Canadian small businesses help support the next-generation of entrepreneurs

TELUS launches November smartphone campaign, donates $50 from the sale of every smartphone on a TELUS Small Business SharePlus Plan to CYBF

TORONTO, Nov. 5, 2013 /CNW/ - Thousands of TELUS small business customers are going to help foster the next generation of entrepreneurs, just by picking up a new smartphone for their own work.

During the month of November, TELUS will donate $50 on behalf of every small business customer that purchases a new smartphone on a TELUS Small Business SharePlus Plan to the Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF). The donation will directly support Canada's emerging young businesspeople through the Foundation's Entrepreneurs-In-Residence (EIR) mentoring and training program.

"One of the key factors in the success of CYBF entrepreneurs is the strength of our mentoring program, including the Entrepreneur-in-Residence role," said Julia Deans, Chief Executive Officer, CYBF. "The partnership between CYBF and TELUS ensures that a new generation of Canadian entrepreneurs has access to resources personalized to their development needs at the very early and most critical stage of their businesses."

The EIR program offers young entrepreneurs personal coaching as well as face-to-face and virtual classes when they are working towards launching a new business and in the early stages of launching that business. The program directly helps entrepreneurs determine their best target market and what costs should be included in their business plan, which is vital for success.

"This unique program is TELUS' way of thanking our small business customers for doing business with TELUS, while supporting the important work the Foundation does to build a more entrepreneurial Canada," said Jim Senko, vice-president of Small Business Solutions at TELUS. "TELUS is a strong supporter of small business and through this initiative we are helping young entrepreneurs develop the tools they need to build successful businesses."

Since 2012, CYBF and TELUS have enjoyed a partnership committed to helping young entrepreneurs succeed. As part of the commitment, TELUS has donated $28,000 to CYBF already this year, $100 for every person who attended a TELUS Challenge event, a year-long event series supporting small businesses with speakers and information to help them successfully tackle their business challenges. TELUS will donate up to another $122,000 through the smartphone program for a total of $150,000 this year.

To date, CYBF has invested in more than 5,260 young entrepreneurs, whose businesses have created more than 20,800 new jobs.

About the Canadian Youth Business Foundation

The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to growing Canada's economy one young entrepreneur at a time. We look at character, not collateral, when providing youth aged 18-39 with pre-launch coaching, business resources, low-interest financing of up to $15,000, and industry-leading mentoring to help them launch and sustain successful businesses. CYBF's co-financing partner, the Business Development Bank of Canada, leverages CYBF's application process to provide up to $30,000 in additional support for CYBF entrepreneurs.

Established in 1996, CYBF has been recognized as a global leader in advancing youth entrepreneurship. CYBF is a founding member of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs' Alliance, the Canadian member of The Prince's Youth Business International, and the Canadian host of Global Entrepreneurship Week (being held November 18-24 in 2013).

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $11.2 billion of annual revenue and 13.2 million customer connections, including 7.7 million wireless subscribers, 3.3 million wireline network access lines, 1.4 million Internet subscribers and 743,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed more than $300 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.8 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Fourteen TELUS Community Boards lead TELUS' local philanthropic initiatives. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

SOURCE: TELUS Corporation