Pursuit Climbing

Cole Johnson opened Pursuit Climbing in October of 2022 with a dream of sharing his love of rock-climbing. He credits the birth of his son as a motivating factor in taking the leap to open his own business, he wanted to be a father who led by example by pursuing his own goals and dreams, despite how difficult the process of opening your own business may be.

Cole's entrepreneurship journey began like many others. After having worked in the agricultural industry, he felt that he wanted to share his passion of indoor rock-climbing with the community. Upon opening, Pursuit Climbing welcomed well-seasoned rock-climbers and novice rock-climbers alike, creating a space in the community for members to explore the playful yet challenging nature of the sport.

Cole learned about Perth CFDC through the Stratford Perth Center for Business, where he learned the fundamentals of business planning and met our lender, Alex Toll. After refining his business plan, Cole met with Alex and discussed financing options.

Cole explained that the financing from Perth Community Futures has greatly impacted the trajectory of Pursuit Climbing. Cole identified that there was a large funding gap in his plan that was later filled by Perth CFDC and allowed him to open his doors when he did. Without Perth Community Futures, Cole would have had to put his plans on hold to secure funding from

various other sources.

Beyond financing, Perth CFDC was involved in dialling-in his business plan, overall mentorship, creating local connections, and served as a place for Cole to ask questions and get sound business advice.