Toronto Business Advisor

About this position

What We’d Like You To Know About Us

CARE              EMPOWERMENT       INCLUSION

These values are at the heart of who we are as people, as professionals and as a team.

Rise is Canada’s only national charity dedicated to helping people with mental health or addiction challenges achieve financial independence through self-employment or small business ownership. 

Our clients reflect many diverse groups that experience barriers related to access to services. They self - identify including 60% who are women, 32% who are BIPOC and 57%  persons with low income.

Rise aims for a diverse team of staff and volunteers to ensure that our funding, programs and services respect and reflect clients’ needs.

For 10 years, Rise has financed, trained, mentored and coached over 1000 entrepreneurs disbursing more than $ 2 million in over 500 small loans. Our programs enable clients to hone their skills, achieve their goals and live their dreams.

Check out our new Strategic Plan, Social Inclusion Survey and Impact Report

This Opportunity

The overall purpose of the Business Advisor is to work with prospective clients of the Rise Small Business Lending Program. The Rise Small Business Lending Program provides access to low-interest business loans to launch or grow a small business. Eligible entrepreneurs can access loans up to $10,000, with an average initial loan size of $4,000.

Rise is a character-based lender. We look at both the person and the business. Although we do consider credit history in making our lending decisions, we look at more than just a credit score.

A hallmark of the Small Business Lending Program is that financing is combined with mentorship. Our mentorship program is designed to provide Rise entrepreneurs with the necessary support and guidance as they implement their plan and grow their business.

This position is located in Toronto and is part of a team of 9 Business Advisors across the country. The successful candidate will thrive in a role where there is always something to be done and new challenges to address. The Business Advisor typically handles 15-20 loans per year with as many as 6-8 clients at any time. This is accomplished in 4 key areas of responsibility:

Outreach & Marketing

• Engage in extensive community outreach to expand awareness of Rise, support the development of partnerships and relationships and recruit clients
• Network and make presentations to agencies, individuals and communities to form referral relationships
• Manage a pipeline of prospective clients, contacts etc.
• Collaborate actively with peer Business Advisors to share learning

Business Advisory

• Assess loan applications and personal readiness as well as business plan viability, stewarding clients through the loan acceptance and post disbursement processes
• Refer prospects to Rise Training Programs or appropriate community resources as needed
• Support through feedback, coaching and referral to other resources to ensure client questions are addressed and all documentation completed;
• Work with multiple clients simultaneously while adapting to each client’s skills and capabilities 
• Work closely with assigned mentors to support the business, personal and financial goals of the client within Rise’s social objectives and financial resources

Advocacy & Presentation

• Participate in developing the loan pitch material and present the client’s application to the Rise Loan Review Committee
• Advocate for the client

Administration & Reporting

• Maintain all documentation, progress reports and interactions in CRM
• Facilitate and share learning across Rise
• Additional reporting and business planning as required    

Your Experience, Skills & Attributes

First and foremost, you bring through your experience empathy, sensitivity and an understanding of working with individuals with mental health or addictions challenges. You have worked with people from all walks of life and with business ideas of all kinds.

Additionally, you identify and relate to Rise’s commitment to diversity across our team and in particular to BIPOC persons in our hiring practices.

You have superior communications skills written and oral and the ability to confidently present to groups large and small. You are a natural networker and bring tact, diplomacy and judgement to our multi-stakeholder environment.

You understand entrepreneurship and the critical role that it plays in our society in employment, financial and personal terms.

You bring a good grounding in business and street smarts with particular knowledge of financial processes, business plans, strategy and marketing. Ideally you have lived experience in launching a business or equivalent experience; some business education would be an asset. .

You are highly organized, detail oriented, self-motivated, optimistic and accustomed to working within a priorities framework. You are proficient and up to date with MS Office and other business tools. Coaching, mentoring and client service round out your experience.

To Apply

If this opportunity taps into your passion for making a difference and your business smarts, we invite you to send your cover letter and resume to akemp@bdrconsultants.com. Kindly include your salary expectations.

While this posting will be open until the end of March, we will begin interviews as soon as possible with qualified candidates.

Rise is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace. We actively seek racialized and indigenous persons, people with disabilities, (including people who have experienced mental health and addiction challenges), and additional diverse identities for our team.

While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those selected for interview will be contacted. All applicants are notified that, where needed, accommodation for disabilities will be provided on request. This includes accommodation throughout the recruitment process.