TIMMINS – Youth in Timmins have spent the past few weeks learning how to start their own businesses.

A project called Head Start in Business offered through the Timmins Youth Wellness Hub has involved community partners to guide students on generating business ideas, accessing loans and marketing.

During the six weekly workshops, the first thing participants learned is they're never too young to become entrepreneurs.

"Even if people think it's not a good idea like it doesn't matter what other people think as long as you know what you're doing," said Kevin Hulley, grade 10 student.

"Not every child can excel in the schooling aspect which is nothing wrong with that. I think it's very important to help northern Ontario businesses grow and the next generation to help keep that seed going," said Natalie Leonard, North Claybelt Community Futures Development Corporation.

The youth have been taught all the necessary steps required to launch a business.

Opening day is fast approaching and two students, Cody and Caleb, are excited to share their music with others.

"We create music… not play drives, completely original and we just create little mixes of music and we're going to be doing selling our music, trying to see if people like it," they explained.

Timmins Wellness Hub leaders say it's been fun to watch the students grow more independent and powerful with this initiative.

"Mental health and wellbeing is about resilience and strength of character and self-confidence and believing you can overcome adversity and that it's okay to fail and in fact, as we know, entrepreneurs and inventors fail all the time, and they dust themselves off and do it a different way… those are all important skills that you can learn," said Anne Vincent, Timmins Youth Wellness Hub.

One youth created her own candle line featuring essential oils, one boy is building a variety of back scratchers and another youth will be giving people a chance to play a variety of gaming consoles.

Five students committed themselves to the pilot program. They will be selling their products to the public during next Saturday's hub from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at O'Gorman Catholic High School.