Mi-clos – Luxury domes in Orford

A dream, a good idea, and people who believed in it

Previously based in Montreal, Lavinia Botez and Donat Béland first set foot on their newly acquired lot in Orford in 2020 with a dream: having their own vineyard. They have been working at it ever since, adding plants at a steady rhythm.

Meanwhile, they added luxury domes on the premises to host visitors looking for accommodations with a twist. “A friend of Vignoble Orford had told me about CAE Memphremagog, mentioning that they would be able to help with the lodging side of the business”, says Donat. In 2022, the first three domes had been built!

Donat and Lavinia took advantage of the business development advisory service offered by CAE Memphremagog. “Advisors with a wealth of experience », says Donat. “They were, and still are, of great help.”

Investing in entrepreneurs first and foremost
In addition to support while preparing the business plan, the couple managing Mi-clos contracted loans to finance construction of the three first luxury domes, followed by three more a few months later. “We borrowed from the regular Fund that offers loans up to 300K with flexible terms, which was very reassuring. The team at CAE Memphremagog believed in our project, but mostly, they believed in us as entrepreneurs and that made all the difference”, mentions Donat.

The entrepreneur has nothing but praise for the CAE team, which he describes as available, approachable and highly experienced! « To this day, I can give them a call for advice or even drop by their office, and the door is always open! »