Canada is second only to the U.S. in levels of entrepreneurial activity, beating most G7 countries and much of the developed world. The Canadian environment and culture for entrepreneurship is healthy. Entrepreneurship is seen as a good career for which opportunities exist within the capacities of a large segment of the population. Among the positive attitudes cited for Canadian culture: Highly supportive of individual success achieved through personal effort. Emphasizes self-sufficiency, autonomy and personal initiative. Encourages creativity and innovation. There are many reasons why Canada is the best place to build your business: Strong economic growth: Forbes magazine rates Canada as the best country in the G-20 with which to do business. Canada has the strongest fiscal position in the G-7 and among the best fiscal prospects in the G-20. Low taxes and low business costs: Canada offers a low-cost and low-tax environment so your business can thrive. Canada’s overall tax rate on new business investment is significantly lower than that of other G-7 countries. KPMG ranks Canada as the most tax competitive country in the G-7. Excellence in research and innovation: Canada offers a winning environment for research and innovation, including world-leading research and development (R & D) infrastructure, scientific talent and innovation incentives. Combined federal... View Article
Data (facts and statistics collected for analysis) is increasingly important to business growth. In fact, 90 per cent of all data ever collected was generated in the last two years. Connecting and understanding data related to people, platforms, the Internet and supply chains (and most importantly, turning it all into profitable insights) is crucial when achieving competitive advantage. The sheer amount of information and variables to consider can be overwhelming. That’s where nimble, data-focused startups come in. These companies help clients make the right business decisions, share data efficiently and increase effectiveness. Big Data Analytics has become a key requirement for edging competition, optimizing productivity, driving innovation, customer acquisition and sales. The ever-expanding volume and detail of data captured by enterprises & startups, the rise of social media, Machine Learning and Internet of Things (IoT) will further fuel the exponential growth in big data analytics for the foreseeable future. Big Data in Canada, Key points: Canada is well positioned to dominate the world landscape in applying big data and machine learning to its biggest primary industries. Canada has significant advantages: the largest, best-instrumented and most modern primary industries; world-leading subject matter experts; and top university graduates. The historical data collected... View Article
With upwards of 700k active podcasts out there, it’s not always easy to choose what to listen to. So we went to the source. Podcast audience is growing everyday. Sixty percent of adults 18-34 have listened to a podcast at some point in time. Twenty-eight percent of all Canadian adults are monthly podcast listeners, and the younger the listener, the more likely they are to be a monthly or weekly podcast listener. There’s no doubt that podcasts are rapidly becoming an important way to communicate news, opinions, business mentoring, industry updates and much more. Here are some of the most important podcasts in British Columbia: BC Today from CBC Radio British Columbia BC Today is where British Columbians connect on issues facing their lives and their community. Every week day at noon PT and 1pm MT, BC Today host Michelle Eliot delves into the top story for the province. North by Northwest from CBC Radio British Columbia (Highlights) CBC Radio host Sheryl MacKay meets creative people from all around the province. Hear about their passions and inspirations. You’ll visit artists and in their studios, musicians and performers backstage, writers at their keyboards and chefs at the cooktop. There’s great conversation and... View Article
Among other good news to come out of Canada’s financial capital, the city has cemented its reputation as a global center for AI, thanks to a $5 million investment by Google into the Vector Institute last year and an aligned buy-in from the city’s academic, government and corporate sectors. According to a report by the City of Toronto there are over 60 business incubators in the city, and the growing Toronto tech startup community is seeing a rapid rise in innovative solutions. Here’s a short list of Top Entrepreneurs that are influencing Toronto’s innovative landscape: Jen Agg, owner of The Black Hoof, Raw Bar, and Cocktail Bar http://theblackhoof.com Advice: Learn from past experience. “Now I know what to expect when working with a plumber or contractor,” says the 37-year-old restaurant and bar owner. “You learn you were paying too much when you develop a trusted network of tradespeople who you use consistently,” she says. Bobby Kimberley, owner & creative director of Young Lions Music Club http://younglionsmusicclub.com Advice: Know your target, and stick to it. Kimberley believes an audience is the most important part of a business, so he says to figure out who yours is, and focus on catering to them —... View Article
The rise of superfoods and holistic health trends suggests Canadians are taking a new approach toward health. Grocers and other industry leaders are paying attention and taking action. Loblaw, Canada’s largest grocery retailer is staffing up a new “meal solutions” division, which spans across the company’s business. Among its goals: conquer the Canadian meal prep market. The company, which operates more than 2,300 stores and has reported earnings of $36.5 billion so far this year, is currently running a meal kit pilot project under its President’s Choice brand. PC Chef meal kits appeared early this fall in 13 stores in the Greater Toronto Area — including Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart and one No Frills location — and are available to purchase from these stores through PC Express, its grocery pickup service. Loblaw is facing growing pressure from Amazon and Walmart, which dominate the U.S online and brick-and-mortar grocery markets, respectively. Though neither has moved as aggressively in Canada, they have begun investing in Canadian expansions. Walmart debuted a “scan-and-go” app in May to speed up the checkout process, and expanded its online grocery-delivery service in partnership with Instacart in August. While Walmart and Amazon sell meal kits in the U.S., neither company has yet launched their offerings in Canada. Montreal-based... View Article
Toronto is a commercial, distribution, financial and industrial centre. It is the banking and stock exchange centre of Canada, and is the country’s primary wholesale and distribution point. Ontario‘s wealth of raw materials and hydroelectric power have made Toronto a primary centre of industry. The tech industry has also paid attention to the city’s vast financial resources and educated labor force, and it has been the favorite location for many startups in the last few years. The growth of the region’s tech sector outpaced that of New York City and San Francisco combined in the last 24 months. If Toronto maintains its current growth rate, it is likely that the city will overtake Silicon Valley as the city with the most technology jobs in North America within two years. Here are some current developments that are fueling Toronto’s tech sector’s success: Google has invested $5m in the Vector Institute to make Toronto one of the foremost global players in the AI space. The city has a range of co-working hubs as well as important districts including the MaRS Discovery District and Koreatown, and active accelerators include Techstars, Creative Destruction Lab, Extreme Accelerator and Highline. Paid is a key player in the influencer marketing space and its platform brings together more than 15,000 creators and Fortune 500 brands for... View Article
At SharpShooter Funding, we recognize that small business owners are looking for methods to fund their business, which is why we offer loans where you will likely be approved (our approval rating is over 75%).
The Canadian Lenders Association’s largest annual event brought together hundreds of executives from the fintech and lending industries. It was hosted at MaRS, a dedicated launchpad for startups in Downtown Toronto that occupies more than 1.5 million square feet and is home to more than 120 tenants, many of which are global tech companies. After OnDeck Canada CEO Neil Wechsler was introduced as the new chairman of the association, the day kicked off with a presentation by Craig Alexander, the Chief Economist of Deloitte Canada. Alexander explained that after some major warning signs sounded off late last year and early this year, Canadian growth and positive economic indicators have returned. He opined that politics in Canada and the United States will play a strong role in the economic outcomes of both countries going forward. Panels on a variety of topics dominated the rest of the day with an interlude keynote from author Alex Tapscott who spoke about the financial services revolution. The sessions concluded with an award ceremony focused around the Top 25 Company Leaders in Lending and the Top 25 Executive Leaders in Lending. The Canadian Lenders Association will make videos of the sessions available online. deBanked was in attendance. Written and Published by... View Article
Many people dream of starting their own bed and breakfast. Just imagine owning a beautiful cottage in Muskoka in the snowy winter, and creating an idyllic destination for visitors.
