Crowdfunding is one of the new up and coming ways to finance your business. If we look at the international market place, there is $3-5 billion dollars that has been raised in crowdfunding efforts.
This is through over 300 portals internationally with 45 of them available to Canadians. Traditionally crowdfunding works by donation or reward.
The latest and greatest is that crowdfunding will soon be available in Canada to raise equity. This is going to make raising equity less expensive to do and easier to do.
Now is the time to prepare your business for this new opportunity. Learn how in this 20 minute video.
Contact the Expert
Mike Hook
e: mike@intrepidlaw.ca
www.intrepidlaw.ca
@MikeHookLaw
Tag Archives: small business advice
Top Home Based Businesses
Starting up a business from home is a viable option. In fact over 50% of self-employed people run their small business from the comfort of their own home.
Find out why you should consider working from home, some surprising stats, the top trending home based small businesses, the top home based small businesses in operation, and if it is right for you.
Finally this 20 minute video reviews some best practices to help you start and keep your own small business at home.
Contact the Expert
The information from this webinar was gathered from small business resources and Stats Canada. For more information, please contact us at info@smallbusinesssolver.com
Like the Slides? Top Home Based Businesses
Action Planning
Get Started. Keep Going! This is the life of the small business owner and entrepreneur in 2014 trying to get their business ramped up or growing.
The number one reason why a small business owner is successful in the short term is based on how much they are moving forward. Every time that you say the words ‘I will’, are you? Not that you necessarily have to be on time, but you need to do it if you said you would. Being action oriented and getting things done is critical to success.
The Action Planning Process includes the following steps;
1. Goal Setting
2. Action Planning
3. Implementation
4. Measure the Results
5. Assess/Reassess
Contact Information
Gary Brown
gary.brown@fsainc.ca
Like the Slides? SBS-action planning webinar
Finding Time For Yourself
Finding time for yourself is critical in running your business for a ton of different reasons.
1. It helps you perform better when you are working.
2. It increases personal satisfaction.
3. It allows for worklife balance and overall satisfaction.
4. It prevents burnout which is one of the leading causes of business failure.
5. It is better for your personal well being and health.
When all is said and done, making time for yourself could be the difference between business success and failure.
Contact The Expert
Elise Manolakos
elisemano7@gmail.com
About Elise: Her main inspiration comes from providing physiotherapy treatments to long-term care patients and living with her 85 year old Greek grandmother.
A quote that keeps her going: “Thinking is easy, acting is difficult and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.” – Johann Wolfgang Goethe
Like the Slides? Making time for yourself
Analyzing Your Numbers
Financial management and understanding numbers is a daunting topic for many entrepreneurs. However, this is a vital skill when speaking with investors and bankers that will help your business grow and/or survive.
This video will give an outline of what numbers are important and some basic ratios to test on your business.
Some concepts that are very important are;
1. Reviewing your past performance and changing trends can spot problems early.
2. If you don’t have past performance you can also track against industry averages. This can be done based on the industry that you are in and the size of your business.
3. Financial ratios help you determine if there are problems in specific areas in your business.
– the quick ratio and acid test
– accounts payable and receivables turnover
– debt-equity ratios and interest payable
4. Creating a 1-page business performance dashboard helps you see all of the financial metrics in one spot.
Contact Your Experts
Fabyelle Chevalier, CPA, CA
Manager – Financial Advisory Services
BDO Canada LLP
Email: FChevalier@bdo.ca
Gregg Miyasaki, CGA
Mid-Market Commercial Account Manager
BMO Bank of Montreal
Email: gregg.miyasaki@bmo.com
Like the PowerPoint? Analyzing Your Numbers
More Resources
If you are looking for places to find industry standards;
– Stats Canada: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/start-debut-eng.html
– Your financial institution
– Your accountant
Small Business Exit Strategies
Your small business exit strategy is one of the most important parts of running your business.
The reality is, if you want money quickly it is better to get a job than start a small business. Starting a small business helps you in the long run financially as you are building equity and value in your business year over year.
But the only way to get this equity and value out of the business is having a solid exit strategy that allows you to realize this.
