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There are 1.17 million businesses in Canada. Around 80,000 new businesses are started each year. If you're one of those brave souls, starting your own business from scratch might sound like a dream. However, if you know what you're doing, it can be a very real and...

You’ve done your research, asked yourself the right questions, and now the answer is clear: you’re ready to start your own business.

When people interested in starting their own business talk about their plans, people will tell them that the most important part is having a good idea. The truth is that finding a “good idea” is only one part of the process.

Much of what will make or break a new business involves the amount of money they have to spend, and the investors that prop them up.

When you’re thinking about getting into the startup world, securing funding can be a crucial part of your business plan.

Since nine out of every ten startups fail, the investors and VC’s you work with can make all the difference if you want your startup to land in that coveted 10%.

Statistics gathered by Entrepreneur, however, show that funding isn’t only coming from angel investors and big industry names.

In fact, the study shows that about 38% of startups get funding from friends and family, while 57% are financed almost entirely by loans and lines of credit.

Want to make sure you get the funding you need from the places you want?

Keep reading to understand the startup funding stages you can’t afford to miss.

Digital marketing is the fastest way to get your business into the limelight without spending too much money.

You’ll see increased ROI, great conversion rates, and more customer engagement than you’ve ever realized.

It’s no surprise then, that everyone is jumping on board with the digital marketing. In fact, it’s projected that digital marketing spend will surpass 100 million dollars in 2019.

But running your own digital campaign isn’t always the best idea. While anyone can post on social media, you might actually do more harm than good.

Digital marketing campaigns require planning, an understanding of SEO, content marketing, Google Analytics, HTML, influencers, and more.

It’s a full-time career choice to learn the ins and outs of digital marketing.

So to make sure you’re running a top-notch digital marketing campaign, you need someone to help. And that someone, is a digital strategist.

Everyone in business knows that networking and making connections with people in your industry can help drive success.

No matter how good your resume is, an in-person connection will always win out for getting your foot in the door. People look to their personal relationships first before expanding out.

After all, if you can help someone you know first before giving a job to an anonymous paper resume, wouldn’t you do it too?

The unique opportunities that come from your network are often things you could never seek out on your own. That’s why it’s so important to have a wide and varied network of people.

Here are fifteen networking essentials that you need to know if you are going to successfully make connections in your industry of choice.

Are you a startup wondering what to do about web design?

Your website is your everything.

Especially because you’re just starting out, it’s important to show the digital world your best.

As a startup it can be tough deciding where to allocate funds, especially if you’ve got a limited budget to start with.

You definitely need a well-designed site, but is it worth it to outsource web design?

In this post, we’ve got answers for you. Read on for insight!

Lead generation is essential to any business looking to expand their customer base and increase profits. Whether you’re operating online or off, generating a consistent stream of leads needs to be a significant portion of your marketing efforts.

But to be successful, you’ll need to employ a range of strategies to attract prospects online–which admittedly, takes a little creativity and finesse.

Keep reading to learn more about finding leads online, and more importantly, converting them into customers.

So you’ve learned that brand development is just as important as productivity for a successful startup. Now you need to understand and define what this means to your business.

On the saturated modern market, creating a strong brand is key to standing out amongst the competition. Without it, you’ll be another drop in the sea of startups.

Your brand is also how you attract investors and customers, and even workers in certain cases. This can make or break your startup.

But knowing how important it is to develop a strong brand is only one step on the journey. Where do you go from here?

This list of 10 brand development tips will answer that question.

It’s easy to overlook inadequate resource planning, but you might be overlooking the health of your company as well. Invest in resource planning tools or risk burning out your workforce.

Growing companies face an ongoing struggle with resource planning. Many depend on ad hoc methods that don’t yield targeted results. They may prevent teams from hitting key benchmarks as well.

Are your teams sharing critical resources? Are projects delayed because employees or third parties don’t have what they need? You need to avoid falling into a lull where these problems become normal.

You may be overstraining certain employees. Other teams might have disproportionate idle members. Their access to resources determines their ongoing productivity.

Resource planning tools help develop steady workflows for all employees. They help you identify long-term resource issues. They help you manage critical resources when project plans change as well.

The way your office is set up has a huge impact on your business. Lighting that is too dim lowers productivity, and a building that's too loud will distract your employees and keep them from finishing their work. Setting up a perfect office that enables employees to...

We've all had some pretty terrible bosses in our careers. If we're lucky, we've also had some great leaders. So what makes a leader effective? What makes someone capable of pulling a group of different people together for a common cause? Surprisingly, there's no magic...

Want to ditch your full-time career and start your own company? Interested in being your own boss? Or, maybe you’re just looking to make some extra income while raising your family?

Whatever the reason, there are many great small business ideas that you can get started with today.

Best of all? With the right mindset and proper planning, you won’t have to empty your wallet to fund the project of your dreams.

Let’s get into some awesome options!

Is your 9 to 5 corporate gig getting you down? Do you have a great idea – and even a great name – for your own business but haven’t yet put it into play?

So what’s stopping you?

It’s time to consider the advantages of entrepreneurship.

You get to be in control. You don’t have to report to anybody. You can take a vacation when you feel like it.

And the best part? You can’t be fired by anyone but yourself.

But that’s not all.

Canada is one of the world’s fastest growing countries for startup companies. But for a new entrepreneur, choosing the right types of employees has more to do with their success than having a good idea.

It’s crucial as an entrepreneur that you surround yourself with employees who will help you accomplish your goals and grow your business. You are only as strong as your team.

But how do you know if you’re hiring the right people?

As you’re building your staff, be on the lookout for the 4 types of employees listed below. They’ll make your business better and your life easier.

You’ve finally decided to make your dreams come true and become your own boss. It’s exciting but overwhelming as you try to answer all the business questions you have.

A Canadian study showed only 50% Canadian small businesses survive past five years. Answering business questions early on will help companies remain sustainable.

Keep reading for some important business questions to ask yourself

What is a NUANS report? Who needs one? When and why?

An interesting set of questions for anyone planning to register a business in Canada. And something you’ll need to understand to determine whether it applies to your business or not.

We know that registering a business doesn’t always seem straightforward, as a quick scan of government resources will show you.

So what do you need to know about filing a NUANS report, and is this relevant to you? Let’s find out.

Are you sick of marketing? You’re not alone.

It’s no secret that marketing can be a burden for small businesses. You have to invest valuable time and money in the hopes that you get a return on your investment.

If traditional marketing isn’t giving your small business the ROI you want, you should consider emarketing. It lets you take advantage of the internet in an increasingly digital world.

It’s a tool that uses the internet, desktop and mobile sites, e-mail and other forms of digital media. This marketing method is becoming more popular as we move deeper into the digital age. In fact, US digital marketing spending is estimated to approach $120 billion by 2021.

How can you take advantage of this marketing method? Learn all about the benefits of emarketing here.

Getting your small business off the ground is hard enough. And dealing with small business tax issues can make things even harder.

But as a small business, certain deductions are available to you, which means tax time might not be as bad as you think.

Keep reading for a breakdown of commonly missed tax deductions for small businesses, and how to use them to your benefit.