The employees and proprietor of County Computers and Apothic
Vapes. From left: Quinn Kidd, Jason Haney (proprietor) and Miguel
Guillemette.
Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) citizen Jason Haney opened his first business enterprise in March 2014. Located in Lasalle, County Computers performs computer sales and repairs and offers electronics such as tablets, computer accessories and Android media boxes.
Getting a new business off the ground can be an intimidating project but with a small capital investment from his family and a bit of help from the MNO’s Métis Self-Employment (MES) program, Haney was ready to take on the challenge.
In line with making changes in his life, Haney, a 25-year smoker, also decided to quit smoking by vaping. His customers’ interests in vaping and the results of Haney’s personal experience with it encouraged him to start a side business: Apothic Vapes.
His ambitions and abilities to adapt to his customers’ needs proved to be rewarding. By May 2015, an addition to County Computers was dedicated to Apothic Vapes, providing the best selections of beginner to pro vaping hardware in the Windsor area.
“Striking out on your own to try self-employment is risky and a scary thing to do for most,” Haney wrote in an e-mail. “I believe if any citizens of the MNO have a great idea, the courage to take the risk and the flexibility to adapt to a turbulent market, [the MES program] is just enough of a boost to make it possible to succeed and a lot less scary.”
Haney was recently featured in the January 2016 issue of Biz X as well as in the Lasalle Observer.
Published on: February 2, 2016