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Bradford business owner launches Youth Entrepreneur Program

The program will pair young entepreneurs with established local businesses to be a sponsor and mentor

Local business owner Mark Snaper of Eye Candy Ads is launching a Youth Entrepreneur Program in Bradford, highlighting new, young entrepreneurs, providing them with a free digital ad which will appear on his electronic billboard located at 121 Bridge street.

The program aims to provide local youth with an opportunity to learn more about operating a business.

“I am hoping to give a real lifetime experience in any business start-up of having to advertise their business, sign contracts, give warranties, make ads, opening new business accounts, and inch out a respectable profit,” says Snaper. “These experiences are not something that a young entrepreneur can learn about without jumping in and experiencing first-hand.”

Snaper shares he came up with the idea after offering free birthday ads for kids in Bradford who needed a ‘pick me up’ during the pandemic lockdowns. He says the response from the free birthday ads was ‘very good’ and he wanted to continue to provide local youth with more opportunities to connect with the community.

“I have tried new and innovative methods to bring a number of various sponsors to donate and support our local youth for free birthday posts on my digital billboard on Bridge Street,” he said. “This has proven a success and I am delighted with the results.”

Snaper’s first youth entrepreneur ad featured 10-year-old Adam Ahmadzai, who started a lawn cutting business during the lockdown last month. Since then, Admadzai has been very busy.

Snaper is currently looking for sponsors for the youth entrepreneur ads, hoping to connect business owners with the aspiring youth so they can ask questions and learn from the sponsors.

“If the kids have any questions about business, the sponsors can take 30 minutes to one hour a month to give back to them,” Snaper suggests.

Snaper works with an in-house designer who is paying his way through university while designing the digital posters for Eye Candy Ads.

“As far as the small businesses of Bradford – be they retail, professional or trades – I have had an engaging year of feeling out their wants and desires and financial affordability, and I have tailored my business as best as possible to assist them in having affordable, low-cost advertising for their benefit,” adds Snaper.  

Snaper says he is very grateful for having the Town of Bradford provide him with the opportunity to start his own ‘dream’ business in February of 2020 with Eye Candy Ads. He shares having the digital board allows him to do one of the most enjoyable pleasures, and that is “to help the residents and businesses of Bradford enjoy a better business and social advertising climate.”

“In a way, I am one of those lucky young entrepreneurs who feels blessed with realizing part of my dreams and being so welcomed and accepted by the people that I hold dear to me, which are my clientele,” he said.

“If you know any kids that want to be a part of this program and need a bit of a ‘push’, contact me," encourages Snaper. “I have the billboard so I may as well try and help the community.”

If you are interested in signing up for the Youth Entrepreneur Program or would like to sponsor the initiative, please contact Mark Snaper at [email protected]