There are 6 major exit strategies to consider;
1. Getting the most out your business now.
2. Liquidating your business which means selling all of your assets.
3. Selling your business to someone you know.
4. Being acquired by another business for a strategic reason.
5. Issuing shares publically and getting out of the business.
6. Create a family empire with a solid succession plan.
One of these should be selected and planned for. The video walks through these strategies, gives examples of how it has worked, and highlights the top tip for each exit strategy that you should be focusing on.
Contact Your Expert
info@smallbusinesssolver.com
Want the Slides? small business exit strategies.
Marketing Automation for Small Business
When we think marketing we often think advertising. But with business becoming more of a science, there are now marketing software out there that can help grow your business.
Obviously technology is more than just social media and your computer, and this is your opportunity to understand what some of those tools are that could help your business.
Marketing automation is one of the newest techniques out there. And it is becoming increasingly important as by 2020 it is estimated that 85% of a company’s customer interactions will be automated and through technology. This means that these marketing automation best practices are only going to become more important.
The 10 Commandments of Marketing Automation
1. Be 100% customer focused. What are your customers pain points?
2. Be pressure free. Gone are the days of the pushy sales person.
3. Support the internal sale. Remember that you are working with more than the decider when you are selling. There are influencers and other stakeholders you need to communicate with.
4. Marketing automation is part of your integrated inbound marketing strategy.
5. Drive repeat purchases. Keep them engaged!
6. Content driven. Have relevant new content to keep them interested.
7. It must be multi channel. Not everyone uses one communication channels. There are many and they are growing!
8. Reflect interest, not just action. Interest is important too!
9. Accessible no matter how someone is accessing the information.
10. Cross platform. The new normal is using different devices.
Find out more and what software is available through the video!
Contact the Expert
Andrea Orozco
andrea@think-kik.com
Who To Hire
As you grow your business, one of the first things that you start doing is hiring employees. Hiring right the first time is critical as it impacts your sales, customer service, your ability to hire others, your brand image, and maybe even the survival of your business.
The expert for this webinar is Marci Schnapp, a Workplace Futurist, Executive Search and Strategic Human Infrastructure Consultant is responsible for TeamQuest Systems vision of being a premier Teamability®-based Executive Search and Human Infrastructure Solutions firm.
Contact Your Expert
Marci Schnapp
marci@teamquestsystems.com
Want the PowerPoint? Who to Hire
Writing For The Web
Netwriting or writing on the web is an evolving art. With more and more consumers turning to the web prior to making a purchase, it is becoming a more important medium.
Some of the questions that are answered in this video are;
– how do you write differently for web?
– how do you write differently for mobile phones?
– where do you put the most important messages?
– what are some emerging trends in online writing?
Some best practices when writing in general is to use the inverted pyramid approach where the most important or key points are at the top. Another is to use an active voice and ensure that the message is what the audience is looking for.
Web writing takes these writing best practices and turbo charges them with some other things you need to take into consideration.
1. Simplicity. Web needs to simple. Mobile needs to be even more simple.
2. Scan-able. People read websites in a pre defined order. Make sure your most important messaging are in these areas.
3. Search-able. Traditional search engine optimization best practices are no longer as important. Content (your writing!) is becoming increasingly important and providing relevant and credible information is critical. There is an entire new industry on content marketing based on this requirement.
Contact The Expert
Paul Lalonde
Content Manager
MarketingWise
paul@marketingwise.ca
Want the PowerPoint slides?
Starting Up Right
Starting up your business can leave you feeling out of your element as you are moving up a huge learning curve. There are a few common pitfalls that you need to look out for.
1. Business structure
2. Planning
3. Testing for your Minimum Viable Product
4. Brand Properties
5. Loyalty / CRM
If you have these components in place, you are much more likely to be successful. Watch the video to understand each pitfall and the best practices around them.
Contact the Expert
Jazz
jazz@thestartupshop.ca
Small Business Start-up Professional
The Startup Shop Prez CL
Want more? Here are some additional small business resources:
Setup
www.Corporationcentre.ca
Testing
Lean Start-up: Eric Reis
The Four Hour work Week :Tim Ferris
CRM/NPS/Loyalty
The Ultimate Question: Fred Reichheld
www.Salesforce.com
www.Zoho.com
