time to give it the focus it needed. “I think about these things, but there is no way I can do them.”
He had been thinking about hiring a marketing or media grad from Confederation College. An email from the Innovation Centre about a new session of the Youth Effect Program landed in his inbox at exactly the right time. Karson Holland was the first person to apply and was the right guy for the job. In a small business, “hiring someone full-time is a scary thing. The wage subsidy and the trial period made it a total no-brainer. If it doesn’t work out, that’s ok. The risk to reward is small for the business,” says Lyon.
And the rewards were great. Holland is a recent graduate from Confederation College’s Interactive Media Program. School armed him with lots of skills to revamp Lynac’s website and ensure all digital content was easy to find and user-friendly. “If you want to work with a small company you need to have a lot of skills in different areas,” says Holland. “There’s been continual growth since he arrived,” says Lyon. “He was very instrumental in getting our website to the level it is at now. It’s a big task. He handles all the images and graphics. Every little thing, he optimized for us, including social media posts and technical data sheets.” Lynac Lithium Technologies reaches more people, and sales are up.
“I learned it’s a lot of work to be an entrepreneur,” says Holland. The Youth Effect Program incudes workshops, seminars, and mentorship to help the participants improve their skills in a multitude of areas. “Every week I would feel excited with the workshops and support. I had a shaky voice and felt nervous, even if it was casual. It helped so much to learn how to communicate better.”
Each participant completes a big project with their company, and the Innovation Centre is there supporting the youth and the company with check-ins on predetermined milestones, guidance, and resources. “It’s very valuable,” says Holland. “Without the checkpoints you’re not getting any feedback. You might be doing awesome work, but no one sees the progress. You need critical feedback to make sure it’s working”. And by reaching the agreed-upon milestones, the program fosters trust.
“Start up companies, smaller companies, companies looking to venture into new markets and make new products: that’s who this is for,” says Lyon. “The program takes the participants out of your workplace for meetings and workshops. That can feel like a bit of a worry, but if you have the right mindset, you know that you will profit from the participant’s development.”
Holland believes this program benefits “anyone coming right out college. You’re getting paid to work with a local company and if they like you, you have a job opportunity, which is huge. I feel like my career is moving forward faster because of the accelerated learning curve.”
“I’m surprised I have a full-time employee,” Lyon says about this experience. “A year ago, I was struggling with how I would make that happen. Youth Effect is very simple. You don’t have to jump through lots of grant writing and reporting hoops that aren’t worth the time. There is support for the business and the participant the whole time. You just have to start.”
Holland is staying on with Lynac Lithium Technology, which has added solar panels to their repertoire, because “Holland has not only created value,” says Lyon, “he’s carved out his role and made it profitable.”
