Business owners, creators and innovators share stories and strategies of how they started and built their respective businesses in Ottawa to inspire prospective entrepreneurs to get their ideas off the ground and help the companies being interviewed to promote themselves.
#11 How to get the Government to fund your Startup with SR&ED (SHRED) Credits with Naren Balakrishnan
Big three Takeaways: 1. Canada’s Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) or SHRED program can be a fantastic financial resource to help entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life. Naren’s team at Grant Thornton helps companies navigate the complex process of applying for SR&ED credits. 2. Tracking activity is important when it comes to SR&ED applications. The lesson here is to create systems that can sca...
20 Oct 2021
#10 Starting tech companies without a technical background with Arctic Leaf founder Josh Garellek
Big three Takeaways: 1. Take action, when you notice a trend with business potential. Josh admits later in the interview that he has said yes to too many things in the past, but his default mode is to take action and he creates opportunities for himself with this mindset. 2. The other side of that coin; Be careful what you say yes to. Choose the topics you want to focus on and the people you want to work with carefully. Time is your mo...
8 Sept 2021
#9 Standing out in the sea of sameness with Yellow Beauty founder Jaz Fenton
Big three Takeaways: 1. With the cost of failure as low as it is in ecommerce, launch well before you fully understand everything and trust that you’ll fill in the blanks as you build. 2. Be consistent, with your product and marketing. People should know what to expect when they do business with you. 3. To build a lifestyle brand, you have to find ways to consistently share your brand's values. Other Takeaways for entrepreneurs 06:18 – You can launch before you understand ever...
26 Aug 2021
#8 Using Basketball as a Vehicle to Build Life Skills with Right Way founder Mike Kenny
Big three Takeaways: 1. Using a mission to drive decision making, helps build a culture. For Right Way, the mission is more than just creating better basketball players. 2. When coaching or running a team, don’t micromanage. Let players figure things out on their own as much as possible. 3. On pricing: Price your service at a level to attract the clients you want. In a services business, part...
12 Aug 2021
#7 Tax planning is important, but it's the easy part of succession planning - with BLG tax partner Pamela Cross
Big three Takeaways: 1. For owners planning for an eventual transition of the business to the next generation, it’s important to establish what your ideal outcome is, as opposed to selecting particular assets to leave certain individuals. 2. When rules change, like 2016/2017 with the introduction of Tax on split income (TOSI) rules, having a team of professionals becomes even more valuable because they can help you make necessary changes to adapt. ...
29 Jul 2021
#6 Process over Profit, People over Process with Roxborough Bus Lines' Nick McRae
Big three Takeaways: 1a) Large scale changes in an industry force companies to evolve. This will often lead to failures when transitioning to new way of doing things. Having a growth mindset using failures as a learning experience separates companies that become stronger when industries shift from those who are left behind. You don’t want to be a dinosaur when a meteor is about to hit. 1b) Change takes a lot of energy. Transitioning younger employees to leadership keeps energy high an...
15 Jul 2021
#5 How to acquire successful businesses with Sunbelt Broker's Gregory Kells
Big three Takeaways: 1. Prospective buyers need to understand seller discretionary earnings and the advantages of seller financing. 2. For sellers, the key to increase value is to take yourself out of the day to day. 3. Why buyers should picture a “day in the life” as an owner before buying Other Takeaways for entrepreneurs 2:00 – When Greg explains what the #1 reason for selling was when he first ...
30 Jun 2021
#4 Building a business & a community during challenging times with SweatFitCo founder Conor Oakley
Big Takeaways: If you don’t give yourself any choice, you’ll be more resourceful in figuring things out.Other Takeaways for entrepreneurs: 2:18 - Conor’s ‘fight or flight’ approach to starting his business. 6:43 – Now that people have become comfortable with doing a guided workout over Zoom, attendance has picked up.8:37 – The importance of physical fitness for mental well being.9:22 – How to hustle when you have no connections or experience.11:13 – If you’re goi...
15 Jun 2021
#3 The Next Evolution of Game Film with GameStrat founder and CEO Tunch Akkaya
Big Takeaways: · Don’t be afraid to launch early and fix your product on the fly · Focus on building a business that you want to run before you can even consider selling. Other Takeaways for entrepreneurs: · 4:22 – The best way to prove your product or idea is to use it to gain an advantage over your competition/prospective customer! · 5:55 - Imitate then innovate to creat...
1 Jun 2021
#2 Scaling a SaaS business in a massive industry with Elizabeth Audette-Bourdeau
Three Big Takeaways: Create a business that solves a problem.When trying to build a talented team, focus on the vision/mission. Take bigger risks when you have less to lose. Even if you fail, you’ll learn a lot by trying to figure things out. Other Takeaways for entrepreneurs: 2:20 A great example of starting a business to solve a problem.6:10 How Welbi aggregates data into information to create a community within a community.10:58 Elizabeth explains how much time ...
1 May 2021
#1 Joel & Justyna - The business of creating lasting memories
It is becoming increasingly rare to have a 'wow' experience as a customer. One of the last ones I can remember was our wedding photographers. When we got the photos of our engagement shoot back, I knew they were special, but that feeling continued when I noticed their professionalism and talent level at our wedding. It was great to hear how they built their business and found developed their unique style. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Joel and Justyna Bedford. Lessons for Entrepreneu...
13 Mar 2021
Trailer: Capital Ventures with Steve Hughes
On Capital Ventures, I talk to entrepreneurs from Ottawa and hear the stories of how they built their businesses. For every Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, there are thousands of wonderful founders and businesses right in your city. This show is all about these founders. If you own a business are want to start one, you’ll find motivation, tactics & strategies and lessons in these stories. If you’re an investor, you might find an emerging opportunity before it takes off and If ...
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