The Research Innovation Commercialization (RIC) Centres have recently released a new campaign of grants for small business in Ontario. The VentureStart Program looks to support Canadian entrepreneurs with innovative products or ideas for start-up businesses. VentureStart offers up to $30K in Canadian Government grants or 50% of start-up expenditures by means of a cost-sharing program….
Research and Development is a costly process for any business, especially for those who are unable to leverage their expenses with Ontario business grants. The Centre for Research Innovation Commercialization (RIC) will be holding a business development workshop focused on finding finance and funding for small business research and development projects. When: April 11, 2012…
Update: The Ontario Self-Employment Benefit (OSEB) was closed in 2016. View our Startup Resources page to find additional government funding programs for young startups. The Ontario Government has introduced a new program that is intended to assist job seeking Canadians who wish to start their own businesses. The program is called the Ontario Self-Employment Benefit…
Many of Mentor Works services are based on helping SMEs grow international sales, and part of those development strategies includes Accounts Receivable Insurance. Regardless of your annual revenue sales, if you have customers that can’t – or won’t – pay, then securing credit insurance may prove to be the smartest option to free up working…
Market research and competitor analysis are both expensive and timely to conduct, making them some of the most common barriers to entry for businesses seeking to expand into a new market. Fortunately, Canadian businesses have the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) to assist them with valuable support and resources related to just about any market…
Strong leaders are constantly looking for new information and resources to expand their knowledge. The Regional Information Centre, MaRS, offers a number of valuable free workbooks that cover a number of key business topics. The workbooks are available on the MaRS Workbooks website. You can also browse our Business Consulting and Leadership Development blog sections…
It is no secret that the Internet is being harnessed by the commercial sector worldwide. It opens up the global market to anyone with a computer and Internet access. But more than that, the Internet hosts many precious tools that all small businesses should be tapping into. Here are my top picks to get any…
Business is a numbers game, but it’s comforting to know that you have some aces up your sleeve to keep your financial responsibilities from overwhelming you. Here are my 6 top financial lifesavers that should help to make your accounting a breeze: 1. Payroll Deductions On-Line Calculator Brought to you by the Canadian Revenue Agency…
From experience, I receive frequent requests for professional service providers that support high value services for expansion efforts after the early start-up stage is behind us. These services include accounting, banking, legal, financing leasing options, commercial property or leased space and insurance plans for protection of our growth. Perhaps your expansion plans may require you…
To be consistent with Statistics Canada, SME’s are defined as having less than 500 employees and with annual revenues of less than $50 million. According to the estimated population in the survey completed by SME Financing Data Initiative, Survey on Financing of Small and Medium Enterprises, 2007, small businesses (those fewer than 100 employees) represented…